The subject of Christ's priesthood is resumed; the interpolated admonition (Hebrews 5:11 to Hebrews 6:20) having been skilfully brought round to a second mention of Melchizedek. The chief reason for introducing the priesthood of Melchizedek as the type of Christ's priesthood was that it was “for eve... [ Continue Reading ]
Οὗτος γὰρ ὁ Μελχισεδέκ … μένει ἱερεὺς εἰς τὸ διηνεκές. γὰρ closely connects this passage with the immediately preceding words ἀρχ … αἰῶνα and introduces the explanation of them. “For this Melchizedek [mentioned in Psalms 110 and who has just been named as that priest according to whose order Christ... [ Continue Reading ]
Description of Melchizedek as he appears on the page of Scripture, in five particulars with their interpretation.... [ Continue Reading ]
ᾧ καὶ δεκάτην … “to whom also Abraham divided a tenth of all” [the spoil]. The startling conclusion which this act carried with it is specified in Hebrews 7:4-10. The offering of a tithe of the spoils to the gods was a custom of antiquity. See Wetstein for examples and especially Arnold's note on Th... [ Continue Reading ]
ἀγενεαλόγητος, resolved in Hebrews 7:6 into μὴ γενεαλογούμενος, does not occur in classical nor elsewhere in Biblical Greek. The dependence of Levitical priests on genealogies and their registers is illustrated by Nehemiah 7:64. μήτε ἀρχὴν ἡμερῶν … “having neither beginning of days nor end of life,”... [ Continue Reading ]
Θεωρεῖτε δὲ πηλίκος οὗτος. “But observe how great this man was.” His greatness is recognisable in his receiving tithes of Abraham, and in giving him his blessing, _cf._ Hebrews 7:1-2. These points are emphasised by several details. The first evidence of greatness is that it was no less a man than Ab... [ Continue Reading ]
Superiority of Melchizedek to Levitical priests. The argument is: he was greater than Abraham, the great fountain of the people and of blessing. How much more is he greater than the descendants of Abraham, the Levitical priests?... [ Continue Reading ]
The significance of this tithing is perceived when it is considered that, although the sons of Levi take tithes of their brethren, this is the result of a mere legal appointment. Those who pay tithes are, as well as those who receive them, sons of Abraham. Paying tithes is in their case no acknowled... [ Continue Reading ]
In striking contrast, ὁ δὲ μὴ γενεαλογούμενος … “but he whose genealogy is not counted from them hath taken tithes of Abraham, and blessed [see below] him that hath the promises”. γενεαλογέω is classical Greek, meaning, to trace ancestry, see Herod. ii. 146. ἐξ αὐτῶν, not “from the sons of Israel” ... [ Continue Reading ]
χωρὶς δὲ πάσης ἀντιλογίας … εὐλογεῖται. “And without any dispute the less is blessed of the greater.” Therefore, Abraham is the less, and Melchizedek the greater. The principle [expressed in its widest form by the neuter] applies where the blessing carries with it not only the verbal expression of g... [ Continue Reading ]
Another note of the superiority of Melchizedek. καὶ ὧδε μὲν δεκάτας … “And here men that die receive tithes, but there one of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.” ὧδε “here,” _i.e._, in this Levitical system with which we who are Hebrews are familiar, ἐκεῖ, “there” in that system identified with th... [ Continue Reading ]
καὶ ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν, “And, I might almost say,” adding a new idea with a phrase intended to indicate that it is not to be taken in strictness. It is frequent in Philo, see examples in Carpzov and add _Quis rer. div. her._, 3. Adam's note on Plato, _Apol. Soc._, 17A, is worth quoting “ ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν... [ Continue Reading ]
The imperfection of the Levitical priesthood, and by implication of the whole Mosaic system, proved by the necessity of having a priest of another order.... [ Continue Reading ]
εἰ μὲν οὖν τελείωσις.… “If then there was [or had been] perfecting by means of the Levitical priesthood for upon it [as a basis] the people have received the law what further need was there [or would have been] that another priest should arise after the order of Melchisedek and be styled not after t... [ Continue Reading ]
μετατιθεμένης γὰρ.… “For if the priesthood is changed, there is of necessity a change also of the law”. Or, This change of priesthood being made, as it is now being made, a change of the law is also being made. The connection is: What need was there for a new priesthood? It must have been a crying n... [ Continue Reading ]
This enormous change is in fact being made. ἐφʼ ὃν γὰρ λέγεται ταῦτα.… “For He with reference to whom this [110th Psalms 4] is said hath partaken of another tribe from which no man hath given attendance at the altar”. Here for the first time definitely in this chapter the writer introduces the fulfi... [ Continue Reading ]
He now proceeds to name the tribe πρόδηλον γὰρ ὅτι … “For it is evident that out of Judah our Lord has sprung, concerning which tribe Moses said nothing about priests”. With πρόδηλον may be compared δήπου of Hebrews 2:16. The facts of our Lord's birth were so far known that everyone connected Him wi... [ Continue Reading ]
καὶ περισσότερον ἔτι κατάδηλόν ἐστιν. “And more abundantly still is it evident” [Weizsäcker excellently “Und noch zum Ueberfluss weiter liegt die Sache klar”. What is it that is more abundantly evident? Weiss says, It is, that an alteration of the priesthood has been made. Similarly Vaughan, “And th... [ Continue Reading ]
Imperfection of the Levitical priesthood more abundantly proved by contrast with the nature of the Melchizedek priest.... [ Continue Reading ]
ὃς οὐ κατὰ νόμον … ἀκαταλύτου, “who has become such not after the law of a fleshen ordinance but after the power of an indissoluble life”. This relative clause defines the “likeness to Melchizedek,” and brings out a double contrast between the new priest and the Levitical the Levitical priesthood is... [ Continue Reading ]
That Jesus carries on His work perennially is proved by Scripture. “For it is witnessed Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek,” not merely as in Hebrews 7:11, κατὰ τ. τάξιν Μ., although this itself involves the perpetuity of the priesthood, but expressly and emphatically εἰς τὸν... [ Continue Reading ]
Another element in the superiority of the covenant established upon the priesthood of Jesus is that in the very manner of the institution of His priesthood it was declared to be permanent. The long parenthesis of Hebrews 7:21 being held aside the statement of 20 22 reads thus: “And [introducing a fr... [ Continue Reading ]
διαθήκη in classical Greek means a _disposition_ (διατίθημι) of one's goods by will; frequent in the orators and sometimes as in Aristoph., _Birds_, 439, a covenant. In the LXX it occurs nearly 280 times and in all but four passages it is the translation of בְּרִיח “covenant”. (See Hatch, _Essays in... [ Continue Reading ]
καὶ, as above, Hebrews 7:20, introducing a new element in the argument. οἱ μὲν, as in Hebrews 7:21, the Levitical priests, πλείονες … “have been made priests many in number,” not many at one and the same time [Delitzsch], although that also is true, but many in succession, as is shown by the reason... [ Continue Reading ]
Another ground of the perfectness of the new priesthood is found in the continued life of the priest, who ever lives to make intercession and can therefore save completely, whereas the Levitical priests were compelled by death to give place to others.... [ Continue Reading ]
Τοιοῦτος γὰρ … ἀρχιερεύς. “ _Such_ seems to refer to the Melchizedek character delineated in the preceding part of the chapter, or to all that was said of the nature and character of the Son from Hebrews 4:14 onward. The sense will not differ if it be supposed to refer to the epithets and statements... [ Continue Reading ]
A summary description of the Melchizedek ideal priest, drawn in contrast to the Levitical High Priest, and realised in the Son who has been perfected as Priest for ever. Melchizedek is here dropped, and the priesthood of the Son is now directly contrasted with that of the Aaronic High Priest.... [ Continue Reading ]