Hebrews 7:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But this man who does not have his descent from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises.

NIV: This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises.

NASB: But the one whose genealogy is not traced from them collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed the one who had the promises.

CSB: But one without this lineage collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed the one who had the promises.

NLT: But Melchizedek, who was not a descendant of Levi, collected a tenth from Abraham. And Melchizedek placed a blessing upon Abraham, the one who had already received the promises of God.

KJV: But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises.

NKJV: but he whose genealogy is not derived from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises.

Verse 6 continues the point made in verse 5: that Melchizedek's tithe was more important than the tithe collected by the Levitical priests. Melchizedek was not a fellow Israelite, and his priesthood predates the law of Moses. For Abraham to give Melchizedek a tithe, then, proves that Melchizedek was the greater figure. Further, Melchizedek is said to have blessed Abraham (Genesis 14:18–20). This strongly implies that Abraham was the lesser figure: blessings naturally flow from the superior to the inferior (Hebrews 7:7).

The purpose of this comparison is to show that Melchizedek is superior to Abraham, and therefore superior to all of the priests who came from Abraham's line. This, in turn, supports the use of Melchizedek in the book of Hebrews. Melchizedek, a figure of the Old Testament, is used as a symbolic foreshadowing of the ministry of Jesus Christ. The superiority of Melchizedek's priesthood, which is fulfilled in Jesus Christ, is the major theme of chapter 7, starting in verse 11.

Hebrews 7:1–10 introduces the author's central argument about the superiority of Jesus Christ. Melchizedek, a figure from the story of Abraham in the Old Testament, is the main evidence used. In this segment, the author shows how Melchizedek was superior to Abraham, since Abraham paid him tithes. This has implications for the priesthood of Melchizedek, as well as the priesthood of the Old Testament. Next, the author will show how the priesthood of Jesus, symbolized by Melchizedek, is superior to that of the Levitical law.

When Abraham met with Melchizedek in the Old Testament, he honored him with tithes. This shows that Abraham recognized Melchizedek's superiority. Since the Old Covenant was flawed—based on limited priests and limited sacrifices—it is inferior to the priesthood of Melchizedek, which is unending. Jesus Christ fulfills God's promise to establish a priest ''forever'' in a way which perfectly meets our needs.

Chapters 5 and 6 detoured from the main theme in order to present a warning about faithlessness and apostasy. Chapter 7 returns to the topic of Melchizedek, who represents a mysterious but important moment in Old Testament history. Here, the author will show how Melchizedek was superior to Abraham, and that Melchizedek's priesthood is superior to the priesthood of Aaron. This leads into the next chapters, which show how Jesus Christ perfectly fulfills our salvation in ways which the Old Covenant cannot.

The book of Hebrews is meant to challenge, encourage, and empower Christian believers. According to this letter, Jesus Christ is superior to all other prophets and all other claims to truth. Since God has given us Christ, we ought to listen to what He says and not move backwards. The consequences of ignoring God are dire. Hebrews is important for drawing on many portions of the Old Testament in making a case that Christ is the ultimate and perfect expression of God's plan for mankind. This book presents some tough ideas about the Christian faith, a fact the author makes specific note of.

Accessed 12/21/2024 8:32:23 PM