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For this Melchizedek, king of Salem [and] priest of the Most High God, met Abraham as he returned from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,

And Abraham gave to him a tenth portion of all [the spoil]. He is primarily, as his name when translated indicates, king of righteousness, and then he is also king of Salem, which means king of peace.

Without [record of] father or mother or ancestral line, neither with beginning of days nor ending of life, but, resembling the Son of God, he continues to be a priest without interruption and without successor.

Now observe and consider how great [a personage] this was to whom even Abraham the patriarch gave a tenth [the topmost or the pick of the heap] of the spoils.

And it is true that those descendants of Levi who are charged with the priestly office are commanded in the Law to take tithes from the people—which means, from their brethren—though these have descended from Abraham.

But this person who has not their Levitical ancestry received tithes from Abraham [himself] and blessed him who possessed the promises [of God].

Yet it is beyond all contradiction that it is the lesser person who is blessed by the greater one.

Furthermore, here [in the Levitical priesthood] tithes are received by men who are subject to death; while there [in the case of Melchizedek], they are received by one of whom it is testified that he lives [perpetually].

A person might even say that Levi [the father of the priestly tribe] himself, who received tithes (the tenth), paid tithes through Abraham,

10 For he was still in the loins of his forefather [Abraham] when Melchizedek met him [Abraham].

11 Now if perfection (a perfect fellowship between God and the worshiper) had been attainable by the Levitical priesthood—for under it the people were given the Law—why was it further necessary that there should arise another and different kind of Priest, one after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one appointed after the order and rank of Aaron?

12 For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is of necessity an alteration of the law [concerning the priesthood] as well.

13 For the One of Whom these things are said belonged [not to the priestly line but] to another tribe, no member of which has officiated at the altar.

14 For it is obvious that our Lord sprang from the tribe of Judah, and Moses mentioned nothing about priests in connection with that tribe.

15 And this becomes more plainly evident when another Priest arises Who bears the likeness of Melchizedek,(A)

16 Who has been constituted a Priest, not on the basis of a bodily legal requirement [an externally imposed command concerning His physical ancestry], but on the basis of the power of an endless and indestructible Life.

17 For it is witnessed of Him, You are a Priest forever after the order (with the rank) of Melchizedek.(B)

18 So a previous physical regulation and command is cancelled because of its weakness and ineffectiveness and uselessness—

19 For the Law never made anything perfect—but instead a better hope is introduced through which we [now] come close to God.

20 And it was not without the taking of an oath [that Christ was made Priest],

21 For those who formerly became priests received their office without its being confirmed by the taking of an oath by God, but this One was designated and addressed and saluted with an oath, The Lord has sworn and will not regret it or change His mind, You are a Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.(C)

22 In keeping with [the oath’s greater strength and force], Jesus has become the Guarantee of a better (stronger) agreement [a more excellent and more advantageous covenant].

23 [Again, the former successive line of priests] was made up of many, because they were each prevented by death from continuing [perpetually in office];

24 But He holds His priesthood unchangeably, because He lives on forever.

25 Therefore He is able also to save to the uttermost (completely, perfectly, finally, and for all time and eternity) those who come to God through Him, since He is always living to make petition to God and intercede with Him and intervene for them.

26 [Here is] the High Priest [perfectly adapted] to our needs, as was fitting—holy, blameless, unstained by sin, separated from sinners, and exalted higher than the heavens.

27 He has no day by day necessity, as [do each of these other] high priests, to offer sacrifice first of all for his own [personal] sins and then for those of the people, because He [met all the requirements] once for all when He brought Himself [as a sacrifice] which He offered up.

28 For the Law sets up men in their weakness [frail, sinful, dying human beings] as high priests, but the word of [God’s] oath, which [was spoken later] after the institution of the Law, [chooses and appoints as priest One Whose appointment is complete and permanent], a Son Who has been made perfect forever.(D)

Свещенството на Мелхиседек

(A)Защото този Мелхиседек, салимски цар, свещеник на Всевишния Бог, който срещна Авраам, когато се връщаше от поражението на царете, и го благослови,

на когото Авраам отдели и десятък от цялата плячка – той, който е първо, по значението на името си, цар на правда, а после и салимски цар, т.е. цар на мир,

без баща, без майка, без родословие, без да има или начало на дни, или край на живот, но оприличен на Божия Син, остава завинаги свещеник.

(B)А помислете колко велик беше този човек, на когото патриарх Авраам даде и десятък от най-добрата плячка.

(C)Защото, докато онези от Левиевите потомци, които приемат свещенството, имат заповед по закона да вземат десятък от народа, т. е. от братята си, макар и да са произлезли от чреслата на Авраам,

(D)той обаче, който не е произлязъл от техния род, взе десятък от Авраам и благослови този, на когото бяха дадени обещанията.

А безспорно по-долният бива благославян от по-горния.

(E)И в единия случай смъртните човеци вземат десятък, а в другия – този, за когото се свидетелства, че живее.

И, така да се каже – сам Левий, който взема десятък, даде десятък чрез Авраам;

10 защото беше още в чреслата на баща си, когато Мелхиседек срещна Авраам.

11 (F)И така, ако би имало съвършенство чрез левитското свещенство (защото под него народът получи закона), каква нужда е имало вече да се издигне друг свещеник, според Мелхиседековия чин, и да не се смята според Аароновия чин?

12 Защото ако се промени свещенството, по необходимост става промяна и на закона.

13 Понеже Този, за Когото се казва това, принадлежи на друго племе, от което никой не е служил на олтара.

14 (G)Защото е известно, че нашият Господ произлезе от Юдовото племе, а относно това племе Моисей не каза нищо за свещеници.

Свещеник като Мелхиседек

15 Това става още по-ясно, когато по подобие на Мелхиседек се издига друг Свещеник,

16 Който се установи не по закон, изразен в плътска заповед, а по силата на един безкраен живот;

17 (H)защото за Него свидетелства:

„Ти си свещеник довека
според чина Мелхиседеков“;

18 (I)защото по този начин се унищожава по-предишната заповед поради нейната слабост и безполезност

19 (J)(понеже законът не е усъвършенствал нищо), а се въвежда една по-добра надежда, чрез която се приближаваме до Бога.

20 И както това стана не без клетва, понеже другите станаха свещеници без клетва,

21 (K)Исус обаче стана с клетва чрез Онзи, който Му каза:

Господ се закле и няма да се разкае;
Ти си свещеник навеки според чина на Мелхиседек.

22 (L)Така също Исус стана поръчител на по-добър завет.

23 При това поставените свещеници са били мнозина, защото смъртта им пречеше да продължават в чина си,

24 а Той, понеже пребъдва вечно, има свещенство, което не преминава към друг.

25 (M)Затова и може съвършено да спасява тези, които идват при Бога чрез Него, понеже винаги живее, за да ходатайства за тях.

26 (N)Защото такъв Първосвещеник ни трябваше: свят, невинен, непорочен, отделен от грешните и възвисен по-горе от небесата;

27 (O)Който няма нужда всеки ден, като онези първосвещеници, да принася жертви първо за своите грехове, после за греховете на народа; защото направи това веднъж завинаги, като принесе Себе Си.

28 (P)Защото законът поставя за първосвещеници немощни човеци; а думите на клетвата, която беше след закона, поставят Сина, Който е съвършен навеки.

A Different Kind of High Priest[a]

Chapter 7

Melchizedek.[b] This Melchizedek, the king of Salem and a priest of God Most High, met Abraham as he was returning from his defeat of the kings, and he blessed him. Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. His name first means “king of righteousness,” and then “king of Salem,” that is, “king of peace.” Without father, or mother, or genealogy, and without beginning of days or end of life, thus bearing a resemblance to the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.

Just consider now how great this man must have been for the patriarch Abraham to give him a tenth of his spoils. The descendants of Levi who succeed to the priestly office are required by the Law to collect tithes from the people, that is, from their fellow countrymen, although they too are descended from Abraham. However, Melchizedek, who was not of the same ancestry, received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had received the promises.

It is indisputable that a lesser person is blessed by one who is greater. In the one case, it is ordinary mortal men who receive tithes; in the other, the recipient is one of whom it is attested that he is alive. One could even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, actually paid tithes through Abraham, 10 inasmuch as he was still in his father’s loins when Melchizedek met Abraham.

11 Another High Priest according to the Order of Melchizedek.[c] If perfection was therefore achieved through the Levitical priesthood, on the basis of which the Law was given to the people, what need would there have been for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek rather than one according to the order of Aaron? 12 For when there is any change in the priesthood, there must also be a change in the Law.

13 Now the one about whom these things were said belonged to a different tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. 14 For it is clear that our Lord was descended from Judah, a tribe about which Moses said nothing in regard to priests.

15 This becomes even more obvious now that another priest has arisen, one like Melchizedek, 16 who was one not through a legal requirement concerning physical descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. 17 For it is attested of him:

“You are a priest forever,
    according to the order of Melchizedek.”

18 The earlier commandment is abrogated because of its weakness and ineffectiveness, 19 since the Law brought nothing to perfection. On the other hand, a better hope is introduced through which we draw nearer to God.

20 This was confirmed by an oath. When others became priests, no oath was required, 21 but this one became a priest with the swearing of an oath by the one who said to him,

“The Lord has sworn, and he will not repent:
    ‘You are a priest forever.’ ”

22 Accordingly, Jesus has also become the guarantee of a better covenant.

23 Furthermore, the former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from remaining in office. 24 However, Jesus holds a perpetual priesthood because he remains forever. 25 Therefore, he has the full power to save those who approach God through him, since he lives forever to intercede for them.

26 The High Priest That We Needed.[d] It was fitting that we should have such a high priest—holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and raised high above the heavens. 27 Unlike the other high priests, he has no need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins and then for those of the people. He accomplished this once for all when he offered himself. 28 The Law appoints as high priests those who are subject to weakness, but the word of the oath, which came later than the Law, appointed the Son who has been made perfect forever.

Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 7:1 A mysterious figure made his appearance in the story of Abraham: Melchizedek (see Gen 14:17-20), and Ps 110—which held a special place in Israel’s meditation on the Messiah—speaks of a mysterious priesthood of the kind exercised by Melchizedek (v. 4). The Letter to the Hebrews says that those passages foretell the priesthood of Christ. Yet the priesthood of Christ cannot be measured by the same standard as the Jewish priesthood, because it renders the latter obsolete.
  2. Hebrews 7:1 The figure of Melchizedek is full of symbols. His name means “king of righteousness”; his reign was one of “peace.” Most unusually, the Bible gives us no chronological or genealogical information about him, naming neither his ancestors nor his descendants. His priesthood does not seem to be connected in any way with a hereditary line of priests, but only with his own person, as though it were something everlasting. And Abraham, to whom is given all the power to bless and the promises for Israel, receives a blessing from Melchizedek and offers him a tithe. All the more, then, does this priest stand above all the descendants of the Patriarch, and especially Levi, from whom descends all the Jewish priests whose standing the people acknowledge by paying them a tithe (see Lev 27:30-33; Num 18:21f). In the person of Abraham, they all bowed down to the mysterious priesthood of Melchizedek, who prefigured Jesus.
  3. Hebrews 7:11 Jesus Christ, foretold by the person of Melchizedek, does not have a place in the priestly genealogies that were set up after Moses; his priesthood is based on the commitment of God himself, on the divine oath (vv. 20-22). He is the definitive mediator between God and humanity.
  4. Hebrews 7:26 A first conclusion rises as a chant of freedom and a beautiful hymn to Christ. Perishable offerings are no longer anything but a symbol of self-giving already completed in reality: Christ alone can commit himself completely to God, become an offering, and in his very person be the representative of human beings before God. The Son who has been made perfect forever: Jesus, the Son, is God, and he shares the divine attributes, e.g., holiness (see v. 26; Jn 8:46; 2 Cor 5:21); eternity (see Mic 5:2; Jn 1:1; 8:58; 17:5, 24; Col 1:17); omnipotence (see Heb 1:3; Mt 28:18; Rev 1:8); omniscience (see Mt 9:4; Jn 6:64; 16:30; Col 2:3); immutability (see Heb 1:11f; 13:8); omnipresence (see Mt 28:20; Jn 3:13; Eph 1:23); creative power (see Heb 1:8, 10; Jn 1:3; 1 Cor 8:6; Col 1:16f); power to forgive sins (see Mk 2:5, 7-10; Lk 24:47; Jn 1:29; Acts 10:43; 1 Jn 1:7); the right to be worshiped (see Mt 8:2; Phil 2:10).

Melchizedek the Priest

This Melchizedek was king of Salem(A) and priest of God Most High.(B) He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him,(C) and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” Without father or mother, without genealogy,(D) without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God,(E) he remains a priest forever.

Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch(F) Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder!(G) Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people(H)—that is, from their fellow Israelites—even though they also are descended from Abraham. This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed(I) him who had the promises.(J) And without doubt the lesser is blessed by the greater. In the one case, the tenth is collected by people who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living.(K) One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham, 10 because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor.

Jesus Like Melchizedek

11 If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood—and indeed the law given to the people(L) established that priesthood—why was there still need for another priest to come,(M) one in the order of Melchizedek,(N) not in the order of Aaron? 12 For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also. 13 He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe,(O) and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar.(P) 14 For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah,(Q) and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. 15 And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, 16 one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. 17 For it is declared:

“You are a priest forever,
    in the order of Melchizedek.”[a](R)

18 The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless(S) 19 (for the law made nothing perfect),(T) and a better hope(U) is introduced, by which we draw near to God.(V)

20 And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, 21 but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him:

“The Lord has sworn
    and will not change his mind:(W)
    ‘You are a priest forever.’”[b](X)

22 Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.(Y)

23 Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; 24 but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood.(Z) 25 Therefore he is able to save(AA) completely[c] those who come to God(AB) through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.(AC)

26 Such a high priest(AD) truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners,(AE) exalted above the heavens.(AF) 27 Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices(AG) day after day, first for his own sins,(AH) and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all(AI) when he offered himself.(AJ) 28 For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness;(AK) but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son,(AL) who has been made perfect(AM) forever.

Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 7:17 Psalm 110:4
  2. Hebrews 7:21 Psalm 110:4
  3. Hebrews 7:25 Or forever

For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him;

To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;

Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.

Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.

And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham:

But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises.

And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better.

And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.

And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham.

10 For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.

11 If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?

12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.

13 For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar.

14 For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.

15 And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest,

16 Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.

17 For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

18 For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof.

19 For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.

20 And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest:

21 (For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:)

22 By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.

23 And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:

24 But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.

25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

26 For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;

27 Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.

28 For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.