Hebrews 7 | Strong's Bible

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CHAPTER 7

This

Melchizedek

was king

of Salem

and priest

of God

Most High.

He met

Abraham

returning

from

the

slaughter

of the

kings

and

blessed

him,

and

Abraham

apportioned

to him

a tenth

of

everything.

First,

his name

means

“king

of righteousness.”

Then

also,

“king

of Salem”

means

“king

of peace.”

Without father

or mother

or genealogy,

without

beginning

of days

or

end

of life,

like

the

Son

of God,

he remains

a priest

for

all time.

Consider

how great

Melchizedek was:

Even

the

patriarch

Abraham

gave

him

a tenth

of

the

spoils.

Now

the

Law

commands

the

sons

of Levi

who become

priests

to collect a tenth

from the

people

(that

is,

their

brothers),

even though

they are descended

from

Abraham.

But

Melchizedek,

who did not trace his descent

from

Levi,

collected a tenth

from Abraham

and

blessed

him who

had

the

promises.

And

indisputably,

the

lesser

is blessed

by

the

greater.

In the case of the Levites,

mortal

men

collect

the tenth;

but

in the case of Melchizedek,

it is affirmed

that

he lives on.

And

so

to speak,

Levi,

who

collects

the tenth,

paid the tenth

through

Abraham.

For

when

Melchizedek

met

Abraham,

Levi was

still

in

the

loin

of his

ancestor.

Now

if

perfection

could have been attained

through

the

Levitical

priesthood

(

upon

which basis

the

people

received the Law),

why

was there still

need

for another

priest

to appear—

one

in

the

order

of Melchizedek

and

not

in

the

order

of Aaron?

For when

the

priesthood

is changed,

the Law

must

be changed

as well.

He of

whom

these things

are said

belonged to

a different

tribe,

from

which

no one

has ever served

at the

altar.

For

it is clear

that

our

Lord

descended

from

Judah,

a tribe

as to

which

Moses

said

nothing

about

priests.

And

this point is

even

more

clear

if

another

priest

like

Melchizedek

appears,

one who

has become a priest

not

by

a law

of succession,

but

by

the power

of an indestructible

life.

For

it is testified:

“You are

a priest

forever

in

the

order

of Melchizedek.”

So

the former

commandment

is

set aside

because

it was

weak

and

useless

(for

the

Law

made nothing perfect

),

and

a better

hope

is introduced,

by

which

we draw near

to God.

And

none

of this

happened without

an oath.

For

others

became

priests

without

an oath,

but

Jesus became a priest

with

an oath

by

the One who

said

to

Him:

“The Lord

has sworn

and

will not change His mind:

‘You are

a priest

forever.’”

Because of

this

oath,

Jesus

has become

the guarantee

of a better

covenant.

Now

there

have been

many

other

priests,

since

death

prevented them from

continuing in office.

But

because

Jesus

lives

forever,

He has

a permanent

priesthood.

Therefore

He is able

to save

completely

those who

draw near

to God

through

Him,

since He always

lives

to intercede

for

them.

Such

a high priest

truly

befits

us—

One who is holy,

innocent,

undefiled,

set apart

from

sinners,

and

exalted

above

the

heavens.

Unlike

the other

high priests,

He

does

not

need

to offer

daily

sacrifices,

first

for

His

own

sins

and then

for the sins

of the

people;

He sacrificed for sin

once for all

when He offered up

Himself.

For

the

Law

appoints

as high priests

men

who are

weak;

but

the

oath,

which came

after

the

Law,

appointed

the Son,

who has been made perfect

forever.

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