Hebrews 7
Expanded Bible
The Priest Melchizedek
7 Melchizedek [C a priest and king in the time of Abraham; Gen. 14:17–24; Heb. 5:6, 10; 6:20] was the king of Salem [C another name for Jerusalem, meaning “peace”; v. 2] and a priest for God Most High. He met Abraham when Abraham was coming back after ·defeating [L the slaughter of] the kings [Gen. 14:17–19]. When they met, Melchizedek blessed Abraham, 2 and Abraham ·gave [L apportioned/divided to] him a ·tenth [tithe] ·of everything he had brought back from the battle [L of everything]. First, Melchizedek’s name means “king of ·goodness [righteousness; justice],” and he is king of Salem [C another name for Jerusalem], which means “king of peace.” 3 ·No one knows who Melchizedek’s father or mother was [L …without father, without mother], ·where he came from [L without genealogy], ·when he was born, or when he died [L having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; C something unstated was assumed not to exist]. Melchizedek is like the Son of God; he continues being a priest forever [C Melchizedek’s unmentioned genealogy in Genesis is, by analogy, like Jesus’ eternal Sonship and priesthood].
4 You can see how great Melchizedek was. Abraham, the ·great father [patriarch], gave him a tenth of ·everything that he won in battle [the spoils/booty/plunder]. 5 Now the law ·says [authorizes; commands] that those ·in the tribe [L of the sons/descendants] of Levi who become priests must collect a ·tenth [tithe] from the people—their ·own people [L brothers (and sisters)]—even though ·the priests and the people [L they] ·are from the family [are also descendants; L have come from the loins/body] of Abraham. 6 [L But] Melchizedek was not ·from the tribe of Levi [L descended from them; v. 3; C he was not from the Levitical line of priests], but he collected a ·tenth [tithe] from Abraham. And he blessed Abraham, the man who had God’s promises [Gen. 12:1–3]. 7 Now ·everyone knows [it is indisputable] that the ·more important person blesses the less important person [L lesser/inferior is blessed by the greater/superior]. 8 ·Priests receive a tenth, even though they are only men who live and then die [L In the one case, mortal men receive a tithe,…]. ·But Melchizedek, who received a tenth from Abraham, continues living, as the Scripture says [L …but in the other case, the one (receives the tithe) who is declared (by Scripture) to be alive]. 9 We might even say that Levi, who receives a ·tenth [tithe], also paid it when Abraham paid Melchizedek a tenth. 10 Levi was not yet born, but he was in the ·body [loins] of his ancestor when Melchizedek met Abraham [C the Levitical priesthood is considered inferior to Melchizedek’s (and Christ’s) priesthood, since Levi paid tithes to Melchizedek through his ancestor Abraham].
11 ·The people were given the law concerning the system of priests from the tribe of Levi, but they could not be made perfect through that system [L If perfection could be attained through the Levitical priesthood, established for the people in the law…]. ·So there was [L …why was there…?] a need for another priest to come, a priest ·like [L in the priestly order/line of] Melchizedek, not [L in the priestly order/line of] Aaron [C Moses’ brother and Israel’s first high priest (5:4; Ex. 28:1); the existence of Melchizedek’s priestly line implies that the priesthood through Levi and Aaron was inadequate]. 12 And when a different ·kind of priest [priesthood; priestly line] comes, the law must be changed, too. 13 ·We are saying these things about Christ, who [L For the one about whom these things are said] belonged to a different tribe [C Jesus belonged to the tribe of Judah, not Levi]. No one from that tribe [C Judah] ever served as a priest at the altar. 14 It is clear that our Lord came from the tribe of Judah, and Moses said nothing about priests belonging to that tribe [C the kings from David’s line (including Jesus) came from the tribe of Judah, but the OT priesthood came through Levi and Aaron].
Jesus Is like Melchizedek
15 And this becomes even more clear ·when we see that [L if] another priest ·comes [arises; appears on the scene] who is like Melchizedek [vv. 1–14]. 16 He was not made a priest by ·human rules and laws [or regulations about physical descent/ancestry] but through the power of his life, which ·continues forever [or is indestructable]. 17 [L For] It is said about him,
“You are a priest forever,
·a priest like [L in the priestly order/line of] Melchizedek [Ps. 110:4; Heb. 5:6, 10].”
18 The ·old [former] ·rule [commandment; regulation] is now ·set aside [nullified; abolished], because it was weak and ·useless [ineffective]. 19 The law [C of Moses] could not make anything perfect. But now a better hope has been given to us, and ·with [by means of; through] this hope we can ·come near to [approach] God. 20 ·It is important that God did this with an oath [L And it was not without an oath]. Others became priests without an oath, 21 but ·Christ [L he] became a priest with an oath, ·when God said [L by the one who said] to him:
“The Lord has ·made a promise [L sworn; C an oath]
and will not change his mind.
‘You are a priest forever [v. 17; Ps. 110:4].’”
22 ·This means that [Because of this oath,] Jesus is the guarantee of a better ·agreement from God to his people [covenant; contract; 8:7–13; Jer. 31:31–34; C the new covenant is greater than the old (the law of Moses) because it provides true forgiveness of sins].
23 When one of the other priests died, he could not continue being a priest. So there were many priests. 24 But because Jesus ·lives [remains; abides] forever, he ·will never stop serving as priest [L has a permanent/eternal priesthood]. 25 So he is able ·always to save [or to save completely/forever] those who come to God through him because he always lives, ·asking God to help [interceding for] them.
26 ·Jesus is the kind of high priest we need [L For such a high priest is indeed suited/fitting for us]. He is holy, ·sinless [innocent; blameless], ·pure [undefiled], ·not influenced by [set apart from] sinners, and he is ·raised above the heavens [or having the highest place in heaven]. 27 He is not like the other priests who had to offer sacrifices every day, first for their own sins, and then for the sins of the people. Christ offered his sacrifice only once and for all time [9:12; 10:10] when he offered himself. 28 The law ·chooses [designates; appoints] high priests who are people with weaknesses [5:2], but the word of God’s oath came later than the law. It made God’s Son to be the high priest, and that Son has been made perfect forever [2:10; 5:9].
Hebrews 7
Mounce Reverse Interlinear New Testament
7 For gar this houtos · ho Melchizedek Melchisedek, king basileus of Salem Salēm, priest hiereus of the ho Most High hypsistos God theos, · ho · ho met synantaō Abraham Abraam returning hypostrephō from apo the ho defeat kopē of the ho kings basileus and kai blessed eulogeō him autos, 2 and kai to him hos Abraham Abraam alloted merizō a tenth part dekatos of apo everything pas. Translated hermēneuō, his name means first prōton, “ king basileus of righteousness dikaiosynē,” then epeita · de it also kai means, “ king basileus of Salem Salēm,” that hos is eimi, “ king basileus of peace eirēnē.” 3 He is without father apatōr, without mother amētōr, without genealogy agenealogētos, having echō neither mēte beginning archē of days hēmera nor mēte end telos of life zōē; but de like aphomoioō the ho Son hyios of ho God theos he continues menō a priest hiereus for eis all ho time diēnekēs.
4 But de see theōreō how great pēlikos this houtos man was to whom hos · kai the ho patriarch patriarchēs Abraham Abraam gave didōmi a tithe dekatos of ek the ho finest plunder akrothinion. 5 And kai those ho of ek the ho sons hyios of Levi Leui who receive lambanō the ho priestly office hierateia have echō a mandate entolē according to kata the ho law nomos to collect a tithe apodekatoō from the ho people laos, that houtos is eimi, from · ho their autos fellow countrymen adelphos, although kaiper they too come exerchomai from ek the ho loins osphys of Abraham Abraam. 6 But de this ho man who does not mē trace genealogeō his descent from ek them autos received tithes from dekatoō Abraham Abraam and kai blessed eulogeō the ho one who had echō the ho promises epangelia. 7 It is without chōris · de any pas dispute antilogia that the ho person of lesser status elassōn is blessed eulogeō by hypo the ho one of greater status kreittōn. 8 · kai In the one case hōde, mortal apothnēskō men anthrōpos receive lambanō tithes dekatos, but de in the other case ekei, by one of whom it is testified martyreō that hoti he lives zaō. 9 And kai it could be said hōs that Levi Leui himself, who ho receives lambanō tithes dekatos, paid tithes dekatoō through dia Abraham Abraam, · kai 10 for gar he was eimi still eti in en the ho loins osphys of his ho ancestor patēr when hote Melchizedek Melchisedek met synantaō Abraham autos.
11 If ei, then oun, perfection teleiōsis had been eimi attainable through dia the ho Levitical Leuitikos priesthood hierōsynē ( for gar under epi it autos the ho people laos had received the law nomotheteō), what tis further eti need chreia would there have been for another kind heteros of priest hiereus to arise anistēmi according to kata the ho order taxis of Melchizedek Melchisedek, · kai rather ou than one designated legō after kata the ho order taxis of Aaron Aarōn? 12 For gar whenever the ho priesthood hierōsynē is altered metatithēmi, there is ginomai necessarily ek anankē an alteration metathesis in nomos the law nomos as well kai. 13 For gar the one of epi whom hos these things houtos are said legō belongs to metechō a different heteros tribe phylē, from apo which hos no one oudeis has ever served prosechō at the ho altar thusiastērion. 14 For gar it is perfectly clear prodēlos that hoti our hēmeis Lord kyrios is descended anatellō from ek Judah Ioudas, · ho and in regard to eis that hos tribe phylē Moses Mōysēs said laleō nothing oudeis about peri priests hiereus. 15 And kai it is eimi even eti more perissoteros obvious katadēlos that if ei, according to kata the ho likeness homoiotēs of Melchizedek Melchisedek, another heteros priest hiereus arises anistēmi, 16 he hos does so not ou on the basis of kata a law nomos expressed ginomai in a carnal sarkinos commandment entolē, but alla on the basis of kata the power dynamis of an indestructible akatalytos life zōē. 17 For gar it is attested martyreō of him, “ You sy are a priest hiereus for eis all ho time aiōn, according to kata the ho order taxis of Melchizedek Melchisedek.”
18 For gar there is ginomai an annulment athetēsis of a former proagō commandment entolē because of dia · ho its autos weakness asthenēs and kai uselessness anōphelēs 19 ( for gar the ho law nomos made nothing oudeis perfect teleioō); but de the introduction epeisagōgē of a better kreittōn hope elpis through dia which hos we draw near engizō to ho God theos.
20 And kai since kata hosos this was not ou done without chōris an oath horkōmosia ( for gar others ho have eimi become ginomai priests hiereus without chōris an oath horkōmosia, 21 but de he ho became a priest with meta an oath horkōmosia by dia the ho one who said legō to pros him autos, “The Lord kyrios has sworn omnyō and kai will not ou change metamelomai his mind , ‘ You sy are a priest hiereus for eis all ho time aiōn’” 22 accordingly kata tosoutos Jesus Iēsous has become ginomai the guarantor engyos of a better kreittōn covenant diathēkē.
23 Now kai on the one hand men, these ho many polys have eimi become ginomai priests hiereus because dia they were hindered kōlyō by death thanatos from continuing in office paramenō, 24 but de on the other hand , Jesus ho, because dia he autos remains menō for eis all ho time aiōn, has echō a priesthood hierōsynē that is permanent aparabatos. · ho 25 Consequently hothen kai, he is able dynamai to save sōzō completely eis ho · ho those ho who draw near proserchomai to ho God theos through dia him autos, because he continually pantote lives zaō to eis intercede entynchanō for hyper them autos.
26 For gar such toioutos a high priest archiereus was appropriate prepō for us hēmeis, · kai one who is holy hosios, innocent akakos, undefiled amiantos; having been separated chōrizō from apo · ho sinners hamartōlos, · kai he became ginomai exalted hypsēlos above the ho heavens ouranos. 27 He hos has echō no ou need anankē to offer up anapherō daily kata hēmera sacrifices thusia, like hōsper those ho other high priests archiereus, first proteros for hyper · ho their own idios sins hamartia and then epeita for the ho sins of the ho people laos, for gar this houtos he did poieō once ephapax for all when he offered up anapherō himself heautou. 28 For gar the ho law nomos appoints kathistēmi men anthrōpos as high archiereus priests echō who have weaknesses astheneia, but de the ho word logos of the ho oath horkōmosia, which ho came later than meta the ho law nomos, appoints the Son hyios who has been made perfect teleioō for eis all ho time aiōn.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
The Mounce Reverse Interlinear™ New Testament (MOUNCE)
Copyright © 2011 by William D. Mounce. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
“Reverse Interlinear” is a trademark of William D. Mounce.
