Hebrews 7:3

Hebrews 7:3

The King of Righteousness

1 For this ^aMelchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,

2 to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being translated “king of righteousness,” and then also king of Salem, meaning “king of peace,”

3 without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually.

4 Now consider how great this man was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the¹ spoils.

5 And indeed ^athose who are of the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, have a commandment to receive tithes from the people according to the law, that is, from their brethren, though they have come from the loins of Abraham;

6 but he whose genealogy is not derived from them received tithes from Abraham ^aand blessed ^bhim who had the promises.

Commentaries:

Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)

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Without father, without mother, without genealogy (apatwr, amhtwr, agenealoghtov). Alliteration like Romans 1:30, the first two old words, the third coined by the author (found nowhere else) and meaning simply "devoid of any genealogy." The argument is that from silence, made much of by Philo, but not to be pressed. The record in Genesis tells nothing of any genealogy. Melchizedek stands alone. He is not to be understood as a miraculous being without birth or death. Melchizedek has been made more mysterious than he is by reading into this interpretation what is not there.

Made like (afwmoiwmenov). Perfect passive participle of afomoiow, old verb, to produce a facsimile or copy, only here in N.T. The likeness is in the picture drawn in Genesis, not in the man himself. Such artificial interpretation does not amount to proof, but only serves as a parallel or illustration.

Unto the Son of God (tw uiw tou qeou). Associative instrumental case of uiov.

Abideth a priest (menei iereuv). According to the record in Genesis, the only one in his line just as Jesus stands alone, but with the difference that Jesus continues priest in fact in heaven.

Continually (eiv to dihnekev). Old phrase (for the continuity) like eiv ton aiwna, in N.T. only in Hebrews (Hebrews 7:3; Hebrews 10:1, Hebrews 10:14, Hebrews 10:21).

**Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing Hebrews 7:3:**

Hebrews 7:1
Hebrews 7:2
Hebrews 7:3
Hebrews 7:6
Hebrews 7:15
Hebrews 7:24
Hebrews 10:1

<< Hebrews 7:2

Hebrews 7:4 >>

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