For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace. Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually.
Melchizedek - "is clearly a type of Christ. Everything known about him from the OT is found in Gen 14:17-20 and Ps 110:4. He was a great king-priest, and it is to his order of priesthood that Christ belongs. Our Lord could never have been a Levitical priest because He was born of the tribe of Judah (Heb 7:14) and not the tribe of Levi. Thus He must be associated with another order of priests, that of Melchizedek. Both Christ and Melchizedek were men (Heb 7:4; 1 Tim 2:5); both were king-priests (Gen 14:18; Zech 6:12-13): both were appointed directly by God (Heb 7:21); both were called "King of righteousness" and King of peace" (Heb 7:2; Isa 11:5-9)." (Ryrie)
without father - "This does not mean that Melchizedek had no parents or that he was not born or did not die, but only that the Scriptures contain no record of these events so that he might be more perfectly likened to Christ." (Ryrie)
"He may have been Shem. Abraham was a hundred and fifty when Shem died. That would be about fifty years after this scene with Melchisedec. Or Melchisedec may have been a patriarchal king and priest such as Job; or he may have been Christ in angelic form as in Gen 32:24, Joshua v 13, Judges 13, etc, and Gen 18. This last supposition is based upon the statement made in verse 3 and verse 8. But the argument of verse 3 may be that whereas Aaron had to produce a pedigree establishing his parentage before being consecrated high priest (Ezra 2:62), and as he could only hold office from thirty to fifty (Num 4:3), he was inferior to Melchisedec who needed to produce no evidence of parentage and who retained his priesthood so long as he lived. Further, the use of the present tense in the words "abideth" and "liveth" (vs 3 and 8) is a frequent form in the Scriptures expressing continuity of argument or doctrine but not necessarily of person or action. Melchisedec was assimilated, or likened, to the Son of God, and in that sense he still lives." (Williams)
"The narrative of Melchizedek as recorded in the book of Genesis is unique. The details of his history were so chosen that both by what is omitted and what is narrated he might prefigure the Lord Jesus Christ in His high priesthood. The record is so extraordinary that some have supposed that he was the Son of God himself but the supposition is unjustifiable. The apostle states that he was "made like unto the Son of God," that is to say, that the history was so framed that the details were made to correspond beforehand to facts connected with the Priesthood of Christ. Moses could no doubt have written a great deal more about Melchizedek, but writing by divine inspiration he withheld everything save which would serve the purpose intended." (Vine)
"Perhaps, however, this might open our thinking to consider that our attempt to identify Melchisedec should include the Lord from heaven, God the Father and/or the entire Godhead. Clearly, Melchisedec is described using the attributes of deity in this passage, and Melchisedec is a priest well before the law covenant and the institution of Israel's priesthood. Could the provision of Melchisedec for Abraham be in concert with: Genesis 22:8: And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. Note the verse can be read to say that God would provide a lamb for Himself, or no doubt the better way to read it; that God would provide Himself as that lamb. Ultimately, the Lord Jesus Christ was the lamb slain, and since Christ is God, the lamb provided for God was God. Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift of Himself. In like manner, could Jehovah God have provided Himself in a theophany as the priest Melchisedec? Might not that be consistent with the Lord Jesus' service to the Father, even though we know Christ: Philippians 2:6: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: Were that to be true, Hebrews 7:1-3 are suddenly very simple verse and there are not problems left unresolved." (McLean)
Melchizedek - "is clearly a type of Christ. Everything known about him from the OT is found in Gen 14:17-20 and Ps 110:4. He was a great king-priest, and it is to his order of priesthood that Christ belongs. Our Lord could never have been a Levitical priest because He was born of the tribe of Judah (Heb 7:14) and not the tribe of Levi. Thus He must be associated with another order of priests, that of Melchizedek. Both Christ and Melchizedek were men (Heb 7:4; 1 Tim 2:5); both were king-priests (Gen 14:18; Zech 6:12-13): both were appointed directly by God (Heb 7:21); both were called "King of righteousness" and King of peace" (Heb 7:2; Isa 11:5-9)." (Ryrie)
without father - "This does not mean that Melchizedek had no parents or that he was not born or did not die, but only that the Scriptures contain no record of these events so that he might be more perfectly likened to Christ." (Ryrie)
"He may have been Shem. Abraham was a hundred and fifty when Shem died. That would be about fifty years after this scene with Melchisedec. Or Melchisedec may have been a patriarchal king and priest such as Job; or he may have been Christ in angelic form as in Gen 32:24, Joshua v 13, Judges 13, etc, and Gen 18. This last supposition is based upon the statement made in verse 3 and verse 8. But the argument of verse 3 may be that whereas Aaron had to produce a pedigree establishing his parentage before being consecrated high priest (Ezra 2:62), and as he could only hold office from thirty to fifty (Num 4:3), he was inferior to Melchisedec who needed to produce no evidence of parentage and who retained his priesthood so long as he lived. Further, the use of the present tense in the words "abideth" and "liveth" (vs 3 and 8) is a frequent form in the Scriptures expressing continuity of argument or doctrine but not necessarily of person or action. Melchisedec was assimilated, or likened, to the Son of God, and in that sense he still lives." (Williams)
"The narrative of Melchizedek as recorded in the book of Genesis is unique. The details of his history were so chosen that both by what is omitted and what is narrated he might prefigure the Lord Jesus Christ in His high priesthood. The record is so extraordinary that some have supposed that he was the Son of God himself but the supposition is unjustifiable. The apostle states that he was "made like unto the Son of God," that is to say, that the history was so framed that the details were made to correspond beforehand to facts connected with the Priesthood of Christ. Moses could no doubt have written a great deal more about Melchizedek, but writing by divine inspiration he withheld everything save which would serve the purpose intended." (Vine)
"Perhaps, however, this might open our thinking to consider that our attempt to identify Melchisedec should include the Lord from heaven, God the Father and/or the entire Godhead. Clearly, Melchisedec is described using the attributes of deity in this passage, and Melchisedec is a priest well before the law covenant and the institution of Israel's priesthood. Could the provision of Melchisedec for Abraham be in concert with: Genesis 22:8: And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. Note the verse can be read to say that God would provide a lamb for Himself, or no doubt the better way to read it; that God would provide Himself as that lamb. Ultimately, the Lord Jesus Christ was the lamb slain, and since Christ is God, the lamb provided for God was God. Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift of Himself. In like manner, could Jehovah God have provided Himself in a theophany as the priest Melchisedec? Might not that be consistent with the Lord Jesus' service to the Father, even though we know Christ: Philippians 2:6: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: Were that to be true, Hebrews 7:1-3 are suddenly very simple verse and there are not problems left unresolved." (McLean)
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