Hebrews 7:4-10

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 7:4

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

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Hebrews 7:9

And as l may so say ,.... With truth, and with great propriety and pertinence: Levi also who receiveth tithes ; or the Levites, who receive tithes according to the law of Moses from the people of Israel: paid tithes in Abraham ; that is, to Melchizedek; and therefore Melchizedek must be greater than they, and his priesthood a more excellent one than theirs; since they who receive tithes from others gave tithes to him. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Hebrews 7:10

For he was yet in the loins of his father ,.... Abraham; namely, Levi and his whole posterity; which is to be understood seminally, just as all mankind were in the loins of Adam, when he sinned and fell, and so they sinned and fell in him; and so Levi was in Abraham's loins, when Melchisedec met him ; which, as it proves Melchizedek to be greater than Levi, and much more Jesus Christ, who is a priest of his order, which is the grand thing the apostle has in view; so it serves to... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Hebrews 7:4

Consider how great this man was - There is something exceedingly mysterious in the person and character of this king of Salem; and to find out the whole is impossible. He seems to have been a sort of universal priest, having none superior to him in all that region; and confessedly superior even to Abraham himself, the father of the faithful, and the source of the Jewish race. See Hebrews 7:7 . The patriarch Abraham - Ὁ πατριαρχης· Either from πατηρ , a father, and αρχη , a chief... read more

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