Hebrews 7

Hebrews 7:1-28 . CHRIST'S HIGH PRIESTHOOD AFTER THE ORDER OF MELCHISEDEC SUPERIOR TO AARON'S.

1. this Melchisedec--( Hebrews 6:20 , Psalms 110:4 ). The verb does not come till Hebrews 7:3 , "abideth."
king . . . priest--Christ unites these offices in their highest sense, and so restores the patriarchal union of these offices.
Salem--Jerusalem, that is, seeing peace; others make Salem distinct, and to be that mentioned ( Genesis 33:18 , John 3:23 ).
the most high God--called also "Possessor of heaven and earth" ( Genesis 14:19 Genesis 14:22 ). This title of God, "the Most High," handed down by tradition from the primitive revelation, appears in the Phoenician god "Elion," that is, Most High. It is used to imply that the God whom Melchisedec served is THE TRUE GOD, and not one of the gods of the nations around. So it is used in the only other cases in which it is found in the New Testament, namely in the address of the demoniac, and the divining damsel constrained to confess that her own gods were false, and God the only true God.
who met Abraham--in company with the king of Sodom ( Genesis 14:17 Genesis 14:18 ).
slaughter--perhaps defeat, as ALFORD translates. So Genesis 14:17 (compare Genesis 14:15 ) may be translated. Arioch, king of Ellasar, lived and reigned after the disaster [BENGEL]. However, if Chedorlaomer and Amraphel and Tidal were slain, though Arioch survived, "slaughter of the kings" would be correct.
blessed him--As priest he first blessed Abraham on God's part; next he blessed God on Abraham's part: a reciprocal blessing. Not a mere wish, but an authoritative and efficacious intercession as a priest. The Most High God's prerogative as "Possessor of heaven and earth," is made over to Abraham; and Abraham's glory, from his victory over the foe, is made over to God. A blessed exchange for Abraham ( Genesis 14:19 Genesis 14:20 ).

2. gave--Greek, "apportioned"; assigned as his portion.
tenth . . . of all--namely, the booty taken. The tithes given are closely associated with the priesthood: the mediating priest received them as a pledge of the giver's whole property being God's; and as he conveyed God's gifts to man ( Hebrews 7:1 , "blessed him"), so also man's gifts to God. Melchisedec is a sample of how God preserves, amidst general apostasy, an elect remnant. The meeting of Melchisedec and Abraham is the connecting link between to two dispensations, the patriarchal, represented by Melchisedec, who seems to have been specially consecrated by God as a KING-PRIEST, the highest form of that primitive system in which each father of a household was priest in it, and the Levitical, represented by Abraham, in which the priesthood was to be limited to one family of one tribe and one nation. The Levitical was parenthetical, and severed the kingdom and priesthood; the patriarchal was the true forerunner of Christ's, which, like Melchisedec's, unites the kingship and priesthood, and is not derived from other man, or transmitted to other man; but derived from God, and is transmitted in God to a never-ending perpetuity. Melchisedec's priesthood continueth in Christ for ever. For other points of superiority, see Hebrews 7:16-21 . Melchisedec must have had some special consecration above the other patriarchs, as Abraham, who also exercised the priesthood; else Abraham would not have paid tithe to him as to a superior. His peculiar function seems to have been, by God's special call, KING-priest whereas no other "patriarch-priest" was also a God-consecrated king.
first being--Paul begins the mystical explanation of the historical fact (allegorical explanations being familiar to JEWS), by mentioning the significancy of the name.
righteousness--not merely righteous: so Christ. Hebrew "Malchi" means king: "Tzedek," righteousness.
King of Salem--not only his own name, but that of the city which he ruled, had a typical significance, namely, peace. Christ is the true Prince of peace. The peace which He brings is the fruit of righteousness.