New International Version
Hebrews 7:3
3Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.
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.
- 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)There is no record of his father or mother or any of his ancestors—no beginning or end to his life. He remains a priest forever, resembling the Son of God.
Context of Hebrews 7:3
1This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, 2and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever. 4Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder! 5Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people—that is, from their fellow Israelites—even though they also are descended from Abraham.
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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