To whom also Abraham divided the tithes of all: who first indeed by interpretation is king of justice: and then also king of Salem, that is, king of peace:
ω και δεκατην απο παντων εμερισεν αβρααμ πρωτον μεν ερμηνευομενος βασιλευς δικαιοσυνης επειτα δε και βασιλευς σαλημ ο εστιν βασιλευς ειρηνης
11 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Then also king of Salem, from the name of the city, that is, king of peace, because Salem has this meaning. This again refers to Christ, because He made us righteous and made peace in heaven and on earth. Who among men is king of righteousness and peace? No one. Only our Lord Jesus Christ is such. See Heb 7:3.
“To whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything.” He shows that Melchizedek, who was a type of Christ, was superior to Abraham. If he had not been superior, he would not have blessed him and would not have received a tithe from him. Since the priests of the Law came from Abraham, it is clear that Melchizedek is superior to them also. In a sense he blessed them and received a tithe from them when he blessed their forefather and received a tithe from him. If Melchizedek, the type of Christ, differs so greatly from the priests of the Law, how much more does the true Melchizedek, Christ? This is the general meaning of the passage.
Having briefly set forth the narrative about Melchizedek (Gen 14:18-20), he then proceeds to examine it, interpreting the history of Melchizedek spiritually and mystically. “First, by interpretation, king of righteousness.” Here he shows in what sense Melchizedek is a type of Christ. First of all, he says, learn the true meaning from the name itself. “Melchi” means king, and “zedek” means righteousness. Who then is king of righteousness, if not our Lord Jesus Christ? “And then also king of Salem, which is, king of peace.” This is clear also from the name of the city, he says. For Salem, by interpretation, means “peace.” Who else is king of peace, if not Christ, Who reconciled things in heaven and things on earth? The name “king of righteousness and peace” befits no man, but Christ alone.
Perhaps someone, especially one desiring Christian instruction, will ask who Melchizedek was. Some, having senselessly fallen into empty talk and paying little heed to the customs of God-inspired Scripture, invent various opinions about him.
Some say that the Holy Spirit met the victorious Abraham, appearing to him alone in a vision and only in human form. Others reason differently. Fearing, I think, the absurdity into which that opinion falls, they assert that this was a glorious and excellent power from among the angels.
But their idle and contemptible mind, as it seems, led them to this opinion. Since, they say, Salem means peace, and Melchizedek is called king of Salem, he should not be understood as a man, but as the Spirit.
Peace belongs to God, and He alone is the ruler of peace. They add this: if he has "neither beginning of days nor end of life" (Heb 7:3), would it not be folly to ascribe beginninglessness and endlessness to a man?
Therefore, they say, the Spirit must be understood by him. Although he is likened to the Son of the Most High, they say, he nevertheless remains a priest forever. How then shall we not regard Melchizedek in every respect as not a man?
Then, weaving other considerations onto these, they think they establish the truth, though I do not know on what basis. We must say what comes to mind, setting against their suppositions the best and correct view.
First of all, if they wish to think correctly, the city, as they themselves admit, is Salem. Yet Melchizedek was not its first and only king. In any case there were many others, some before him and some after him.
If anyone thinks we speak falsely, let him go and show Melchizedek still reigning in Salem. There is only one city in Judea, in all likelihood renamed Jerusalem. This name also means vision of peace.
But no one can prove this. It would therefore be unreasonable, on the basis of the interpretation of names, to dare to abolish what is clear and acknowledged.
That this is unreasonable, and that speech on this matter would be full of folly, we shall easily see by considering the following. Jerusalem, as I recently said, means vision of peace, or one rising above death. Israel means a mind that sees God. Judah means praise and hymnody.
Yet Sacred Scripture clearly proclaims how many impious and vile kings there were in Jerusalem over Israel and Judah over time. Therefore an earthly king could not be king of the vision of peace, praise and hymnody, or of the mind that sees God.
Nor is it even fitting for a man, on the basis of the interpretation of names, to say that the kings who reigned over time are shadows and figures, and not men at all, but rather the Spirit, as is said of Melchizedek.
That the force of names or interpretations in no way compels one to acknowledge in them the very nature of the things may be learned from what follows.
Would not someone think, or rather in every way regard it as true, that if Jerusalem is vision of peace, Christ must be understood by it? For He is our peace, according to Scripture (Eph 2:14).
Yet Jerusalem did not see with the eyes of the mind Him through whom "we have access" and are joined in spiritual unity to the Father (Eph 2:18). He "made both one" and created the two peoples into one new man (Eph 2:14-15).
How then is Jerusalem the vision of peace, if it did not see Christ? And if it is one rising above death, that is, excelling and higher than it, how did that wretched city perish for unbelief in Christ?
Christ Himself cried to the Jews, saying: "Truly I say to you, you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins" (Jn 8:24, 34).
And if Israel means a mind that sees God, why did it not see the glory of Christ, through whom and in whom we have known the Father? Why is it seized by darkness?
Why is it said of Israel and its guides: "Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind" (Mt 15:14)? What blindness can be implied in a mind that sees God?
Therefore it would be a sign of complete ignorance to ascribe the force of names to the things themselves in every way and in every case.
Thus, I think, absolutely nothing prevents us from rightly and properly considering Melchizedek a man who reigned at a certain time in Salem, even if that name means peace.
Paul, trained in the Law, speaks with the Jews not from simple considerations, but from the writings of Moses. Even unwillingly, those who were accustomed to fight against the truth had to yield to them.
Therefore he takes Melchizedek as a likeness and prefiguration of Christ, calling him king "of righteousness and peace." This can fittingly belong only to Him who, in the mystical sense, is Emmanuel.
He appeared as the cause and distributor of righteousness and peace for those on earth. In Him we have been justified (Rom 5:1; 1 Cor 6:11), having cast away the burden of sin.
We also have peace with the Father and God, having been washed from the impurity of conduct that stood between Him and us and separated us from Him. We are, as it were, united with Him through the Spirit.
For it is said: "He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit" (1 Cor 6:17). Thus, translated into Greek, "Melchi" means king, and "Sedek" means righteousness.
Anyone can see that Melchizedek, by his own name and by the force of its meaning, is "king of righteousness." By the title "king of Salem," he is "king of peace."
Thus, on the basis of a clear and evident likeness in Melchizedek, the divine Paul applied the same likeness also to Christ.
Having received the word of promise, Abraham migrated and settled in another place in the same land, by the oak of Mamre, which was in Hebron. Then, when five kings waged war against four, and in this war the enemies defeated the Sodomites and took Lot captive, Abraham took with him 318 of his household servants and freed him from captivity. He granted victory to the kings of Sodom and was unwilling to take anything from the spoil offered to him by the king for whom he had won the victory. But then he received a public blessing from Melchizedek, who was priest of the Most High God (Gen 14:18). Much is written about this in the Epistle to the Hebrews, which is considered the work of the Apostle Paul, though some do not acknowledge it as such.
In this event, Christians now offer to God throughout the whole world. What was said much later through the prophet to Christ, Who was to come in the flesh, has been fulfilled: “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek” (Ps 109:4). Not according to the order, that is, of Aaron, for the order of Aaron had to pass away once the very realities appeared which had been prefigured by those shadows. See Gen 13 and Gen 14.
The one who prays according to the teaching of the prayer, “May Your kingdom come” upon him (Mt 6:10), knows that the true King is the “King of righteousness and peace.” Therefore he will surely display righteousness and peace in his own life, so that the “King of righteousness and peace” may rule over him, as he asks. Consequently, every virtue is understood as the army of the King. For under the names “righteousness and peace,” I think, all the virtues must be understood. Therefore, if someone leaves the ranks of the royal army and enters the army of foreigners, becoming a soldier of the inventor of evil, he has stripped himself of the breastplate of righteousness (Eph 6:14) and the full armor of peace.
How then will he be received into the ranks of the King of peace, when he has become a contemptible deserter from the truth? Clearly, the mark on his armor will show who reigns over him. In our case, instead of an image inscribed on weapons, the commander is imprinted in the qualities of a man’s life. How blessed is the one who stands in the ranks of the divine army, is found in the order of the thousands, and is armed against evil with the virtues, which signify the image of the King upon the one clothed in them.
Such is also the meaning of the very name Melchizedek, that is, king of righteousness and king of peace; cf. Gen 14:18. The Apostle proves that in his very name the mystery of the grace and righteousness of the Son, the Lord of Melchizedek, was prefigured. That Melchizedek was Shem, the son of Noah. That he existed in the days of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is shown, as some think, by the book of Genesis. That he dwelt in Salem as his own inheritance is revealed from the allotments of those tribes that inherited the land of the house of Ham (Gen 10:1).
The Apostle seems to speak narratively, but by this he prepares what is needed for his intended purpose. For this reason he presents the patriarch Abraham as receiving a blessing and bringing a tithe from the spoils, in order to show that the patriarch yields in every respect to the type. Then, by the names of Melchizedek, he proves his greatness. “First, by interpretation, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is, king of peace.” This name, Melchizedek, in the Hebrew and Syriac language means “king of righteousness.” This same Melchizedek reigned in Salem, and Salem is interpreted “peace.” Thus the Apostle wishes by this to prove that Melchizedek is a type of the Master Christ. For He, according to the Apostle’s word, “is our peace” (Eph 2:14). He is called by the Prophet “our righteousness” (Jer 33:15).
“To whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of everything” (Gen 14:18-20). That is, the tenth part of all the spoils of war. Having briefly set forth everything belonging to this historical account, the Apostle examines each part of the account of Melchizedek separately and discerns in each a mystical meaning. “First, by interpretation, king of righteousness,” according to his name. The name “Melchizedek” means this very thing. “Melchi” means king, and “zedek” means righteousness. “And then also king of Salem, which is, king of peace.” Salem was the city in which Melchizedek was king, and it means “peace.” Who else could properly be called King of righteousness and peace, if not the true Lord Jesus Christ? He is the fountain of righteousness, justifying those who believe in Him. He has made peace among those at enmity and has granted us peace with God and with one another.
Salem means peace, where our Savior is king, since Moses says that Melchizedek is king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who gave bread and wine, food that serves as an image of the Eucharist. Melchizedek means righteous king, since his name is composed of the words righteousness and peace.
The first question with whose resolution the holy Apostle begins to unfold his teaching on the high priesthood of Christ is this: why is Christ called priest according to the order not of some Old Testament man, but specifically of Melchizedek? The words of the first three verses of chapter seven serve as the answer to this. “For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him; to him also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all” (Heb 7:1-2). The meaning of the apostolic answer is that Melchizedek, mentioned in the history of Abraham, was in his life and in the circumstances surrounding his person an exact prefiguration in the Old Covenant of Jesus Christ, the supreme Priest.
What typological features were in Melchizedek? The Apostle speaks of this further on. He notes five such features: first, the very name Melchizedek, “king of righteousness”; second, that he was king of Salem, “king of peace”; third, that he was priest of the Most High God; fourth, that when he came out to meet Abraham, he blessed him; and fifth, that Abraham gave him a tithe from the best of his spoils. The Apostle dwells with special attention on the fifth, the fourth, and especially the third circumstance. Before doing so, he mentions certain extraordinary qualities of Melchizedek independently of the biblical account concerning him.
In explaining the title of Jesus Christ as high priest according to the order of Melchizedek, the Apostle first gives brief information about Melchizedek himself from Genesis (Gen 14:18-20). He also gives typological meaning to the facts reported about him.
First, the Apostle sees special significance in the very name Melchizedek, since Malkizedek in Hebrew means king of righteousness. He treats in the same way the name of the city where Melchizedek lived. King of Salem, the Apostle says, means king of peace.
By this the Apostle wishes to indicate in Melchizedek a type of Jesus Christ. According to the prophets, Christ was to be not only righteous (Zech 9:9; Jer 23:5), but also the mediator of justification (Jer 23:6; 33:15; Mal 4:2; Dan 9:24) and the prince of peace (Isa 9:5-6; Mic 4:3).
Then, in the silence of Holy Scripture about Melchizedek's origin and end, the Apostle again sees a typological meaning in relation to the person of Jesus Christ. Accurate genealogies were kept for the Jewish priests, to prove that they belonged to Aaron's line and had the right to priestly service.
Therefore the Apostle dwells with special attention on the fact that, although no such genealogy is given for Melchizedek, he is nevertheless acknowledged as a priest by the forefather of the people of God.
Thus Melchizedek, in everything said and not said about him in Holy Scripture, is made like, άφωμοίωμένος, the Son of God. That is, traits are transferred to him from the Son of God, the eternal High Priest, to make him a type of the Son of God in His high priesthood.
This Melchizedek, ουτος 6 Μελ/ΐ33θέκ, is not the historical king of Salem who met Abraham and blessed him. It is Melchizedek as Moses described him, that is, as a type of the Son of God. He remains a priest continually, without ceasing or changing his priestly service, and without handing it on to anyone else.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 21 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS