Hebrews 5:6
in Hebrews 5And in another passage God says: “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
as he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever After the order of Melchizedek.
KJV
As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
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This verse in Hebrews 5
Commentary
15 notes on this verseHe saith also in another place - That is, in Psa 110:4, a psalm of extraordinary importance, containing a very striking prediction of the birth, preaching, suffering, death, and conquests of the Messiah. See the notes on Psa 110:4. For the mode of quotation here, See the note on Heb 2:6. Thou art a priest for ever - As long as the sun and moon endure, Jesus will continue to be high priest to all the successive generations of men, as he was the lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
This site's exposition
Christ did not take upon Himself
on Hebrews 5:5-6
So also Christ did not take upon Himself the glory of becoming a high priest. The writer joins Psalm 2:7, cited at 1:5, to Psalm 110:4, a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek, the order chapter 7 explains.
This site's exposition
a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek
Bengel, cited by Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, notes that Christ is called simply a priest here, because he stands alone in that office. Melchizedek was man, priest and king at once. He stood outside the line of Abraham, which points to a Messiah for all nations.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
"As he says also in another place." The "And," as regards the sequence of the interpretation, is omitted. "according to the order of Melchizedek." This one first offered an unbloody sacrifice to God, bread and wine.
The reason is that Christ also offered an unbloody sacrifice, for first He offered this, and then later His own body. For this reason, it is accordingly said that Christ is a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
That Melchizedek was not anointed into the priesthood by oil, as Aaron, and that he did not offer sacrifices by blood, and that he was a high priest of the nations, and that he blessed Abraham with bread and wine.
The Apostle also mentions this passage, saying in the Epistle to the Hebrews: Even as Aaron, so Christ also glorified not himself to be made a high priest, but he that spake unto him, Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee; as …
"As He saith also in another place, Thou art a Priest forever after the order of Melchisedech." Unto whom now was this spoken? Who is "after the order of Melchisedech"? No other than He. For they all were under the Law, they all kept sabbaths, they all were circumcised; one could not point out any other than Him.
7 more voices on this verse
The Church Fathers1 voice
The meaning of the word is that if Christ himself did not offer an unbloody sacrifice (for he offered his own body), then those priests who are deemed worthy by God and the high priest will offer an unbloody sacrifice from him. For this indicates, …
The Medieval Church2 voices
What Christ everywhere said: "I am sent from God and have not come of Myself" (Jn. 8:42), the same thing Paul now points out, namely, that He was sent from God, and did not glorify Himself, but "He who said to Him," that is, He …
As man He also receives the high priesthood from God: as he says also in another place: 'You are a priest for ever according to the order of Melchizedech'. But the Apostle uses the authority of the Psalms as being more famous and more often …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
As he saith also in another place,....
Christ is here preferred to Aaron in the holiness of his person. Other priests were to offer up sacrifices, as for the sins of others, so for themselves,
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
"The order of Melchisedec" is explained in Heb 7:15, "the similitude of Melchisedec." The priesthood is similarly combined with His kingly office in Zec 6:13. Melchisedec was at once man, priest, and king. Paul's selecting as the type of Christ one not of the stock of Abraham, on which the Jews prided themselves, is an intimation of Messianic universalism.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
As he saith also in another place - Psa 110:4. “Thou art a priest forever.” It is evident here that the apostle means to be understood as saying that the Psalm referred to Christ, and this is one of the instances of quotation from the Old Testament respecting which there can be no doubt. Paul makes much of this argument in a subsequent part of this Epistle, Heb. 7 and reasons as if no one would deny that the Psalm had a reference to the Messiah. It is clear from this that the Psalm was understood by the Jews at that time to have such a reference, and that it was so universally admitted that no one would call it in question. That the Psalm refers to the Messiah has been the opinion of nearly all Christian commentators, and has been admitted by the Jewish Rabbis in general also. The “evidence” that it refers to the Messiah is such as the following: (1) It is a Psalm of David, and yet is spoken of one who was superior to him, and whom he calls his “Lord;” Heb 5:1. (2) It cannot be referred to Jehovah himself, for he is expressly Heb 5:1 distinguished from him who is here addressed. (3) It cannot be referred to anyone in the time of David, for there was no one to whom he would attribute this character of superiority but God. (4) For the same reason there was no one among his posterity, except the Messiah, to whom he would apply this language. (5) It is expressly ascribed by the Lord Jesus to himself; Mat 22:43-44. (6) The scope of the Psalm is such as to be applicable to the Messiah, and there is no part of it which would be inconsistent with such a reference. […]
The words behind it
14 Greek wordsEvery Greek 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.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καθὼς | kathos | even as | G2531 → | 182 times |
| καὶ | kai | also | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| ἑτέρῳ | hetero | another [place] | G2087 → | 97 times |
| λέγει· | legei | He says: | G3004 → | 1325 times |
| σὺ | su | You [are] | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| ἱερεὺς | hi'ereus | a priest | G2409 → | 30 times |
| εἰς | eis | to | G1519 → | 1755 times |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| αἰῶνα | aiona | age | G165 → | 121 times |
| κατὰ | kata | according to | G2596 → | 468 times |
| τὴν | ten | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| τάξιν | taxin | order | G5010 → | 9 times |
| Μελχισέδεκ. | melchisedek | of Melchizedek. | G3198 → | 8 times |
καθὼςeven as
kathosG2531 →182 times
καὶalso
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
ἑτέρῳanother [place]
heteroG2087 →97 times
λέγει·He says:
legeiG3004 →1325 times
σὺYou [are]
suG4771 →2973 times
ἱερεὺςa priest
hi'ereusG2409 →30 times
εἰςto
eisG1519 →1755 times
τὸνthe
tonG3588 →19766 times
αἰῶναage
aionaG165 →121 times
κατὰaccording to
kataG2596 →468 times
τὴνthe
tenG3588 →19766 times
τάξινorder
taxinG5010 →9 times
Μελχισέδεκ.of Melchizedek.
melchisedekG3198 →8 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 3 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 6:20
where Jesus our forerunner has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Genesis 14:18
Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine—since he was priest of God Most High—
- 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 7:17
Through
Hebrews 7:21but 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.’”
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.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 110:4
Through
Hebrews 7:3Without father or mother or genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God, he remains a priest for all time.
it leads to
- Exodus 6:20–27
And Amram married his father’s sister Jochebed, and she bore him Aaron and Moses. Amram lived 137 years.
- Hebrews 7:6
But Melchizedek, who did not trace his descent from Levi, collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises.
- Exodus 6:20–27
Where this verse is studied
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1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 13 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Cosmas Indicopleustes, The Christian Topography, Book 5; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentary on Hebrews; John Chrysostom, Homily on Hebrews 8; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, The Pseudo-Oecumenian Catena on Hebrews; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Hebrews and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Hebrews.