Hebrews Chapter 7 verse 3 Holy Bible

Ellicott's Commentary

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(3) Without father, without mother, without descent.--The last words, "without descent" (or rather, without genealogy), throw light on the meaning of those which precede. Not because we find no mention of the parents of Melchizedek is he thus spoken of as fatherless and motherless, but because he is suddenly introduced as priest, without any token whatever that he held the office by right of genealogy, the only claim familiar to Hebrew readers. It is not necessary to adduce proof of the care with which inquiry was made into the parentage of the Jewish priests (Nehemiah 7:64): in their marriages they were subject to strict restraints (Leviticus 21:13-14); their statement of pedigree (in which was given the name not of father only, but also of every mother) must be complete, ascending to Aaron, and containing no doubtful link. He who is a priest "like Melchizedek" holds a priesthood that rests on no such rights or claims. The words that follow are of similar character. No commencement and no close of priestly position or function are recorded in the sacred history. As the Scripture is silent as to his reception of the office, so also as to any transmission of it to another. In these respects "made like (as a divinely ordained type) unto the Son of God," he bears perpetually the character of priest.There have from the first been many who have been dissatisfied with such an explanation of these remarkable words, and have understood them to ascribe to Melchizedek a mysterious and superhuman existence and character. It has been maintained that he was the Son of God Himself, or the Holy Spirit,--an angel or a Power of God. The last tenet was the distinguishing mark of a sect bearing the name of Melchizedekians in the third century. The feeling that the most startling of the expressions here used must surely be intended to point to more than the silence of Scripture on certain points, is not at all unnatural; but perhaps it is not too much to say that every such difficulty is removed by the consideration that here the writer is simply analysing the thought of the inspired Psalmist. Such an oracle as that of Psalm 110:4 must yield up to him its full significance. The divine words are not to be measured by the meaning which man may at first assign to them. The true import of the prophecy which declared that the future priesthood would bear the likeness of Melchizedek's can only be known when all the characteristics of that priesthood have been traced. The narrative of Genesis was the basis of the prophecy; all that the history presented was taken up in the Psalm.Parallel Commentaries ...GreekWithout fatherἀπάτωρ (apatōr)Adjective - Nominative Masculine SingularStrong's 540: Without (recorded) father, of unknown father. Fatherless, i.e. Of unrecorded paternity.[or] motherἀμήτωρ (amētōr)Adjective - Nominative Masculine SingularStrong's 282: (lit: motherless), whose mother's name is not recorded (or known). Motherless, i.e. Of unknown maternity.[or] genealogy,ἀγενεαλόγητος (agenealogētos)Adjective - Nominative Masculine SingularStrong's 35: Of unrecorded genealogy, whose descent cannot be traced. Unregistered as to birth.withoutἔχων (echōn)Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine SingularStrong's 2192: To have, hold, possess. Including an alternate form scheo skheh'-o; a primary verb; to hold.beginningἀρχὴν (archēn)Noun - Accusative Feminine SingularStrong's 746: From archomai; a commencement, or chief.of daysἡμερῶν (hēmerōn)Noun - Genitive Feminine PluralStrong's 2250: A day, the period from sunrise to sunset. [or]μήτε (mēte)ConjunctionStrong's 3383: Nor, neither, not even, neither?nor. From me and te; not too, i.e. neither or nor; also, not even.endτέλος (telos)Noun - Accusative Neuter SingularStrong's 5056: (a) an end, (b) event or issue, (c) the principal end, aim, purpose, (d) a tax. of life,ζωῆς (zōēs)Noun - Genitive Feminine SingularStrong's 2222: Life, both of physical (present) and of spiritual (particularly future) existence. From zao; life.likeἀφωμοιωμένος (aphōmoiōmenos)Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine SingularStrong's 871: To assimilate, make like to. From apo and homoioo; to assimilate closely.theτῷ (tō)Article - Dative Masculine SingularStrong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.SonΥἱῷ (Huiō)Noun - Dative Masculine SingularStrong's 5207: A son, descendent. Apparently a primary word; a 'son', used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinship.of God,Θεοῦ (Theou)Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularStrong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.he remainsμένει (menei)Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularStrong's 3306: To remain, abide, stay, wait; with acc: I wait for, await. A primary verb; to stay.a priestἱερεὺς (hiereus)Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularStrong's 2409: A priest, one who offers sacrifice to a god (in Jewish and pagan religions; of Christians only met.). From hieros; a priest.forεἰς (eis)PrepositionStrong's 1519: A primary preposition; to or into, of place, time, or purpose; also in adverbial phrases.all time.διηνεκές (diēnekes)Adjective - Accusative Neuter SingularStrong's 1336: Neuter of a compound of dia and a derivative of an alternate of phero; carried through, i.e. perpetually.Jump to PreviousAbideth Ancestry Beginning Continually Continues Descent End Genealogy Life Melchizedek Mother Perpetually Priest Record Resembling Type