Hebrews 7:7-9 NIV

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 7:7

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

Adam Clarke

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

The less is blessed of the better - That the superior blesses the inferior is a general proposition; but Abraham was blessed of Melchisedec, therefore Melchisedec was greater than Abraham. "The blessing here spoken of," says Dr. Macknight, "is not the simple wishing of good to others, which may be done by inferiors to superiors; but it is the action of a person authorized to declare God's intention to bestow good things on another. In this manner Isaac and Jacob blessed their children under... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Hebrews 7:8

Here men that die receive tithes - The apostle is speaking of the ecclesiastical constitution of the Jews, which was standing at the time this epistle was written. Under the Jewish dispensation, though the priests were successively removed by death, yet they were as duly replaced by others appointed from the same family, and the payment of tithes was never interrupted. But as there is no account of Melchisedec ceasing to be a priest, or of his dying, he is represented as still living, the... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Hebrews 7:9

And as I may so say - Και ὡς επος ειπειν· And so to speak a word. This form of speech, which is very frequent among the purest Greek writers, is generally used to soften some harsh expression, or to limit the meaning when the proposition might otherwise appear to be too general. It answers fully to our so to speak - as one would say - I had almost said - in a certain sense. Many examples of its use by Aristotle, Philo, Lucian, Josephus, Demosthenes, Aeschines, and Plutarch, may be seen in... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Hebrews 7:7

Verse 7 7.The less is, (114) etc. Let us first know what the word blessed means here. It means indeed a solemn praying by which he who is invested with some high and public honor, recommends to God men in private stations and under his ministry. Another way of blessing is when we pray for one another; which is commonly done by all the godly. But this blessing mentioned by the Apostle was a symbol of greater authority. Thus Isaac blessed his son Jacob, and Jacob himself blessed his grandsons,... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Hebrews 7:8

Verse 8 8.Of whom it is witnessed that he liveth. He takes the silence respecting his death, as I have said, as an evidence of his life. This would not indeed hold as to others, but as to Melchisedec it ought rightly to be so regarded, inasmuch as he was a type of Christ. For as the spiritual kingdom and priesthood of Christ are spoken of here, there is no place left for human conjectures; nor is it lawful for us to seek to know anything farther than what we read in Scripture. But we are not... read more

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

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

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

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

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

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Hebrews 7:8

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Hebrews 7:9

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Hebrews 7:7

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Hebrews 7:8

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