Heb 7:1-3 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Heb 7:1-28: 7:1-28 Hebrews 7 develops the main topic introduced in 5:1-10 : Jesus’ appointment as a high priest in the order of Melchizedek. Summary for Heb 7:1-10: 7:1-10 This section proclaims the superiority of Melchizedek’s priesthood over that of the Levites, based primarily on Gen 14:17-20 . 7:1 king of ... Salem: See Gen 14:18 and corresponding study note. • also a priest of God Most High: Unlike the Hebrew kings, Melchizedek combined the offices of king and priest, thus foreshadowing the Messiah. • winning a great battle against the kings: See Gen 14:1-17 .

Summary for Heb 7:1-28: 7:1-28 ^a Hebrews 7 ^b develops the main topic introduced in 5:1-10 ^c: Jesus’ appointment as a high priest in the order of Melchizedek.
Summary for Heb 7:1-10: 7:1-10 ^d This section proclaims the superiority of Melchizedek’s priesthood over that of the Levites, based primarily on Gen 14:17-20 ^e. 7:1 ^f king of ... Salem: See Gen 14:18 ^g and corresponding study note.

• also a priest of God Most High: Unlike the Hebrew kings, Melchizedek combined the offices of king and priest, thus foreshadowing the Messiah.

• winning a great battle against the kings: See Gen 14:1-17 ^h.
7:2 ⁱ Abraham was giving a tenth to the Lord by giving it to Melchizedek, his priest. This act anticipates the giving of tithes under the law (Lev 27:30 ^j, 32 ^k) and becomes a key point in the author’s argument (Heb 7:4 ^l).

• Melchi- (Hebrew melek) means king.

• -zedek (Hebrew tsedeq) means justice or righteousness.

• Salem (Hebrew shalom) means peace. It was common for rabbis to bring out the theological significance of a biblical figure’s name by making associations between the name and other Hebrew terms.
7:3 ^m That we have no record of Melchizedek’s father or mother or any of his ancestors is significant in light of the ancestral requirement upon which the Levitical priesthood was based. He appears from nowhere—it is as though there is no beginning or end to his life. The author is interpreting Gen 14:17-20 ⁿ in light of Ps 110:4 ^o, which also understands Melchizedek as representing an eternal priesthood.

• He remains a priest forever: This contrasts with a Levite, whose priesthood ended when he died (Heb 7:8 ^p, 23 ^q).

• resembling the Son of God: Melchizedek was not an Old Testament appearance of Jesus. Rather, his priesthood and that of Jesus had characteristics in common, in light of Ps 110:4 ^r.