Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

Hebrews 7:6

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” (Epiphanius in Bleek), but “from the sons of Levi,” Hebrews 7:5; and who therefore had no claim to tithe appointed by law, and yet tithed Abraham. καὶ τὸν ἔχοντα, in Vulgate “qui habebat”; in Weizsäcker “der die Verheissungen hatte,” not “hat”; so Vaughan correctly, “The possessor of”. “Him who owned the promises.” Cf. Burton, 124 and 126. εὐλόγηκε, on the perfects of this verse and of this Epistle (Hebrews 8:5; Hebrews 11:5, etc.), Mr. J. H. Moulton asks, “Has anyone noticed the beautiful parallel in Plato, Apol., 28 c., for the characteristic perfect in Hebrews, describing what stands written in Scripture? ὅσοι ἐν Τροίᾳ τετελευτήκασι (as is written in the Athenian's ‘Bible') is exactly like Hebrews 7:6; Hebrews 11:17; Hebrews 11:28 ” (Expositor, April, 1901, p. 280). Vaughan also says: “The γέγραπται (so to say) quickens the dead, and gives to the praeterite of the history the permanence of a perfect ”. Yes; but to translate by the perfect sacrifices English idiom to Greek idiom. See Burton, 82, “When the Perfect Indicative is used of a past event which is by reason of the context necessarily thought of as separated from the moment of speaking by an interval, it is impossible to render it into English adequately”. The point which the writer here brings out is that, although Abraham had the promises, and was therefore himself a fountain of blessing to mankind and the person on whom all succeeding generations depended for blessing, yet Melchizedek blessed him; and as the writer adds:

Continues after advertising

BibliaPlus

Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

Hebrews 7:6

Old Testament

New Testament