Keraia
Hebrews 7

Hebrews 7:3

Melchizedek and Abraham · Hebrews 7:1–10
Read Hebrews 7

Translations

Modern
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.
Traditional
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.
Literal
…without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but having been made like the Son of God, remains a priest in perpetuity.
Latin
…sine patre, sine matre, sine genealogia, neque initium dierum, neque finem vitæ habens, assimilatus autem Filio Dei, manet sacerdos in perpetuum.

Original

Greek
English
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.

Notes

Hebrews 7:3

  • We have no record of Melchizedek’s family, which is important because the Levitical priesthood required ancestry. He seems to appear from nowhere, as if his life has no beginning or end. The author interprets Genesis 14:17–20 with Psalm 110:4, seeing Melchizedek as symbolizing an eternal priesthood.

  • He remains a priest forever, unlike a Levite whose priesthood ends at death (Hebrews 7:8, 23).

  • like the Son of God: Melchizedek was not an Old Testament appearance of Jesus. Instead, his priesthood and the priesthood of Jesus share similar traits, as noted in Psalm 110:4.

Hebrews 7:1–10

This section proclaims the superiority of Melchizedek’s priesthood over that of the Levites, based primarily on Genesis 14:17–20.

Hebrews 7:1–28

Hebrews 7 expands on the idea from 5:1–10: Jesus is chosen as a high priest like Melchizedek.

Parallels

Genesis 14:17–24

Glossary

Adam (Person) Bible, Manuscripts and Text of the (New Testament) Hebrews, Letter to the Melchisedec Melchizedek Priesthood Son of God Tithe, Tithing

Topics

Abraham is Blessed by Melchizedek Jesus, the Christ: Son of God Melchizedek: A Priest and Type of Christ Priest: Before Moses: Melchizedek Succession of Priests, Irregularity In Tithes: Paid by Abraham to Melchizedek Types of Christ: Melchizedek Types of the Saviour: Melchizedek