Charles Ellicott Commentary Hebrews 7:1

"For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of God Most High, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him," — Hebrews 7:1 (ASV)

For this Melchizedek.—The sentence is completed in the last words of Hebrews 7:3, ... abideth a priest continually; the connection with the last chapter, therefore, is very clear. We know nothing about Melchizedek beyond what we learn from the brief narrative of Genesis 14. A Jewish legend, preserved in the later Targums on the Pentateuch but not in the Targum of Onkelos, identifies him with the patriarch Shem; and many later conjectures (stimulated by the remarkable language of these verses) have been far wilder in their extravagance. It may be that the result of these speculations has been to invest this chapter with a mystery that does not belong to it.

The object of the writer is, in reality, very simple—to deal with the question: What is the import of the divine utterance that David’s Lord is a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek? His purpose is not to take up the history of Melchizedek and allegorize each part. Instead, it is to point out the full meaning of the comparison made in the prophecy, which declares the priesthood of the future King to be after the order of Melchizedek—i.e., to be such as the priesthood of Melchizedek typically set forth.

The first part of this sentence (Hebrews 7:1–2, as far as ...tenth part of all) enumerates the known facts of the history of Melchizedek; the following clauses are occupied with the interpretation of the history and with inferences from it. Of the facts recorded in Genesis, none are passed over, except the gift of bread and wine; the blessing also is mentioned in general terms only. The language of the Septuagint is, as a rule, closely followed throughout.

King of Salem.—Jewish tradition strongly affirms that this Salem occupied the site on which Jerusalem afterwards stood; and Salem is certainly a poetic name of Jerusalem (Psalms 76:2). This tradition, found in Josephus and in the earliest of the Targums, agrees well with the circumstances of the narrative as far as we can follow them and seems to deserve acceptance. Jerome maintained that Salem was situated near Scythopolis, where in his day ruins of “Melchizedek’s palace” were pointed out. Another tradition (probably of Samaritan origin) makes Mount Gerizim the place of meeting, in which case the city of Melchizedek would probably be near Shechem.

The most high God.—A title characteristic of the narrative (Genesis 14:18–20; Genesis 14:22). Melchizedek is the first who in Scripture is spoken of as priest, and the name is given without explanation. As in the earliest times this office was held by the head of a family (Job 1), it is not remarkable to find a union of regal and sacerdotal functions in the same man.

Returning from the slaughter.—Rather, from the smiting, or defeat. According to the narrative in Genesis, the meeting took place after Abraham had returned from the defeat of the king; but probably the meaning does not differ from that here given.