EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Hebrews 7:3
3Nobody wrote down that Melchizedek had a father or a mother. Nobody wrote down that he had any ancestors. Nobody wrote about when he was born or when he died. In that way, it seems like Melchizedek was a priest for ever. He is like the Son of God who continues to be a priest for all time.
Hebrews 7:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.
- English Standard Version (ESV)He is without father or mother or genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he continues a priest forever.
- New King James Version (NKJV)without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually.
Context of Hebrews 7:3
1Melchizedek was the king of a city called Salem. He was also a priest of God who rules over all. Melchizedek met Abraham when Abraham was returning from a war. Abraham's men had just won a battle against four kings with their armies. At that time, Melchizedek asked God to bless Abraham. 2Abraham gave Melchizedek a tenth part of everything that he had won in the fight. The name ‘Melchizedek’ means ‘king of everything that is right’. His other name, ‘king of Salem’, means ‘king of peace’. Nobody wrote down that Melchizedek had a father or a mother. Nobody wrote down that he had any ancestors. Nobody wrote about when he was born or when he died. In that way, it seems like Melchizedek was a priest for ever. He is like the Son of God who continues to be a priest for all time. 4So think about how great this man, Melchizedek, was! Even Abraham, the ancestor of all Israel's people, gave gifts to Melchizedek. Abraham gave him a tenth part of everything that he had won in the fight. 5Men from Levi's family group who become priests receive gifts from their own people. God's Law says that the people must give the Levite priests a tenth part of what they have. But the priests and the other people are all Israelites. They all come from Abraham's family.
Read all of Hebrews 7Hebrews 7:3 word by word
ἀπάτωρ, ἀμήτωρ, ἀγενεαλόγητος, μήτε ἀρχὴν ἡμερῶν, μήτε ζωῆς τέλος ἔχων, ἀφωμοιωμένος δὲ τῷ υἱῷ τοῦ θεοῦ μένει ἱερεὺς εἰς τὸ διηνεκές.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Without fatherἀπάτωρapatōr · fatherlessG540
- without motherἀμήτωρamētōr · motherlessG282
- without descentἀγενεαλόγητοςagenealogētos · without genealogyG35
- havingἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
- neitherμήτεmēte · neitherG3383
- beginningἀρχήarchē · beginningG746
- of daysἡμέραhēmera · dayG2250
- endτέλοςtelos · goal/taxG5056
- of lifeζωήzōē · lifeG2222
- butδέde · thenG1161
- made likeἀφομοιόωaphomoioō · to make likeG871
- unto the Sonὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- unto the Sonυἱόςuihos · sonG5207
- of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- abidethμένωmenō · to stayG3306
- a priestἱερεύςhiereus · priestG2409
- ·εἰςeis · towardG1519
- continuallyδιηνεκήςdiēnekes · perpetualG1336
Cross-references for Hebrews 7:3
Commentaries on Hebrews 7:3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Without father, without mother - The object of the apostle, in thus producing the example of Melchisedec, was to show, That Jesus was the person prophesied of in the 110th Psalm; which psalm the Jews uniformly understood as predicting the Messiah. To answer the objections of the Jews against the legitimacy of the priesthood of Christ, taken from the stock from which he proceeded. The objection is this: If the Messiah is to be a true priest, he must come…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3Without father - The phrase “without father” - ̓́ apatōr- means literally one who has no father; one who has lost his father; one who is an orphan. Then it denotes one who is born after the death of his father; then one whose father is unknown - “spurious. Passow.” The word occurs often in these senses in the classic writers, for numerous examples of which the reader may consult Wetstein in loc. It is morally certain, however, that the apostle did not…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3We have no record of Melchizedek’s family, which is important because the Levitical priesthood required ancestry. He seems to appear from nowhere, as if his life has no beginning or end. The author interprets Genesis 14:17–20 with Psalm 110:4, seeing Melchizedek as symbolizing an eternal priesthood. He remains a priest forever, unlike a Levite whose priesthood ends at death (Hebrews 7:8, 23). like the Son of God: Melchizedek was not an Old Testament…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. Without father, &c.--explained by "without genealogy" (so the Greek is for "without descent); compare He 7:6, that is, his genealogy is not known, whereas a Levitical priest could not dispense with the proof of his descent. having neither beginning of days nor end of life--namely, history not having recorded his beginning nor end, as it has the beginning and end of Aaron. The Greek idiom expressed by "without father," &c., one whose parentage was…Read the comment
Topics related to Hebrews 7:3
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Hebrews 7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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