Hebrews 7:2

Then Abraham gave to him one tenth of all the spoils he took after winning the battle. Melchizedek’s name means firstly ‘king who rules righteously’, and since Salem means ‘peace’, he was the ‘king who rules peacefully’.

Translation for Translators

In The King James Version

To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;

In Context

1Now I will say more about this man Melchizedek. He was the king of Salem city and was a priest of God, the one who is greater than anyone else. He met Abraham who was returning home after he and his men had defeated the armies of four kings [SYN]. Melchizedek asked God to bless Abraham.

3In the Scriptures there is no record of who his father was, nor is there any record of who his mother was, nor is there any record of who his ancestors were. There is no record of when he was born, nor is there any record of when he died. For these reasons, it is as though he continues to be a priest forever, and for this reason he is like God’s Son.

Read all of Hebrews 7

Cross References

Genesis 28:22This stone that I have set up will mark the place where people can worship you. And I will give back to you a tenth of everything that you give to me.”

Numbers 18:21“Then the Israeli people bring to me a tenth of all the crops and of their newborn animals, I will give that to you descendants of Levi. That will be your payment for the work you do at the Sacred Tent.

1 Samuel 8:17He will take one tenth of your sheep and goats. And you will become his slaves!

2 Samuel 23:3God, the one whom we Israeli people worship, has spoken; the one who protects us Israeli people said to me, ‘Kings who rule people justly have an awesome respect for me, God.

1 Chronicles 22:9But you will have a son who will be king of Israel after you die. He will be a man who is peaceful and quiet, not a man who kills others. And I will cause that there will be peace between him and his enemies who are in all the nearby lands. His name will be Solomon, which sounds like the word for peace. During the time that he is king, people in Israel will be peaceful and safe.

Psalms 72:1O God, enable me, the king whom you appointed in Israel, to rule justly. Show/Teach me how to judge matters fairly

Matthew Henry on Hebrews 7:2-11

Melchisedec's Priesthood. ( a. d. 62.) 1 For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; 2 To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; 3 Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually. 4 Now… Read the whole commentary →

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