§7.1Οὗτος γὰρ ὁ
"Μελχισεδέκ, βασιλεὺς Σαλήμ, ἱερεὺς τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ὑψίστου,"
†ὁ†
"συναντήσας"
Ἀβραὰμ
"ὑποστρέφοντι ἀπὸ τῆς κοπῆς τῶν βασιλέων"
καὶ
"εὐλογήσας"
αὐτόν, §7.2ᾧ καὶ
"δεκάτην ἀπὸ πάντων"
ἐμέρισεν Ἀβραάμ, πρῶτον μὲν ἑρμηνευόμενος Βασιλεὺς Δικαιοσύνης ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ
"βασιλεὺς Σαλήμ,"
ὅ ἐστιν βασιλεὺς Εἰρήνης,
For this "Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God," who "met" Abraham "returning from the slaughter of the kings" and "blessed" him, and to whom Abraham apportioned "a tenth part of everything," is first, by translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then he is also "king of Salem," that is, king of peace.
§7.3ἀπάτωρ, ἀμήτωρ, ἀγενεαλόγητος, μήτε ἀρχὴν ἡμερῶν μήτε ζωῆς τέλος ἔχων, ἀφωμοιωμένος δὲ τῷ υἱῷ τοῦ θεοῦ, μένει
"ἱερεὺς"
εἰς τὸ διηνεκές.
He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a "priest" forever.
§7.4Θεωρεῖτε δὲ πηλίκος οὗτος ᾧ
"δεκάτην Ἀβραὰμ ἔδωκεν"
ἐκ τῶν ἀκροθινίων ὁ πατριάρχης.
See how great this man was to whom "Abraham" the patriarch "gave a tenth" of the spoils!
§7.5καὶ οἱ μὲν ἐκ τῶν υἱῶν Λευεὶ τὴν ἱερατίαν λαμβάνοντες ἐντολὴν ἔχουσιν ἀποδεκατοῖν τὸν λαὸν κατὰ τὸν νόμον, τοῦτʼ ἔστιν τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτῶν, καίπερ ἐξεληλυθότας ἐκ τῆς ὀσφύος Ἀβραάμ·
And those descendants of Levi who receive the priestly office have a commandment in the law to take tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers, though these also are descended from Abraham.
§7.6ὁ δὲ μὴ γενεαλογούμενος ἐξ αὐτῶν δεδεκάτωκεν Ἀβραάμ, καὶ τὸν ἔχοντα τὰς ἐπαγγελίας
"εὐλόγηκεν. "
But this man who does not have his descent from them received tithes from Abraham and "blessed" him who had the promises.
§7.7χωρὶς δὲ πάσης ἀντιλογίας τὸ ἔλαττον ὑπὸ τοῦ κρείττονος εὐλογεῖται.
It is beyond all dispute that the inferior is blessed by the superior.
§7.8καὶ ὧδε μὲν
"δεκάτας"
ἀποθνήσκοντες ἄνθρωποι λαμβάνουσιν, ἐκεῖ δὲ μαρτυρούμενος ὅτι ζῇ.
In the one case tithes are received by mortal men, but in the other case by one of whom it is testified that he lives.
§7.9καὶ ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν, διʼ Ἀβραὰμ καὶ Λευεὶς ὁ δεκάτας λαμβάνων δεδεκάτωται, §7.10ἔτι γὰρ ἐν τῇ ὀσφύϊ τοῦ πατρὸς ἦν ὅτε
"συνήντησεν αὐτῷ Μελχισεδέκ. " §7.11Εἰ μὲν οὖν τελείωσις διὰ τῆς Λευειτικῆς ἱερωσύνης ἦν, ὁ λαὸς γὰρ ἐπʼ αὐτῆς νενομοθέτηται, τίς ἔτι χρεία
"κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Μελχισεδὲκ"
ἕτερον ἀνίστασθαι
"ἱερέα"
καὶ οὐ
"κατὰ τὴν τάξιν"
Ἀαρὼν λέγεσθαι;
One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when "Melchizedek met him." Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another "priest" to arise "after the order of Melchizedek," rather than one named "after the order" of Aaron?
§7.12μετατιθεμένης γὰρ τῆς ἱερωσύνης ἐξ ἀνάγκης καὶ νόμου μετάθεσις γίνεται.
For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well.
§7.13ἐφʼ ὃν γὰρ λέγεται ταῦτα φυλῆς ἑτέρας μετέσχηκεν, ἀφʼ ἧς οὐδεὶς προσέσχηκεν τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ·
For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar.
§7.14πρόδηλον γὰρ ὅτι ἐξ Ἰούδα ἀνατέταλκεν ὁ κύριος ἡμῶν, εἰς ἣν φυλὴν περὶ ἱερέων οὐδὲν Μωυσῆς ἐλάλησεν.
For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.
§7.15Καὶ περισσότερον ἔτι κατάδηλόν ἐστιν, εἰ
"κατὰ τὴν"
ὁμοιότητα
"Μελχισεδὲκ"
ἀνίσταται
"ἱερεὺς"
ἕτερος, §7.16ὃς οὐ κατὰ νόμον ἐντολῆς σαρκίνης γέγονεν ἀλλὰ κατὰ δύναμιν ζωῆς ἀκαταλύτου,
This becomes even more evident if another "priest" arises "after" the likeness of "Melchizedek," who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life.
§7.17μαρτυρεῖται γὰρ ὅτι
"Σὺ ἱερεὺς εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα κατὰ τὴν τάξιν Μελχισεδέκ. " §7.18ἀθέτησις μὲν γὰρ γίνεται προαγούσης ἐντολῆς διὰ τὸ αὐτῆς ἀσθενὲς καὶ ἀνωφελές, §7.19οὐδὲν γὰρ ἐτελείωσεν ὁ νόμος, ἐπεισαγωγὴ δὲ κρείττονος ἐλπίδος, διʼ ἧς ἐγγίζομεν τῷ θεῷ.
For it is witnessed of him, "You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek." For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness (for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.
§7.20Καὶ καθʼ ὅσον οὐ χωρὶς ὁρκωμοσίας, (οἱ μὲν γὰρ χωρὶς ὁρκωμοσίας εἰσὶν ἱερεῖς γεγονότες,
And it was not without an oath!
§7.21ὁ δὲ μετὰ ὁρκωμοσίας διὰ τοῦ λέγοντος πρὸς αἰτόν
"Ὤμοσεν Κύριος, καὶ οὐ μεταμεληθήσεται, Σὺ ἱερεὺς εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα,"
) §7.22κατὰ τοσοῦτο καὶ κρείττονος διαθήκης γέγονεν ἔγγυος Ἰησοῦς.
For those who formerly became priests did so without an oath, but this one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him: "The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, 'You are a priest forever.'" This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.
§7.23Καὶ οἱ μὲν πλείονές εἰσιν γεγονότες ἱερεῖς διὰ τὸ θανάτῳ κωλύεσθαι παραμένειν· §7.24ὁ δὲ διὰ τὸ μένειν αὐτὸν
"εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα"
ἀπαράβατον· ἔχει τὴν ἱερωσύνην· §7.25ὅθεν καὶ σώζειν εἰς τὸ παντελὲς δύναται τοὺς προσερχομένους διʼ αὐτοῦ τῷ θεῷ, πάντοτε ζῶν εἰς τὸ ἐντυγχάνειν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν.
The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues "forever." Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
§7.26Τοιοῦτος γὰρ ἡμῖν [καὶ] ἔπρεπεν ἀρχιερεύς, ὅσιος, ἄκακος, ἀμίαντος, κεχωρισμένος ἀπὸ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν, καὶ ὑψηλότερος τῶν οὐρανῶν γενόμενος·
For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.
§7.27ὃς οὐκ ἔχει καθʼ ἡμέραν ἀνάγκην, ὥσπερ οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς, πρότερον ὑπὲρ τῶν ἰδίων ἁμαρτιῶν θυσίας ἀναφέρειν, ἔπειτα τῶν τοῦ λαοῦ· (τοῦτο γὰρ ἐποίησεν ἐφάπαξ ἑαυτὸν ἀνενέγκας)·
He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.
§7.28ὁ νόμος γὰρ ἀνθρώπους καθίστησιν ἀρχιερεῖς ἔχοντας ἀσθένειαν, ὁ λόγος δὲ τῆς ὁρκωμοσίας τῆς μετὰ τὸν νόμον
"υἱόν, εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα"
τετελειωμένον.
For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a "Son" who has been made perfect "forever."