Hebrews 7

— abideth a priest continually.] In that there is no intimation given of any time wherein that office of his ceased. Bp. Hall. That is, Moses, who is otherwise very punctual, recites nothing of his death, or successor; and that not without a mystery; because he was to be a type of the true and real everlasting High Priest, Jesus Christ. Bp. Fell.

Hebrews 7:2

2. —being by interpretation King of righteousness.] That is, by interpretation of the word Melchisedec. Dr. Whitby.

In ancient times, especially among the people whose history is recorded by Moses, it was usual to give names to persons and places expressive of their qualities, or in commemoration of some remarkable events. And it is highly probable, that this excellent king and his subjects derived the names which they bear in history from their zeal and well known characters. Viewed in this light, the Apostle’s argument from the names is conclusive, to shew what an excellent person Melchisedec was, and how fit to be made a type of the Son of God; who in allusion to that type was declared to “love righteousness and hate wickedness,” Ps. xiv. 7; and was foretold by Isaiah under the title of the “Prince of Peace,” Isai. ix. 6. Dr. Macknight.

2. — the sanctuary.] Or, Holy of Holies. Our trass-

Hebrews 7:3

3. Without father, without mother, without descent.] Or, pedigree: one, of whose father, or mother, or pedigree, there is no mention in the narrative of Genesis, as being indeed of another race, not of that which is recorded in Scripture; see ver. 6. This notes him to be no priest by descent, as the Levitical priests were; in consequence of which their genealogies and pedigrees, both on the father’s and on the mother’s side, were preserved exactly. Dr. Hammond. The meaning is, that Melchisedec did not derive his priesthood from his parents, but was made a priest of the most high God by a particular appointment. Dr. Macknight.

—having neither beginning of days.] From which his priestly office was to commence, “nor end of life,”

Hebrews 7:5

5. — though they come out of the loins of Abraham.] That is, were descended from Abraham as well as they, and so in all other respects were on a level with them. Pyle. Their paying of tithes was a sign of their subjection to the Levitical priest, though proceeding from the same stock with him. Bp. Fell.

6. But he whose descent is not counted from them! Melchisedek, who was no kin to Abraham, nor to that people. Dr. Hammond.

Hebrews 7:7

7. And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better.] Namely, in a sacerdotal benediction; the priest doing it in God’s stead, and being called to do it by His authority, chap. v. 4, as a mediator between both: and God Himself blessing thereupon, Numb. vi. 27, which blessing gives them a right, as it were, to obtain afterwards from God their petitions. Bp. Fell.

This is a clear argument that Melchisedek was a greater person than Abraham. Dr. Hammond.

Hebrews 7:8

8. And here men that die receive tithes; &c.] And in the Levitical law they that receive tithes die, succeed, and are succeeded; their succession of one after the death of another is recorded in the Scripture, and so their death punctually set down: but in that place of Genesis Melchisedek hath no other mention made of him, but that he liveth; no kind of mention of his death. Dr. Hammond. In which respect he may be said to bear some resemblance to the ever-living and ever-blessed Jesus. Dr. Doddridge.

Hebrews 7:10

10. — he was yet in the loins of his father, &c.] This

Hebrews 7:11

11. — perfection] Perfect remission of sins by the sacrifices which the legal priest offered, &c. Bp. Fell.

— what further need was there that another priest should rise] There would then have been no need, as it seems there was, that God should institute another sort of priest. Dr. Hammond. Of a more high and excellent order. Bp. Hall.

Hebrews 7:12

12. For the priesthood being changed, &c.] As the priesthood is no small part of the law and ordination of God, and that which is exercised in and about the care and oversight of the observations thereof: so it must thereupon follow, that the priesthood being changed, the law of necessity be changed also. Bp. Hall.

Under the law the offices of the priesthood consisted in offering the sacrifices of beasts, and in performing various rites for purifying the bodies of the worshippers from ceremonial defilement, that they might be fit to join the congregation in the publick worship of God. But when the priesthood was changed, by raising up from another tribe a Priest after the order of Melchisedek, whose services had for their object to purify the conscience of the worshippers, not by the sacrifice of beasts, but by the sacrifice of Himself, the whole law concerning the sacrifices of beasts, and concerning the sanctifying of the flesh of the Israelites by washing, &c. was of necessity changed; that is, abolished entirely. Dr. MacKnight.

Hebrews 7:13

13. — another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar.] Namely, the tribe of Judah, of which none by the law were to be priests. Dr. Hammond.

Hebrews 7:14

14. For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda.] That Messiah was to spring out of Judah, is very plain from the prophecies concerning His descent. And it is likewise plain, that this part of the Messiah’s character was verified in our Lord, whose genealogy St. Matthew

Acre DOMINI 64. and so, far more excellent than the priests of Aaron’s order. Anne DOMINI 34. Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.

Hebrews 7:16

16. — not after the law of a carnal commandment, &c.] Not by virtue of a command or institution, which stands upon a fleshly succession; but upon that infinite power of God, which continueth an endless life unto Him, without all need or possibility of a successor. Bp. Hall.

Hebrews 7:18

18. — for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof.] Not that the law of Moses was weak in itself, or unprofitable to the end for which God made it; namely, to lead men to Christ; but weak and unprofitable for justification and salvation. They expected expiation of sin, sanctification, and holiness by it, without any regard to Christ and His sacrifice, by whom alone it could be obtained. Those things the law could not effect in its best estate: how vain was it then for the Jews to expect them when it was abolished? Burkitt.

Hebrews 7:19

19. For the law made nothing perfect.] That is, could neither obtain perfect remission of sins past, nor give strength sufficient to enable men to live righteously for the future. Dr. Wells.

— by the which we draw nigh unto God.] Not only as to freedom of access, and confidence of being heard and accepted, but also as to the imitation of the Divine perfection and holiness, 2 Pet. i. 4, by being ourselves enabled through the grace of the Gospel to live godly lives. Dr. Wells.

Hebrews 7:20

20. And inasmuch as not without an oath &c.] Which is an argument of the immutability and weightiness of the matter, and of the eternal continuance of this priesthood of Christ, and so of the pre-eminence of it beyond the Aaronical, which was not established by oath. Dr. Hammond. The Apostle’s reasoning here is founded on this, that God never interposed His oath, except to shew the certainty and immutability of the things sworn. Thus He swore to Abraham, Gen. xxii. 16—18; and to the rebellious Israelites, Deut. i. 34, 35; and to Moses, Deut. iv. 21; and to David, Ps. lxxxix. 3. Wherefore, since Christ was made a Priest, “not without an oath,” that He should be a Priest for ever after the similitude of Melchisedek, that circumstance shewed God’s immutable resolution never to change or abolish His priesthood; nor to change or abolish the covenant which was established on His priesthood.

Hebrews 7:22

22. By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.] By so much was Jesus made the undertaker and mediator of a more noble and excellent covenant, which God hath made with mankind under the Gospel, than that old covenant whereof Moses was the interpreter. Bp. Hall. The Apostle’s reasoning here is to the following purpose: The covenants of which I speak, being founded each on its own priesthood, the covenant which is founded on a temporary priesthood must itself be temporary, and so never can be the means of conferring an eternal pardon. Whereas the covenant which is established on an eternal priesthood must be eternal, and have the greatest efficacy at all times in procuring salvation for sinners. See note on ver. 20. Dr. Mac-knight.

Hebrews 7:24

24. But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.] One circumstance, upon which is founded the superior excellence of Christ’s priesthood above that of the legal priests, is the continuance and unchangeableness of His office. “Thou,” says the Apostle, applying to our Lord the words of the royal Prophet in the 110th Psalm, “Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedek.” The law making men high priests, which had infirmity, ver. 28, there was of necessity a perpetual change of the person who filled the office. “They,” that is, the high priests of the order of Aaron, “were not suffered to continue by reason of death,” ver. 23: consequently they were many in number, succeeding each other in a continued series, till at length the whole order was changed and abolished by the establishment of that priesthood, which it typified and prefigured, ver. 11, 12. But the priesthood of our Lord is without succession or change: He is in reality, what Melchisedek, from the silence of the Scriptures respecting him, is said to be, “a priest for ever.” With respect to Melchisedek, we read of no priest who went before him in the order to which he belonged, nor of any by whom he was succeeded. In his priesthood he stands singly and alone; nor is any thing recorded respecting his genealogy or family, his parentage or birth, his admission to the priesthood, or his removal from it by death; on which account he is said by the Apostle to be “without father, without mother, and without descent;” to have “neither beginning of days, nor end of life;” but to abide “a priest continually,” ver. 3. In

Anne DOMINI 34. The high priesthood of Christ. By Christ’s eternal priesthood Amos DOMINI 64. ever liveth to make intercession for them.

Hebrews 7:26

26. For such an high priest became us, &c.] Thus is Christ a High Priest most exactly suited to the great purpose of atoning for the sins, and procuring the salvation of mankind: which could never have been accomplished by the external service of a mortal and sinful man, offering up the blood of a beast in our behalf. But is completely effected by Him, who by the undefiled purity of His life, and the spotless innocence of His death, is our perfect High Priest; and by His exaltation to the utmost height of heavenly glory and majesty, is become our powerful and constant Intercessor. Pyle.

Such is the glorious privilege of the Christian church, that we have access to God, and the capacity of performing to Him an acceptable service in this life; and we have the sure and certain hope of being admitted to the everlasting enjoyment of Him in the life to come. Nor let any sincere believer despair of obtaining, through the intercession of his Saviour, the actual possession of that immortal happiness, to which the privilege, enjoyed by the church on earth, is merely preparatory. Is he alarmed by a sense of his own corruption, and a dread of the Divine vengeance? Let him remember, that in heaven Jesus Christ, the High Priest of our profession, continually appears for us in the presence of God; where He undertakes our cause, interposes in our behalf, and obtains for us pardon of our sins, and peace with God. “If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous,” 1 John ii. 1; and so prevailing is the intercession of our heavenly advocate, that St. Paul boldly defies all the enemies of our salvation to oppose its influence: “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth: who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us,” Rom. viii. 33, 34. And in this passage to the Hebrews, the intercession of our Redeemer is made the ground of our hope and confidence in Him: “Wherefore He is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.” Veyse.

Hebrews 7:27

27. Who needeth not daily.] Or oftentimes, as upon the great day of expiation once a year; see chap. x. 11. Dr. Hammond.

— for this he did once.] That is, this last He did

once; namely, He offered up sacrifice for the sins of the people; according to the interpretation of all the ancient commentators. Drs. Whitby and Wells. In this passage the Apostle takes notion of three particulars, which distinguish the sacrifice offered by Christ, from the sacrifices offered by the Jewish high priests. 1st, He offered no sacrifice for Himself, but only for the people. 2dly, He did not offer that sacrifice annually, but once for all. 3dly, The sacrifice which He offered for the people, was not of calves and of goats, but of Himself. Dr. Macknight.

— when he offered up himself.] When we find it here expressly stated, that our Lord “offered up Himself” a sacrifice for sin; when He is elsewhere asserted to be “the propitiation for our sins,” 1 John ii. 2; “the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world,” John i. 29; when God is said to have “spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all,” Rom. viii. 32; and that by Him “we have received the atonement,” Rom. v. 11; when these and many other such passages are to be found; when every expression, referring to the death of Christ, evidently indicates the notion of a sacrifice of atonement and propitiation; when this sacrifice is particularly represented as of the nature of a sin offering; it may well appear surprising, on what ground it has ever been made a question, that the death of Christ is indeed pronounced in Scripture to have been a sacrifice of atonement and expiation for the sins of men. Dr. Magee.

Hebrews 7:28

28. — but the word of the oath, — maketh the Son, &c.] So that the great foundation of our faith, and the main hinge whereon all our consolation depends, is this, that our High Priest is the Son of God, and His everlasting continuance in His office is secured by the oath of God. Burkitt.

Chap. VIII. The foregoing arguments, with the inferences from them, are here summed up: namely, that the priesthood and sacrifice of Christ do exceedingly excel, and consequently have superseded and disannulled, those of the Mosaical law. That it was designed to be so, is farther proved from the prophecies of the Old Testament. Pyle.

Ver. 1. — this is the sum.] Or the chief and principal thing. The sum then of what we are to infer from the foregoing comparison between Christ and Melchizedek is this; that we Christians are exceedingly more happy than the Jews could be, in having Christ for a High Priest; not like those weak and mortal men, that served in the figurative fabrics of the tabernacle and temple, built by the hands of men; but One that is exulted into heaven, the very throne and habitation of God, there to intercede for us. Pyle.