Melchizedek, the great priest-king

7 For this Melchizedek, “king of Salem, priest of the most high God, met Abraham as he was coming back after defeating the kings, and blessed him; ² and Abraham portioned out to him a tenth of everything.”

To begin with, if you translate Melchizedek’s name, it means “king of righteousness”; then he is also “king of Salem,” which means “king of peace.” ³ No mention is made of his father or mother or genealogy, nor of the beginning or end of his earthly life. He is described in a similar way to the son of God; and he continues as a priest forever.

⁴ Look and see what an exalted status he has. Abraham the patriarch gave him a tenth of the spoils! ⁵ Those of Levi’s sons who receive the priesthood have a command to take tithes from the people according to the law—from, that is, their own brothers and sisters, although they, too, are physical descendants of Abraham. ⁶ But this man, who doesn’t share their genealogy at all, received tithes from Abraham, and blessed the man who possessed the promises. ⁷ It is beyond all question that the lesser is blessed by the greater. ⁸ In the former case, mortal humans receive tithes; in the latter case, the one who received them was one of whom scripture declares that he is alive. ⁹ And, if I can put it like this, even Levi paid tithes through Abraham—Levi, the one who receives tithes! ¹⁰ He was still in his ancestor’s loins, you see, when Melchizedek met him.

A new order of priesthood

¹¹ So, you see, if it had been possible to arrive at complete perfection through the Levitical priesthood (for the people received the law by that means), what further need would there have been to speak of another priesthood being established “according to the order of Melchizedek,” rather than “according to the order of Aaron”? ¹² Change the priesthood, after all, and you’re bound to change the law— ¹³ especially when you consider that the one of whom these things are spoken comes from another tribe altogether, one from which nobody is recruited to serve at the altar. ¹⁴ It’s obvious, isn’t it, that our Lord was descended from Judah, and Moses never made any connection between that tribe and the priesthood.

¹⁵ This is even clearer when another priest arises “according to the order of Melchizedek,” ¹⁶ who attains this rank not because of a law concerning physical descent but through the power of a life that cannot be destroyed. ¹⁷ What scripture says about him, after all, is, “You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.” ¹⁸ What is happening here is that the previous commandment is being set aside. It was, after all, weak and useless; ¹⁹ the law brought nothing to perfection, did it? Instead, what appears is a better hope, through which we draw near to God.

The permanent priesthood of Jesus

²⁰ This is all the more so when you consider that an oath was sworn. The Levitical priests, you see, become priests without an oath, ²¹ but the Messiah attains his priesthood with an oath, through what was said to him:

²² Jesus has thus, additionally, become the guarantee of a better covenant.

²³ There needed to be a large number of Levitical priests, since they stop holding office at death. ²⁴ But since he continues as a priest forever, his priesthood is permanent. ²⁵ That’s why he is able to save those who come to God through him, completely and forever—since he always lives to make intercession for them.

²⁶ It was appropriate that we should have a high priest like this. He is holy, without blame or stain, separated from sinners, and elevated high above the heavens. ²⁷ He doesn’t need (like the ordinary high priests do) to offer sacrifices every day, first for his own sins and then for those of the people. He did this once for all, you see, when he offered himself. ²⁸ For the law appoints ordinary, weak, mortal men as high priests; but the word of the oath, which comes after the law, appoints the son, who has been made perfect forever.