Hebrews 7:6

7:6b-7 Melchizedek placed a blessing upon Abraham: Gen 14:19-20; this is an example of the kind of blessing that a superior would give a subordinate—e.g., a father would bless his son, and a priest would bless his people (Gen 49:1-28; Num 6:22-27). The power to give a blessing demonstrates that Melchizedek is greater than Abraham.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Heb 7:6. Ἐξ αὐτῶν) from them, as he was more ancient even than they.—καὶ, and) This verse has two propositions, of which the explanation precedes the first, follows the second: Chiasmus. And at the same time this second point—the superiority of Melchisedec to Abraham—namely, the blessing, is conveniently connected with the former point concerning tithes, because its description is afterwards completed.—τὸν ἔχοντα, who had) This both increases Abraham’s dignity, and intimates that even the posterity, who had been then already promised to Abraham, would yield the superiority to Melchisedec.—τὰς ἐπαγγελίας, the promises) plural. Where Christ is the subject, it is called the promise: promises refer to other things. Already GOD had twice promised to Abraham, Gen 12:2; Gen 13:15, before the blessing of Melchisedec.—εὐλόγηκε, blessed) The blessing which the priests pronounced on the people, is also by implication contained in the Protasis concerning the Levitical priests.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Heb_7:6. Notwithstanding this privileged position of the Levitical priests (Heb_7:5), Melchisedec yet occupies a far higher position.

ὁ δέ] is not to be taken alone, as by Böhme, Kuinoel, and Klee, and then to be supplemented by τὴν ἱερατείαν λαβών from Heb_7:5; but ὁ δὲ μὴ γενεαλογούμενος ἐξ αὐτῶν belongs together: Melchisedec, on the contrary, without (μή) his family or descent being derived from them, received tithes of Abraham.

ἐξ αὐτῶν] refers neither to the Israelites (Epiph. Haer. 67. 7; Cornelius a Lapide, Braun, Ernesti, Schulz) nor to Levi and Abraham (Grotius), but to the υἱοὶ Λευΐ, Heb_7:5.

The parallel clause, καὶ τὸν ἔχοντα τὰς ἐπαγγελίας εὐλόγηκεν] and blessed him who had the promises, serves yet further to make manifest the dignity and exaltedness of Melchisedec. For, by the fact that Abraham had received the divine promises, that his seed should be multiplied, and in him all nations of the earth should be blessed (Gen_12:2 f., Heb_13:14 f.), he had been already most highly favoured of God. How high thus must that man stand, who imparts his blessing to one already so highly favoured, since trulyas is immediately expressly added, Heb_7:7the dispenser of the blessing is ever more exalted than the recipient of the blessing! Oecumenius: ἐξῆρε τὸν Ἀβραάμ, ἵνα πλεῖον ἐξάρῃ τὸν Μελχισεδέκ.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Heb 7:6 . In striking contrast, ὁ δὲ μὴ γενεαλογούμενος … “but he whose genealogy is not counted from them hath taken tithes of Abraham, and blessed [see below] him that hath the promises”. γενεαλογέω is classical Greek, meaning, to trace ancestry, see Herod. ii. 146. ἐξ αὐτῶν , not “from the sons of Israel” (Epiphanius in Bleek), but “from the sons of Levi,” Heb 7:5 ; and who therefore had no claim to tithe appointed by law, and yet tithed Abraham. καὶ τὸν ἔχοντα , in Vulgate “qui habebat”; in Weizsäcker “der die Verheissungen hatte,” not “hat”; so Vaughan correctly, “The possessor of”. “Him who owned the promises.” Cf. Burton, 124 and 126. εὐλόγηκε , on the perfects of this verse and of this Epistle (Heb 8:5 , Heb 11:5 , etc.), Mr. J. H. Moulton asks, “Has anyone noticed the beautiful parallel in Plato, Apol. , 28 c., for the characteristic perfect in Hebrews, describing what stands written in Scripture? ὅσοι ἐν Τροίᾳ τετελευτήκασι (as is written in the Athenian’s ‘Bible’) is exactly like Heb 7:6 ; Heb 11:17 ; Heb 11:28 ” ( Expositor , April, 1901, p. 280). Vaughan also says: “The γέγραπται (so to say) quickens the dead , and gives to the praeterite of the history the permanence of a perfect ”. Yes; but to translate by the perfect sacrifices English idiom to Greek idiom. See Burton, 82, “When the Perfect Indicative is used of a past event which is by reason of the context necessarily thought of as separated from the moment of speaking by an interval, it is impossible to render it into English adequately”. The point which the writer here brings out is that, although Abraham had the promises, and was therefore himself a fountain of blessing to mankind and the person on whom all succeeding generations depended for blessing, yet Melchizedek blessed him; and as the writer adds:

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

he whose descent is not counted from them--not from "the sons of Levi," as those "who receive the priesthood." This verse explains "without descent" (Greek, "genealogy" in both verses, Heb 7:3). He who needs not, as the Levitical priests, to be able to trace his genealogy back to Levi.

received--Greek, "hath received tithes."

blessed--Greek, "hath blessed." The perfect tense implies that the significance of the fact endures to the present time.

him that had--"the possessor of the promises," Abraham's peculiar distinction and designation. Paul exalts Abraham in order still more to exalt Melchisedec. When Christ is the subject, the singular "promise" is used. "The promises" in the plural, refer to God's promise of greatness to himself and his seed, and of the possession of Canaan, twice repeated before the blessing of Melchisedec. As the priests, though above the people (Heb 7:7) whom it was their duty to "bless," were yet subordinate to Abraham; and as Abraham was subordinate to Melchisedec, who blessed him, Melchisedec must be much above the Levitical priests.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 6. Blessed him that had the promises.] This is a continuation of the same argument, namely, to show the superiority of Melchisedec; and, in consequence, to prove the superiority of the priesthood of Christ beyond that of Aaron. As in the seed of Abraham all the nations of the earth were to be blessed, Abraham received a sacerdotal blessing from Melchisedec, who was the representative of the Messiah, the promised seed, to show that it was through him, as the high priest of the human race, that this blessing was to be derived on all mankind.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

6. Blessed him, etc. This is the fifth comparison between Christ and Melchisedec. The Apostle assumes it as an admitted principle that the less is blessed by the greater; and then he adds that Melchisedec blessed Abraham: hence the conclusion is that the less was Abraham. But for the sake of strengthening his argument he again raises the dignity of Abraham; for the more glorious Abraham is made, the higher the dignity of Melchisedec appears. For this purpose he says that Abraham had the promises; by which he means that he was the first of the holy race with whom God made the covenant of eternal life. It was not indeed a common honor that God chose him from all the rest that he might deposit with him the privilege of adoption and the testimony of his love. But all this was no hindrance that he should not submit himself in all his preeminence to the priesthood of Melchisedec. We hence see how great he was to whom Abraham gave place in these two things, — that he suffered himself to be blessed by him, and that he offered him tithes as to God’s vicegerent.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(6) Whose descent.—Better, whose genealogy (Heb_7:3).

Received tithes.—Rather, hath taken tithes of Abraham, and hath blessed him that hath the promises. In Melchizedek we see a man who, though no law gave him pre-eminence, takes tithes of Abraham, and therefore appears in Scripture as holding a position of inherent and acknowledged superiority. This superiority is not dwelt upon, for the same thought will be presented still more strikingly in connection with the blessing (Heb_7:8). “Hath taken tithes,” “hath blessed:” here, as in many other passages, the writer refers to facts recorded in Scripture not as belonging to the past, but as they now stand before us in the unchanging and ever present word of God.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

6. and blessed] Lit., and hath blessed. Second point of superiority. The act is regarded as permanent and still continuous in its effects, in accordance with the writer’s manner of regarding Scripture as a living and present entity.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

But he whose descent is not counted from them, &c. That is, Melchizedek, whose genealogy or pedigree is not reckoned from the Levites, nor from any from whom they descend; his lineal descent is not the same with theirs; and so did not receive tithes by any law, as they did, but by virtue of his superiority: received tithes of Abraham; not from the people, or his brethren, but from Abraham, the father of the people of Israel, and of Levi himself:

and blessed him that had the promises; of a Son, and of the Messiah, that should spring from him, in whom all nations should be blessed, and of the land of Canaan, and of the blessings of grace and glory. This shows that Melchizedek had a descent, though it was not known; and that, since his descent was not the same with the Levites, he was a more proper type of Christ, who belonged not to that, but another tribe.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

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

Ver. 6. Received tithes of Abraham] Gr. δεδεκατωκε, tithed or tenthed Abraham, by the same divine right whereby he blessed him. Melchisedec did not take only that which Abraham was pleased to give him, but he tithed him, saith the text, he took the tenths as his due.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

But he whose descent is not counted from them - Melchizedek. The word “descent” is “pedigree” in the margin. The meaning is, that he was not “in the same genealogy” - μὴ γενεαλογούμενος mē genealogoumenos - he was not of the order of Levitical priests. That Melchizedek is meant there can be no doubt; at the same time, also, the thought is presented with prominence on which Paul so much insists, that he was of a different order from the Levitical priesthood.

And blessed him - Blessed him as a priest of God; blessed him in such a manner as to imply acknowledged superiority; see Heb 7:1.

That had the promises - The promise that he should have a numerous posterity; that in him all the nations of the earth should be blessed; see Heb 6:12-16.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

The proof is here applied, showing Melchisedec to be greater, not than the Levitical priest only, but than Abraham himself.

But he whose descent is not counted from them; he drew not his genealogy from any priests before him, but is greater than those priests, who by genealogy and succession were made such, and set above their brethern by God himself: he being independent, having no progenitor, priest, or successor, is greater than whom he decimateth.

Received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises; he decimated Abraham, the father of the Levitical priests, and by the Most High’s order blessed him, by assuring him of his peace with God, grace continually from him, and multiplying temporal and spiritual blessings to him, according as God promised, Gen 15:1, &c. And this he did to him, though Abraham was a patriarch, and privileged with promises above any other; yet though God were made over to him in all his fulness, the blessing given him of fatherhood to a numerous nation, even the visible church of God among Israel, as to all believing Gentiles, who had Canaan literally promised to his posterity, and even this Salem, among the rest, of which Melchisedec was king, and the heavenly Canaan to himself; and above all, the promised Messiah to descend from him, in whom himself and all nations were to be blessed; he, so great in promises, is tithed and blessed by a greater Melchisedec.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

6. Descent is not counted—Unlineal Melchizedek, in contrast with lineal Levites.

Received tithes—As being pontiff, treating Abraham himself as Levites treat ordinary sons of Abraham.

Blessed him—As a pontiff blesses his spiritual subjects.

Promises—Note on Heb_6:12. This type of the Messiah is therein superior to the progenitor of Messiah.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He who is not from them - The Levites Blessed - Another proof of his superiority. Even him that had the promises - That was so highly favoured of God. When St. Paul speaks of Christ, he says, "the promise;" promises refer to other blessings also.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

6. But he whose descent is not counted from them. Melchizedek, who was not of the blood of Abraham or tribe of Levi, received tithes of Abraham, not because of the law, but because of his transcendent dignity.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

6. ὁ δὲ μὴ γενεαλογούμενος. Οὐ, which might have been here expected, would simply state the fact. The μὴ is practically here a stronger negative because it denies the very conception. Comp. Luk 1:20, καὶ ἔσῃ … μὴ δυνάμενος λαλῆσαι. Joh 7:49, ὁ ὄχλος οὗτος ὁ μὴ γιγνώσκων τὸν νόμον.

εὐλόγηκεν, “and hath blessed.” SECOND point of superiority. The perfects imply that the acts are regarded as permanent and still continuous in their effects, in accordance with the writer’s manner of regarding Scripture as a living and present entity.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

6.] But (apodosis to μέν, ver. 5), he whose pedigree is never (see below) reckoned from them (contrast—οἱ ἐκ τῶν υἱῶν Λευεί,—ὁ μὴ γενεαλογούμενος ἐξ αὐτῶν: also speaking for the connexion above advocated in ver. 5. The present part. gives the sense, ‘who is not in the habit of having his genealogy made out’ …, whose descent no one thinks of deducing. This is also indicated by the subjective μή. Had it been οὐ (as οἱ οὐκ ἠλεημένοι, 1Pe 2:10) it would denote the mere matter of fact,—‘of whom no such genealogy exists.’ This is better than with Winer, edn. 6, § 55. 5, to regard the μή as only a stronger form of negation. The verb is good Greek: the Egyptian priests in Herodotus, Ἑκαταίῳ γενεηλογήσαντι ἑωϋτὸν.… ἀντεγενεηλόγησαν κ.τ.λ., ii. 143, see also ib. 146; and in Xen. Symp. iv. 51, we have γενεαλογοῦσι τὴν συγγένειαν.

ἐξ αὐτῶν, viz. τῶν υἱῶν Λευεί: not as Epiphan. Hær. lxvii. 7, p. 716, a-Lapide, al., τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραήλ, nor as Grot., from Levi and Abraham: and it means ‘from them,’ i. e. their line of descent) hath taken tithes of Abraham (not took, aor. The sentence is cast into this form, because of the enduring nature of the office and priesthood of Melchisedek, which is given by the perfect tense. Doubtless the perfect might be used without any such reference, meaning, ‘as the fact now stands:’ indicating, as Winer, § 40. 4, that the fact endures in its significance: see below, ver. 9: but considering the connexion here, I prefer supposing it to have been intended) and hath blessed the possessor of the promises (Klee would urge the present sense of the participle; “him who now possesses the promises;” but there seems to be no necessity for this. I should rather take ὁ ἔχων τὰς ἐπαγ. for a quasi-official designation of Abraham (see on ch. 6:12) as the possessor of the promises. As to the sense, Œc. has well expressed it: ἐξῆρε τὸν Ἀβραάμ, ἵνα πλεῖον ἐξάρῃ τὸν Μελχισεδέκ):

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

But he whose descent is not counted from them [ο δε μη γενεαλογουμενος εξ αυτων] . Lit. he who is not genealogically derived from them : Melchisedec. The verb N. T. o.

Received tithes of Abraham. Melchisedec, who has no part in the Levitical genealogy, and therefore no legal right to exact tithes, took tithes from the patriarch himself. Hence he was greater than Abraham. The right of the Levitical priest to receive tithes was only a legal right, conferred by special statute, and therefore implied no intrinsic superiority to his brethren; but Melchisedec, though having no legal right, received tithes from Abraham as a voluntary gift, which implied Abraham 's recognition of his personal greatness.

And hath blessed him that had the promises. Melchisedec accepted the position accorded to him by Abraham 's gift of tithes by bestowing on Abraham his blessing, and Abraham recognized his superiority by accepting his blessing. He who had received the divine promises might have been supposed to be above being blessed by any man. The significance of this acceptance is brought out in the next verse.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

6. ὁ δὲ μὴ γενεαλ. ἐξ av.) he whose g ts not counted from them, ie. the sons of Levi (v. 5). Vulg. cujus autem generatio non adnumeratur in eis; O.L. qui autem non enumeratur de his. The claim of Melchizedek to the priesthood rested on no descent but on his inherent personal titlo.

Ἡρμήνευσε δὲ καὶ τὸ ἀγενεαλ bynror. ἐξ αὐτῶν γὰρ εἶπε τὸν Μελχισεδὲκ μὴ γενεαλογεῖσθαι. δῆλον τοίνυν ὡς ἐκεῖνος οὐκ ἀληθῶς ἀγενεαλόγητος ἀλλὰ κατὰ τύπον (That).

δεδεκάτωκεν.. εὐλόγηκεν) Ὁ. 9 δεδεκάτῶωται. The fact is regarded as permanent in its abiding consequences. It stands written in Scripture as having a present force.

The use of the perfect in the Epistle is worthy of careful study. In every caso its full force can be felt.

i. 4 κεκληρονόμηκεν.

— 13 εἴρηκεν, iv. 4.

ii. 14 xexowwelynxey...peréoyxer.

fii. 3 fl erat.

— 14 yeyo γεγόναμεν.

iv. 2 ἐσμεν εὐηγγελισμένοι.

—14, 15 διεληλυθότα... «πεπειρασμένον.

vil, 3 ἀφωμοιωμένος.

— 13 μετέσχηκεν.

: +rdv’ "ABp. SA.

« ν4 A ° 9 ⸗ Ν καὶ ὧδε μὲν dexdtac ἀποθνήσκοντες ἄνθρωποι

vil, 14 dvaréradxev.

viii. 5 κεχρημάτισται.

— 6 τέτυχεν.

νενομοθέτηται.

ix, 18 ἐνκεκαίνισται.

— 26 πεφανέρωται.

X. 14 τετελείωκεν.

xi. 5 μεμαρτύρηται.

- 17 προσενήνοχεν, note,

— 28 πεποίηκεν.

xii. 2 κεκάθικεν.

— 3 ὑπομεμενηκότα, note,

καὶ... εὐλόγηκεν...} Melchizedek received tithes: he gave a blessing. This exercise of the privilege of a superior is a socond mark of preominonce ; and ho exercised it towards ono who as having the promises might have seemed to bo raised above tho acceptance of any human blessing.

Brooke Foss Westcott (1825–1901), The Epistle to the Hebrews (1889) and The Epistles of St John (1883) — public domain (pre-1929). Text recovered from Internet Archive / Google Books OCR scans. Westcott’s Gospel of John commentary is not included (its OCR lost the chapter running-heads required for reliable verse-keying). Some Greek quoted in the Hebrews volume is imperfectly rendered by the OCR.