Hebrews 7
New Catholic Bible
A Different Kind of High Priest[a]
Chapter 7
Melchizedek.[b] 1 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. 2 Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. His name first means “king of righteousness,” and then “king of Salem,” that is, “king of peace.” 3 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.
4 Just consider now how great this man must have been for the patriarch Abraham to give him a tenth of his spoils. 5 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. 6 However, Melchizedek, who was not of the same ancestry, received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had received the promises.
7 It is indisputable that a lesser person is blessed by one who is greater. 8 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. 9 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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).
Hebreerbrevet 7
Swedish New Living Bible (Nya Levande Bibeln)
Melkisedek - kung och präst
7 Denne Melkisedek var kung i staden Salem och samtidigt den högste Gudens präst. När Abraham kom tillbaka hem efter att ha vunnit ett stort slag mot flera kungar, mötte Melkisedek honom och välsignade honom.
2 Abraham tog då en tiondel av allt det han hade vunnit i kriget och gav det till Melkisedek.Namnet Melkisedek betyder rättfärdighetens kung, men också fridens och fredens kung efter betydelsen av Salem, som betyder fred.
3 Melkisedek hade ingen far eller mor, och det finns inget upptecknat om någon av hans förfäder. Precis som Guds Son är hans liv utan början och utan slut, och han är en präst i evighet.
4 Lägg nu märke till hur stor Melkisedek är.För det första: Till och med Abraham, stamfar för Guds utvalda folk, gav Melkisedek en tiondel av det krigsbyte som han tog från de besegrade kungarna.
5 Om Melkisedek hade varit en judisk präst hade Abrahams handlande varit begripligt. Senare krävde man nämligen genom lag att Guds folk skulle ge tionde till prästerna som de ju också var släkt med.
6 Men Melkisedek hörde inte till Abrahams släkt och ändå gav Abraham honom tionde av bytet.För det andra: Melkisedek välsignade också den mäktige Abraham,
7 och som alla vet är den person som välsignar alltid större än den som tar emot välsignelsen.
8 För det tredje: De judiska prästerna, som tog emot tionde, var vanliga, dödliga människor. Men det sägs om Melkisedek att han fortfarande lever.
9 För det fjärde: Man skulle kunna säga att Levi, förfadern till alla judiska präster, och som själv tog emot tionde, också gav tionde till Melkisedek genom Abraham.
10 För även om Levi ännu inte var född, när Abraham gav tionde till Melkisedek, så är han för Gud en av Abrahams efterkommande.
11 För det femte: Om de judiska prästerna och deras lagar hade kunnat frälsa oss hade inte Gud behövt sända Kristus som en präst med Melkisedeks ställning. I stället kunde han ha sänt någon med Arons ställning, samma ställning som alla andra präster hade.
12-14 Men när Gud beslutade om en ny ordning för prästerna, måste också hans lag ändras. Som vi alla vet tillhörde inte Kristus Levis präststam, utan han kom från Judas stam, som inte var utvald till prästtjänst. Mose hade aldrig gett dem den uppgiften.
Kristus påminner om Melkisedek
15 Det framstod som ännu tydligare då Kristus kom som en annan Melkisedek.
16 Han blev inte präst genom att uppfylla det gamla kravet på att tillhöra Levis stam utan på grund av den kraft som flödade från ett evigt liv.
17 Och psalmförfattaren visar på detta när han säger om Kristus: Du är en präst i evighet, på samma sätt som Melkisedek.
18 Den gamla prästordningen, som byggde på släktförhållanden, avskaffades alltså. Lagen var oduglig och för svag till att frälsa människor.
19 Den ledde inte någon människa in i ett rätt förhållande till Gud. Nu har vi i stället ett hopp som är mycket bättre, för Kristus leder oss till en rätt ställning inför Gud, och nu kan vi komma nära honom.
20 Gud bekräftade med en ed att Kristus alltid skulle vara präst.
21 Så starka ord har han aldrig använt om andra präster. Det är bara till Kristus han sagt: Herren har svurit en ed och han kommer aldrig att ändra sig: 'Du är för evigt präst på Melkisedeks vis.'
22 Därför kan Kristus för evigt garantera att detta nya och bättre förbund står fast.
23 Dessutom behövdes många präster enligt den gamla ordningen så att de yngre kunde ta vid när de äldre dog.
24 Men Jesus lever i evighet och fortsätter att vara präst, och därför behöver vi ingen annan.
25 Eftersom han är evig finns han alltid hos Gud för att be för oss och kan fullständigt och för alltid frälsa alla som kommer till Gud genom honom.
26 Därför är han just en sådan överstepräst som vi behöver, för han är helig och utan skuld, fri från synd och skild från syndare, och han har fått hedersplatsen i himlen.
27 Han behöver inte som andra präster det dagliga blodet från djuroffer för att först sona sina egna synder och sedan folkets. Hans offer på korset gäller en gång för alla.
28 Enligt Moses lag var till och med översteprästerna svaga och syndiga människor som inte kunde låta bli att handla orätt. Men nu har Gud genom en ed tillsatt sin Son, och han är fullkomlig i evighet.
Hebrews 7
King James Version
7 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;
2 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;
3 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.
4 Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.
5 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:
6 But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises.
7 And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better.
8 And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.
9 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.
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