Hebrews 7:1-10

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Hebrews 7:1-10

The foregoing chapter ended with a repetition of what had been cited once and again before out of Ps. 110:4; Jesus, a high priest for ever, after the order of Melchisedec. Now this chapter is as a sermon upon that text; here the apostle sets before them some of the strong meat he had spoken of before, hoping they would by greater diligence be better prepared to digest it. I. The great question that first offers itself is, Who was this Melchisedec? All the account we have of him in the Old... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Hebrews 7:1-28

We come now to a passage of such paramount importance for the writer to the Hebrews and in itself so difficult to understand that we must deal with it in a special way. Hebrews 6:1-20 , ( Hebrews 6:20 ), ended with the statement that Jesus had been made a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. This priesthood after the order of Melchizedek is the most characteristic thought of Hebrews. Behind it lie ways of thinking and of arguing and of using scripture which are quite strange to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Hebrews 7:1

For this Melchisedec, king of Salem ,.... Various have been the opinions of writers concerning Melchizedek; some have thought him to be more than a man; some, that he was an angel; others, that he was the Holy Ghost; and others, that he was a divine person superior to Christ, which needs no refutation; others have supposed that he was the Son of God himself: but he is expressly said to be like unto him, and Christ is said to be of his order; which manifestly distinguish the one from the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Hebrews 7:2

To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all ,.... Or tithes, as in Genesis 14:20 . Philo the Jew F2 De Congressu, p. 438. renders the Hebrew phrase, מעשר מכל , just as the apostle does δεκατην απο παντων , "a tenth part of all", or "out of all"; not of all that he brought back, as Lot's goods, or the king of Sodom's, or any others; only of the spoils of the enemy, as in Hebrews 7:4 which is no proof of any obligation on men to pay tithes now to any order of men; for this... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Hebrews 7:3

Without father, without mother, without descent ,.... Which is to be understood not of his person, but of his priesthood; that his father was not a priest, nor did his mother descend from any in that office; nor had he either a predecessor or a successor in it, as appears from any authentic accounts: or this is to be interpreted, not of his natural, but scriptural being; for no doubt, as he was a mere man, he had a father, and a mother, and a natural lineage and descent; but of these no... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Hebrews 7:4

Now consider how great this man was ,.... Melchizedek, of whom so many great and wonderful things are said in the preceding verses: and as follows, unto whom the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils ; of Abraham's giving tithes to him; see Gill on Hebrews 7:2 and Melchizedek's greatness is aggravated, not only from this act of Abraham's, but from Abraham's being a "patriarch", who did it; he was the patriarch of patriarchs, as the sons of Jacob are called, Acts 7:8 he is... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Hebrews 7:5

And verily they that are of the sons of Levi ,.... Or Levites; who are of the tribe of Levi, whose descent is from him: who receive the office of the priesthood ; as some of them were priests, though not all; and the Levites therefore are sometimes called priests. R. Joshua ben Levi says, that in twenty four places the priests are called Levites; and this is one of them, Ezekiel 44:15 "and the priests and Levites", &c.; F11 T. Bab. Yebamot, fol. 86. 2. & Becorot, fol. 4. 1.... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Hebrews 7:6

But he whose descent is not counted from them , &c.; That is, Melchizedek, whose genealogy or pedigree is not reckoned from the Levites, nor from any from whom they descend; his lineal descent is not the same with theirs; and so did not receive tithes by any law, as they did, but by virtue of his superiority: received tithes of Abraham; not from the people, or his brethren, but from Abraham, the father of the people of Israel, and of Levi himself: and blessed him that had the promises... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Hebrews 7:7

And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the greater. This is a self-evident truth, and is undeniable; it admits of no controversy, and cannot be gainsaid, that he that blesseth is greater in that respect than he that is blessed by him; as the priests were greater in their office than the people who were blessed by them; and so Melchizedek, as a priest of the most high God, and as blessing Abraham, was greater than he; and so must be greater than the Levites, who sprung from him;... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Hebrews 7:8

And here men that die receive tithes , The priests and Levites were not only men, and mortal men, subject to death, but they did die, and so did not continue, by reason of death, Hebrews 7:24 but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth ; which is to be understood of Melchizedek; who is not opposed to men, as if he was not a man, nor to mortal men, but to men that die; nor is he said to be immortal, but to live: and this may respect the silence of the Scripture... read more

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