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Hebrews 6:20
Whither the forerunner is for us entered,even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

Genesis 14:18-20
And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and hewas the priest of the most high God…

Salem.

Psalm 76:2
In Salem also is his tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Zion.

the most.

Psalm 57:2
I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performethall things for me.

Psalm 78:35,56
And they remembered that Godwas their rock, and the high God their redeemer…

Daniel 4:2
I thought it good to shew the signs and wonders that the high God hath wrought toward me.

the slaughter.

Genesis 16:14-16
Wherefore the well was called Beerlahairoi; behold,it is between Kadesh and Bered…

Isaiah 41:2,3
Who raised up the righteousman from the east, called him to his foot, gave the nations before him, and madehim rule over kings? he gavethem as the dust to his sword,and as driven stubble to his bow…

was king of Salem
Salem is traditionally identified with Jerusalem, a city of great significance throughout biblical history. The name "Salem" means "peace," and Melchizedek's role as king of Salem prefigures Christ's role as the Prince of Peace. Jerusalem later becomes the central place of worship for the Israelites, housing the Temple where sacrifices were made.

and priest of God Most High
Melchizedek is unique in that he is both a king and a priest, a dual role that was uncommon in Israelite tradition, where the monarchy and priesthood were separate. This dual role foreshadows Jesus Christ, who is both King and High Priest. The title "God Most High" (El Elyon) emphasizes the supreme sovereignty of God, a theme that runs throughout Scripture.

He met Abraham
The meeting between Melchizedek and Abraham is significant as it establishes Melchizedek's authority and his recognition by Abraham, the patriarch of Israel. This encounter is a pivotal moment that underscores the importance of Melchizedek's priesthood, which is not based on lineage or law but on divine appointment.

returning from the slaughter of the kings
This refers to the events inGenesis 14, where Abraham rescues his nephew Lot and defeats the coalition of kings. This victory demonstrates God's favor and blessing upon Abraham, and it sets the stage for his encounter with Melchizedek, who acknowledges Abraham's success and God's role in it.

and blessed him
Melchizedek's blessing of Abraham is significant because it shows his spiritual authority and the recognition of God's work in Abraham's life. In biblical tradition, the greater blesses the lesser, indicating Melchizedek's superior spiritual status. This blessing prefigures the blessings that come through Christ, who is a priest in the order of Melchizedek, as stated inHebrews 7:17.

- Scripture first introduces him inGenesis 14:18–20, presenting a real, historical man who steps onto the scene without genealogy or recorded death, and yet the text treats his ministry as legitimate and enduring (Psalm 110:4;Hebrews 6:20).

- His appearance foreshadows Christ, who likewise holds a priesthood not rooted in Levi but in divine appointment.

- Melchizedek’s very name anticipates Jesus—the “King of Righteousness” (Hebrews 7:2).

- Salem, later known as Jerusalem (Psalm 76:2), is already marked out as God’s city in Abraham’s day.

- As king, Melchizedek rules a place associated with peace, prefiguring the Prince of Peace who will one day reign from the same locale (Isaiah 9:6–7;Zechariah 14:9).

- Notice how God intertwines rulership and worship in one person—something Israel would not experience again until Christ (Revelation 19:16).

- Long before the Law, God appoints a priest outside the Levitical line, showing that true mediation with Him predates and ultimately surpasses the Mosaic system (Hebrews 7:11–12).

- Melchizedek serves “God Most High” (Genesis 14:18), affirming monotheistic worship in a polytheistic era.

- By combining king and priest, he previews Jesus, who eternally unites both offices (Hebrews 5:6; 7:17).

- After rescuing Lot, Abraham declines the spoils of war (Genesis 14:21–24), underscoring that victory came from the Lord, not from earthly alliances (Psalm 144:1–2).

- God orchestrates the meeting so that the patriarch of Israel honors a priest whose order is greater than Levi’s, demonstrating God’s sovereign plan to replace the temporary with the superior (Hebrews 8:6).

-Genesis 14:19 records the blessing: “‘Blessed be Abram by God Most High…’.” The blessing acknowledges God as both Source and Deliverer.

-Hebrews 7:6–7 comments, “the lesser is blessed by the greater,” showing that Abraham, and thus the nation descending from him, bows to a higher priesthood.

- Abraham’s immediate response—giving a tenth of everything (Genesis 14:20;Hebrews 7:2)—models worshipful gratitude, not legal obligation, centuries before tithing became codified.

Melchizedek appears briefly yet powerfully: a historical king-priest ruling in peace, worshiping the Most High, blessing Abraham, and receiving honor from him. His unique role points straight to Jesus, the ultimate Priest-King whose eternal ministry secures righteousness and peace for all who trust Him.

JESUS THE HIGH PRIEST AFTER THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK.

(1)For this Melchisedec.--The sentence is completed in the last words ofHebrews 7:3, . . . "abideth a priest continually;" the connection with the last chapter, therefore, is very clear. Of Melchizedek we know nothing beyond what we learn from the brief narrative of Genesis 14. A Jewish legend, preserved in the later Targums on the Pentateuch, but not in the Targum of Onkelos, identifies him with the patriarch Shem; and many conjectures of a later date (stimulated by the remarkable language of these verses) have been far wilder in their extravagance. It may be that the result of these speculations has been to invest this chapter with a mystery which does not belong to it. The object of the writer is, in reality, very simple--to deal with the question, What is the import of the divine utterance that David's Lord is a "Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek"? Not to take up the history of Melchizedek and allegorise each part, but to point out the full meaning of the comparison made in the prophecy, which declares the priesthood of the future King to be "after the order of Melchizedek--i.e.,to be such as the priesthood of Melchizedek typically set forth. The first part of this sentence (Hebrews 7:1-2, as far as ". . . tenth part of all") enumerates the known facts of the history of Melchizedek; the following clauses are occupied with the interpretation of the history, and with inferences from it. Of the facts recorded in Genesis none are passed over, except the gift of bread and wine; the blessing also is mentioned in general terms only. The language of the LXX. is, as a rule, closely followed throughout.

King of Salem.--Jewish tradition affirms strongly that this Salem occupied the site on which Jerusalem afterwards stood; and certainly Salem is a poetic name of Jerusalem (Psalm 76:2). This tradition, found in Josephus and in the earliest of the Targums, agrees well with the circumstances of the narrative as far as we can follow them, and seems to deserve acceptance. Jerome maintained that Salem was situated near Scythopolis, where in his day were pointed out ruins of "Melchizedek's palace." Another tradition (probably of Samaritan origin) makes Mount Gerizim the place of meeting, in which case the city of Melchizedek would probably be near Shechem.

The most high God.--A title characteristic of the narrative (Genesis 14:18-20;Genesis 14:22). Melchizedek is the first who in Scripture is spoken of as priest, and the name is given without explanation. As in the earliest times this office was held by the head of a family (Job 1), it is not remarkable to find a union of regal and sacerdotal functions in the same man. . . .