According to the work and ministry of Christ, this book has a turn at this verse, a turn from earth to heaven. To the end of ch. 6, what is revealed is mainly Christ's work on earth, typified by the priesthood of Aaron. That section is the word of foundation. From this verse, Christ's ministry in heaven according to the order of Melchisedec is unveiled. This section is the word of perfection, which shows us how the heavenly Christ ministers in the heavenly tabernacle. His purifying of sins is typified by the work of Aaron, while His sitting down on the right hand of the Majesty on high (Heb. 1:3) is according to the order of Melchisedec (Psa. 110:1, 4). His work on the cross on earth, typified by the work of Aaron, affords us forgiveness of sins. His ministry on the throne in heaven ministers to us the overcoming of sin. His cross delivered us out of Egypt; His throne brings us into Canaan. The Hebrew believers participated in His work on the cross. Now they had to press on to enter into the enjoyment of His ministry on the throne.

Melchisedec means king of righteousness, and king of Salem means king of peace (v. 2). As the King of righteousness (Isa. 32:1), Christ made all things right with God and made all things right with one another. Righteousness issues in peace (Isa. 32:17). As the King of peace (Isa. 9:6), Christ, through righteousness, brings in peace between God and us, and in such a peace He fulfills the ministry of His priesthood. He is the King who becomes the Priest; thus, His priesthood is kingly, royal (1 Pet. 2:9).

At the beginning of this chapter we have the King, and at the end we have the Son of God (v. 28), indicating that Christ as our High Priest is both kingly and divine. His kingship maintains a condition that is full of righteousness and peace that He may minister the processed Triune God to us for our enjoyment; His divinity as the Son of God constitutes Him a High Priest who is living and full of life that He may be able to continue His priesthood perpetually.

At the beginning of this chapter we have the King, and at the end we have the Son of God (v. 28), indicating that Christ as our High Priest is both kingly and divine. His kingship maintains a condition that is full of righteousness and peace that He may minister the processed Triune God to us for our enjoyment; His divinity as the Son of God constitutes Him a High Priest who is living and full of life that He may be able to continue His priesthood perpetually.

This was a transfer from the law of letters to the law of life, according to which Christ has been appointed a living and perpetual High Priest (v. 16).

Lit., has partaken of.

The Greek word carries the sense of sprung up, sprouted.

In the Old Testament, Levi was the tribe of the priests, and Judah was the tribe of the kings. The Lord descended from the tribe of Judah, causing a transfer in the priesthood and combining in one tribe the priesthood and the kingship (Zech. 6:13), as manifested in Melchisedec, who was both high priest and king (v. 1).

Or, indissoluble. Christ was appointed the High Priest not according to the powerless letters of law but according to the powerful element of an indestructible life, which nothing can dissolve. This life is endless, being the eternal, divine, uncreated life, and the resurrection life, which passed through the test of death and Hades (Acts 2:24; Rev. 1:18). It is by such a life that Christ ministers today as our High Priest. Hence, He is able to save us to the uttermost (v. 25).

The commandment, or the regulations, of the law concerning the Levitical priesthood was set aside because it was merely in letters and thus was weak. It was not a matter of life but was a dead commandment in letters; thus, it was unprofitable.

Because of the weakness of man, the law perfected nothing (Rom. 8:3).

Upon the position occupied by the commandment.

This better hope is the priesthood in an indestructible life (v. 16).

The Greek word means a guarantee, bondsman, sponsor, and is from the root word meaning a hand into which something is placed as a pledge, implying that the guarantee, the surety, cannot be unbound. Christ is not only the consummator of the new covenant; He is also the surety, the pledge that everything in that covenant will be fulfilled. That Christ has become the surety of a better covenant is based on the fact that He is the living and perpetual High Priest.

Or, completely, entirely, perfectly, to the end, and for eternity.

Christ as our High Priest undertakes our case by interceding for us. He appears before God on our behalf and prays for us that we may be saved and brought fully into God's eternal purpose.

In His ascension Christ passed through the heavens (Heb. 4:14), so that now He not only is in heaven (Heb. 9:24) but also is higher than the heavens, far above all the heavens (Eph. 4:10).

I.e., transferred from the order of Aaron to the order of Melchisedec (v. 11), from the priestly tribe of Levi to the kingly tribe of Judah (v. 14), and from men to the Son of God (v. 28), who is both the only begotten Son and the firstborn Son.

This book is focused on the heavenly Christ, and the chief point concerning this Christ is that He is a Priest not according to the order of Aaron but according to the order of Melchisedec. All the other aspects of Christ in the foregoing chapters, such as His being the Son of God, the Son of Man, the Author of salvation, the Apostle, and the real Joshua, are the necessary qualifications for Him to be such a Priest, a Priest who can minister to us whatever we need and save us to the uttermost.

This corresponds with the fact that all the human race sinned in Adam, since all the human race was in the loins of Adam when he sinned (Rom. 5:12).

Or, superior, better.

Or, inferior.

The fact that Melchisedec blessed Abraham testifies again that he is greater than Abraham (v. 7).

The fact that Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils testifies to the greatness of Melchisedec, who is a type of Christ. Christ, as a Priest according to the order of Melchisedec, is greater than the priests of the tribe of Levi, who offered tithes to Melchisedec through their father Abraham (v. 9), since they were in Abraham's loins when he met Melchisedec (v. 10).

For all the important persons in Genesis, except Melchisedec, there is a genealogy. In the divine writing, the Holy Spirit sovereignly gave no account of the beginning of Melchisedec's days or of the end of his life, that he might be a proper type of Christ as the eternal One, as our perpetual High Priest. This corresponds with the presentation of the Son of God in the Gospel of John. Being eternal, the Son of God has no genealogy (John 1:1). But as the Son of Man, Christ does have a genealogy (Matt. 1:1-17; Luke 3:23-38).

Perfected means brought to an end by being completed, implying to be made qualified. The Son of God here must be not just the only begotten Son but also the firstborn Son, who has been perfected forever through His incarnation, human living, death, and resurrection. Now He is completely perfected, equipped, and qualified to be our divine High Priest.