Who was Melchizedek?

Bible People & HistoryIn theological review

The short answer

Melchizedek was a king of Salem and priest of God Most High who appears once in Genesis, blessing Abraham after a battle and receiving a tenth from him, and who is then almost never mentioned again until Psalm 110 and the book of Hebrews. Hebrews presents him as a real historical figure whose unique combination of kingship and priesthood, with no recorded genealogy or death, foreshadows the eternal priesthood of Jesus.

The fuller answer

Melchizedek walks into the Bible without introduction in Genesis 14. Abraham, then still called Abram, had rescued his nephew Lot from a coalition of kings, and on his return the king of Sodom came out to meet him. With him came Melchizedek, king of Salem, traditionally identified with Jerusalem, who was also priest of God Most High. He brought out bread and wine, blessed Abraham in God's name, and blessed God for the victory. Abraham responded by giving him a tenth of everything taken in the battle. Then Melchizedek disappears from the narrative as suddenly as he arrived, and Genesis never mentions him again or explains where his priesthood came from.

Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine—since he was priest of God Most High—

Genesis 14:18 (BSB)

His name and city carry meaning the text seems to intend. Melchizedek combines the Hebrew words for king and righteousness, and Salem means peace, so Hebrews later calls him king of righteousness and king of peace. He is remarkable in his setting: a priest of the true God outside Abraham's family line, before Aaron, Levi or the temple existed, holding kingship and priesthood together in one single person, something the law of Moses later kept strictly apart in Israel for very good reasons. David's Psalm 110, addressed to a coming royal figure, suddenly revives him after centuries of silence, declaring that figure a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.

The LORD has sworn and will not change His mind: “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”

Psalm 110:4 (BSB)

Hebrews chapters 5 to 7 are the interpreting text, and they should be read whole rather than in fragments. Hebrews stresses what Genesis does not record: no father or mother, no genealogy, no beginning of days or end of life is given for Melchizedek, so in the record he appears as if without beginning or end, and in that literary silence he resembles the Son of God. Hebrews is not claiming he was uncreated or Jesus appearing early; it argues from his greatness, that Abraham paid him tithes and received his blessing, to show a priesthood older and greater than Aaron's. On that basis Jesus, from Judah rather than Levi, holds an indestructible, unending priesthood that Melchizedek only foreshadowed.

Sources

Berean Standard Bible (BSB)

Review status: in-theological-review. Every Contend page passes a human theological review against the Statement of Faith before it is published as approved teaching. This section is in that queue.

Dig deeper

No answer here is a dead end. Follow the question on, test it in practice, or work the method yourself on the Dig deeper page.

Who was Abraham?Abraham was the man God called out of Mesopotamia to become the father of a new nation, Israel, and the ancestor of Jesus. Genesis 12 to 25 tells his story: God promised him land, countless descendants and blessing for all nations through his family, and Abraham believed God, wandered as a stranger, stumbled at times, and held on to the promise for the rest of his life.Why did Jesus have to die?Because sin is real, God is holy, and forgiveness is not the same as pretending. Isaiah said the Servant would be pierced for our transgressions and bear our iniquities. Paul says God proved his love in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. The cross is where God's justice and God's love meet without either one being set aside.What is the difference between the Old and New Testaments?The difference is covenant, not importance or truth: the Old Testament records God's old covenant with Israel, with its law, sacrifices, and promises, while the New Testament records the new covenant Jesus established, in which those promises are fulfilled. The word testament itself is the older English word for covenant, a binding agreement God makes and keeps.Who was Moses?Moses was the Hebrew prophet who led Israel out of slavery in Egypt, received the Law of God at Mount Sinai, and led the people through forty years in the wilderness to the edge of the promised land. The Bible's verdict on him is unmatched for an Old Testament figure: no prophet has arisen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face.Bible Character: AbrahamThe father of Israel, who believed God's promise when it looked impossible, and whose faith was counted as righteousness.On the map: JerusalemFind it in the Lands of the Bible, with the verses that place it there.