VII. 1. *OYTOE γὰρ ὃ Μελχισεδὲκ, βασιλεὺς Σαλὴμ, ἱερεὺς τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ὑψίστου, ὁ συναντήσας ᾿Αβραὰμ ὑποστρέφοντι ἀπὸ τῆΣ
1T.R. only in C*LP, marked “suspected” by WH; os in ΝΑΒΟΡΕΣ, 17, apparently arising from the σ following, ‘‘ ein fiir unseren Verf. unmégliches, vollig
unmotivirtes Anakoluth”’ (Weiss).
ciple does not determine the precise point at which He became High Priest, before or contemporaneously with His passing through the veil.
CuapTER VII. The subject of Christ’s priesthood is resumed; the interpolated admonition (v. ττ-νΙ. 20) having been skilfully brought round to a second men- tion of Melchizedek. The chief reaso for introducing the priesthood of Mel || chizedek as the type of Christ’s priest hood was that it was “forever”. The’ \ Aaronic priesthood was successional, this single; and in this sense “for ever’’. There were, however, other reasons. The first question with a Jew who was en- joined to trust to Christ’s priestly media- tion, would be, What are His orders ? He belonged to a tribe “ of which Moses had spoken nothing concerning priest- hood”. He might or might not be the true heir to David’s throne; but if He was, did not this very circumstance ex- clude him from the priestly office? Was it credible that the nation had been en- couraged rigorously to exclude from the priesthood every interloper, only in order that at last this rigidly preserved order should be entirely disregarded? This writer seizes upon the fact that there was a greater priest than Aaron men- tioned in Scripture—a _ priest more worthy to be the type of the Messianic priesthoed, because hé was~himself a king, and especially because he be- jon uccessional priestly order bugwwas himself the entire order) This idea of a priesthood superseding that of Levi’s sons found its way into Scripture through the hymn (Ps. cx.) which cele- brated the dignity (as priest-king) of Simon the Maccabee. Bickell has shown that the first four verses of the Psalm are
an acrostic on the name Simon, 7YDW,
When the Maccabees displaced the Aaronic priesthood, they found their justification in the priestly dignity of Melchizedek, and assumed his style, calling themselves ‘priests of the Most High God”. Cf. Charles, Book of Fubilees, pp. κ. and τοῦ, The chapter may be divided thus :—
Alford accepts os with the anacoluthon.
I. Characteristics of Melchizedek, 1- το.
1. In himself as depicted in Scrip- ture, I-3.
2. In his relation to Levi and his line, 4-το.
II. Inadequacy of Levitical priesthood in comparison with the Mel- chizedek priesthood of Christ, 11-25.
1. Levi being provisional, Mel- chizedek being permanent, 11-14.
2. Official and hereditary: per- sonal and eternal, 15-19.
3. Without oath: with oath, therefore final, 20-22.
4. Plural and successional: sin- gular and enduring, 23-25.
III. Summary of the merits of the new Melchizedek Priest, Jesus.
Vv. 1-3. Description of Melchizedek as
_he appears on the page of Scripture, in
five particulars with their interpretation.
Ver. 1. Otros yap ὁ Μελχισεδέκ... μένει ἱερεὺς εἰς τὸ διηνεκές. yap closely connects this passage with the immed lately preceding words ἀρχ. . . - αἰῶνα and introduces the explanation of them. “ For this Melchizedek [mentioned in Ps. cx. and who has just been named as that priest according to whose order Christ is called to be Priest] remains a priest continually.” This is the statement on which he wishes to fix attention. It is the ‘for-everness” of the priesthood which he means especially to insist upon. The whole order is occupied by himself. This one man constitutes the order. He succeeds no one in office and no one succeeds him. In this sense he abides a priest for ever. Between the subject Melchizedek and the verb μένει, there are insertedfive historical facts taken from Gen. xiv., with their interpretation. [On the historicity of Gen. xiv., see Buchanan Gray in Expositor, May, 1808, and Driver, Authority and Archaeology, pp- 45 and73. Seealso Beazley’s Dawn of Modern Geography, ii. 189; and esp., Boscawen’s First of Empires, c.vi.] βασ- ιλεὺς Σαλήμ; the description given in this verse is taken verbatim [with the neeced