Genesis 14:18
in Genesis 14Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine—since he was priest of God Most High—
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was priest of God Most High.
KJV
And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.
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This verse in Genesis 14
Commentary
7 notes on this verseBut one who is victorious should not claim the victory for himself; rather, he should attribute it to God. This is the teaching of Abraham, who became more humble, not more proud, in victory. Indeed, he offered a sacrifice and gave tithes; for this reason too, he received the blessing of Melchizedek, which means in translation "king of justice, king of peace." He was indeed the priest of the most high God.
This site's exposition
Melchizedek king of Salem
Melchizedek arrives with no father, mother or genealogy. Genesis is built on genealogies and gives him none, and Hebrews 7 rests its case on that silence. He is the first priest named in Scripture, and he brings out bread and wine as priest of God Most High. Psalm 110:4 swears a priesthood after his order, and Henry reads him as a Christophany, an appearance of Christ before the incarnation, while Clarke reads him as a Canaanite king.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
This he did as a king, teaching us to do good and to communicate, and to be given to hospitality, according to our ability; and representing the spiritual provisions of strength and comfort which Christ has laid up for us in the covenant of grace for our refreshment, when we are wearied with our spiritual conflicts.
And how came he to settle in Canaan? Many Christian writers have thought that this was an appearance of the Son of God himself, our Lord Jesus, known to Abram, at this time, by this name, as, afterwards, Hagar called him by another name, ch. xvi. He appeared to him as a righteous king, owning a righteous cause, and giving peace.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
And Melchizedek, king of Salem - A thousand idle stories have been told about this man, and a thousand idle conjectures spent on the subject of his short history given here and in Heb. vii. At present it is only necessary to state that he appears to have been as real a personage as Bera, Birsha, or Shinab, though we have no more of his genealogy than we have of theirs.
on Genesis 14:18-20
What a splendid type is Abram, in the narrative before us, of our Lord Jesus Christ! Let us read this story of Abram in connection with our Savior and see how full of meaning it is. Our Lord Jesus Christ, in the abundance of His love, had taken us to be His brothers. But we, through our sin, had gone into the land of Sodom and Jesus Christ dwelt alone in His safety and His happiness, enjoying the Presence of God. The hosts of our enemies, with terrible force and cruel fury, carried us away captives.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Melchizedek--This victory conferred a public benefit on that part of the country; and Abram, on his return, was treated with high respect and consideration, particularly by the king of Sodom and Melchizedek, who seems to have been one of the few native princes, if not the only one, who knew and worshipped, "the most high God," whom Abram served.
The words behind it
11 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּמַלְכִּי־ | umalki- | and Melchi- | H4442 → | |
| צֶ֙דֶק֙ | tzedek | -zedek | H4442 → | |
| מֶ֣לֶךְ | melekh | [the] king of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| שָׁלֵ֔ם | shalem | Salem | H8004 → | |
| הוֹצִ֖יא | hotzi' | he brought out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| לֶ֣חֶם | lechem | bread | H3899 → | 298 times |
| וָיָ֑יִן | vayayin | and wine | H3196 → | 141 times |
| וְה֥וּא | vehu' | and he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| כֹהֵ֖ן | khohen | [was] a priest | H3548 → | 750 times |
| לְאֵ֥ל | leel | of God | H410 → | 241 times |
| עֶלְיֽוֹן׃ | elyon | Most High | H5945 → | 53 times |
וּמַלְכִּי־and Melchi-
umalki-H4442 →
צֶ֙דֶק֙-zedek
tzedekH4442 →
מֶ֣לֶךְ[the] king of
melekhH4428 →2525 times
שָׁלֵ֔םSalem
shalemH8004 →
הוֹצִ֖יאhe brought out
hotzi'H3318 →1067 times
לֶ֣חֶםbread
lechemH3899 →298 times
וָיָ֑יִןand wine
vayayinH3196 →141 times
וְה֥וּאand he
vehu'H1931 →1879 times
כֹהֵ֖ן[was] a priest
khohenH3548 →750 times
לְאֵ֥לof God
leelH410 →241 times
עֶלְיֽוֹן׃Most High
elyonH5945 →53 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 110:4The LORD has sworn and will not change His mind: “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”
it leads to
- Hebrews 7:17
For it is testified: “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Hebrews 5:6
And in another passage God says: “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Hebrews 7:21
but Jesus became 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.’”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Hebrews 7:11
Now if perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood (for on this basis the people received the law), why was there still need for another priest to appear—one in the order of…
- Hebrews 7:28
For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.
- Hebrews 7:17
Through
Hebrews 5:6And in another passage God says: “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”
it leads to
- Psalms 110:4
The LORD has sworn and will not change His mind: “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”
- Psalms 110:4
Through
Hebrews 6:20where Jesus our forerunner has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.
it leads to
- Hebrews 4:14
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we profess.
- Hebrews 3:1
Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, set your focus on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess.
- Hebrews 4:14
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Genesis
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Ambrose of Milan, On Abraham; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 589: “Jesus Meeting His Warriors” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.