Melchizedek and the Law
Regarding those in the law (Heb 7:3). Without father, without mother, without genealogy in the way priesthood works, because in the Levitical tribe it appeared who was a priest or a woman priest. There were periods of priesthood, where some had them for a day, and others ministered for a whole life. And these both are found among the priests in the law, even if not in the same periods.
He says Melchizedek is without father and without mother and without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life according to the logic of priesthood; for he neither had a priestly race, nor did he begin anywhere as one succeeding another, nor from a day another, nor as having a law to be a priest for a whole life. And all these things are said entirely by way of analogy to the priests in the law. But it is said concerning Melchizedek: having been made like to the Son of God, he remains a priest continually. And how does Melchizedek remain a priest? It is a question called forth, but the solution is this: just as Moses calls the law, so likewise here Melchizedek says both the man and the priesthood itself. If then Melchizedek is made like through the priesthood according to Christ, he remains continually; for not the mortal man, but the dignity of the priesthood.
Just as the tabernacle was constructed according to Moses so that the services might take place (Heb 9:11), so this tabernacle, the composition of grace, is greater, the body of Christ having Christ as head. By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come (Heb 11:11). Previously he set Jacob, then Esau, not according to the sequence of birth, but according to the order of the blessing. The world was not worthy of them (Heb 11:38). He does not say this concerning all, but concerning these last ones whom even a witness saw. He remembers those who fell in the encampments and because of the usefulness of the people having received them.
Laying aside every weight (Heb 12:1). Sin of carnal enjoyment is a weight, from which the most easily encompassing sin is born. And he said the sin that easily surrounds us and leads us to its own will is 'most easily encompassing'. For a festival and a feast of angels is the one to the glory of God, and to the assembly of firstborns inscribed in the heavens and to God, the judge of all (Heb 12:22-23). This is what Paul says elsewhere: for he removes the form of this world, so that the temporary things might pass away and the eternal things might come (Heb 12:27). This is, those in the law do not have this gift of which we partake. But outside the encampment, instead of being outside the legal ones and the Israelite encampment.
Greek
τῆς ἐν νόμῳ. Hebr 7,3 Ἀπάτωρ, ἀμήτωρ, ἀγενεαλόγητος κατὰ τὸν τῆς ἱερωσύνης λόγον, ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐν τῇ φυλῇ τῇ Λευϊτικῇ ἐφαίνετο τίς τίνος ἦν ἱερέως ἢ γυναικὸς ἱερείας. ἦσαν δὲ χρόνοι τῆς ἱερωσύνης, καὶ οἱ μὲν ἐφημερίας εἶχον ἐνιαυσίους, οἱ δὲ δι' ὅλης τῆς ζωῆς ἱεράτευον. καὶ ταῦτα εὑρίσκεται ἐκάτερα παρὰ τοῖς ἱερεῦσι τοῖς ἐν νόμῳ, εἰ καὶ μὴ κατὰ τοὺς αὐτοὺς χρόνους. ἀπάτορα λέγει τὸν Μελχισεδὲκ καὶ ἀμήτορα καὶ ἀγενεαλόγητον, μήτε ἀρχὴν ἔχοντα ἡμερῶν μήτε ζωῆς τέλος κατὰ τὸν τῆς ἱερατείας λόγον· οὔτε γὰρ γένος ἱερατικὸν εἶχεν, οὔτε ποθὲν ἤρξατο ὡς ἄλλον διαδεξάμενος, οὔτε ἐξ ἐφημερίας ἕτερον, οὔτε ὡς νόμον ἔχων δι' ὅλης τῆς ζωῆς εἶναι ἱερεύς. καὶ ὅλως πάντα τὰ λεγόμενα κατὰ παρεξέτασιν τῶν ἐν νόμῳ ἱερέων. εἴρηται δὲ περὶ τοῦ Μελχισεδέκ· ἀφωμοιωμένος δὲ τῷ υἱῷ τοῦ θεοῦ, μένει ἱερεὺς εἰς τὸ διηνεκές. καὶ πῶς ὁ Μελχισεδὲκ μένει ἱερεύς; ζήτημα τὸ λεγόμενον, ἔστι δὲ ἡ λύσις αὕτη· ὥσπερ Μωϋσέα καλεῖ τὸν νόμον, οὕτω κἀνταῦθα Μελχισεδὲκ πῆ μὲν τὸν ἄνθρωπον λέγει, πῆ δὲ αὐτὴν τὴν ἱερατείαν. εἰ τοίνυν ἀφωμοίωται ὁ Μελχισεδὲκ διὰ τῆς ἱερατείας τῆς κατὰ Χριστόν, μένει διηνεκῶς· οὐχ ὁ ἄνθρωπος θνητὸς γάρ, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἀξίωμα τῆς ἱερατείας. Hebr 9,11 Ὥσπερ ἡ σκηνὴ κατεσκευάσθη ἐπὶ Μωϋσέως ὥστε τὰς λατρείας γίνεσθαι, οὕτω μείζων ἡ σκηνὴ αὕτη, τῆς χάριτος ἡ σύστασις, τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ κεφαλὴν ἔχον τὸν Χριστόν. 351 Hebr 11, Πίστει περὶ μελλόντων εὐλόγησεν Ἰσαὰκ τὸν Ἰακὼβ καὶ τὸν Ἠσαῦ. πρότερον ἔθηκεν τὸν Ἰακὼβ εἶτα τὸν Ἠσαῦ, οὐ κατὰ τὴν τῆς γενέσεως ἀκολουθίαν, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὴν τῆς εὐλογίας τάξιν. Hebr 11,38 Ὧν οὐκ ἦν ἄξιος ὁ κόσμος. οὐ περὶ πάντων λέγει τοῦτο ἀλλὰ περὶ τούτων τῶν τελευταίων οὓς καὶ μάρτυρας οἶδεν. ἐπιμέμνηται τῶν κλινάντων παρεμβολὰς καὶ διὰ τὸ χρήσιμον τοῦ λαοῦ εἰληφότων χάριν. Hebr 12,1 Ὄγκον ἀποθέμενοι πάντα. ὄγκος ἐστὶν ἡ ἁμαρτία τῆς κατὰ τὴν σάρκα ἀπολαύσεως, ἐξ ἧς ἡ εὐπερίστατος ἁμαρτία τίκτεται. εὐπερίστατον δὲ εἶπε τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τὴν εὐκόλως ἡμᾶς περιϊσταμένην καὶ ἄγουσαν εἰς τὸ ἑαυτῆς θέλημα. Hebr 12,22–23 Πανήγυρις γὰρ καὶ ἑορτὴ ἀγγέλων ἡ εἰς τὸν θεὸν δόξα, καὶ ἐκκλησίᾳ πρωτοτόκων ἀπογεγραμμένων ἐν οὐρανοῖς καὶ κριτῇ θεῷ πάντων. Hebr 12,27 Τοῦτό ἐστιν ὃ λέγει ὁ Παῦλος ἀλλαχοῦ· παράγει γὰρ τὸ σχῆμα τοῦ κόσμου τούτου, ἵνα παρέλθῃ τὰ πρόσκαιρα καὶ ἔλθῃ τὰ αἰώνια. Hebr 13,10–13 Τοῦτ' ἔστιν οἱ ἐν νόμῳ οὐκ ἔχουσι τὸ δῶρον τοῦτο οὗ μετέχομεν ἡμεῖς. ἔξω δὲ τῆς παρεμβολῆς, ἀντὶ τοῦ ἔξω τῶν νομίμων καὶ τῆς Ἰσραηλιτικῆς παρεμβολῆς.
About this text
A defense of Paul's authorship of Hebrews, exploring style and hidden dangers.
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG 65 (Khazarzar) (Greek)
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.