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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width; initial-scale=1.0; maximum-scale=1.0; user-scalable=0;"/><title>Hebrews 7 New American Bible</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/hebrews/7.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="/bmcc/hebrews/7-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com/catholic">Bible</a> > <a href="../">NABRE</a> > Hebrews 7</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../hebrews/6.htm" title="Hebrews 6">◄</a> Hebrews 7 <a href="../hebrews/8.htm" title="Hebrews 8">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top">New American Bible Revised Edition</td><td width="1%" valign="top"></td></tr></table></div><div class="chap"><section id="ch65007" class="chapter"> <h1 id="cn65007" class="cn"></h1> <p class="pf"><span class="hemb">Melchizedek, a Type of Christ.</span> <span id="v65007001" class="ver">1</span><a id="rfn65007001-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn65007001-1">*</a> This “Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of God Most High,”<a id="rfn65007001-2" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn65007001-2">*</a> “met Abraham as he returned from his defeat of the kings” and “blessed him.”<a id="ren65007001-a" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en65007001-a">a</a> <span id="v65007002" class="ver">2</span><a id="rfn65007002-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn65007002-1">*</a> And Abraham apportioned to him “a tenth of everything.” His name first means righteous king, and he was also “king of Salem,” that is, king of peace. <span id="v65007003" class="ver">3</span>Without father, mother, or ancestry, without beginning of days or end of life,<a id="rfn65007003-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn65007003-1">*</a> thus made to resemble the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.<a id="ren65007003-b" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en65007003-b">b</a></p> <p><span id="v65007004" class="ver">4</span><a id="rfn65007004-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn65007004-1">*</a> See how great he is to whom the patriarch “Abraham [indeed] gave a tenth” of his spoils.<a id="ren65007004-c" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en65007004-c">c</a> <span id="v65007005" class="ver">5</span>The descendants of Levi who receive the office of priesthood have a commandment according to the law to exact tithes from the people, that is, from their brothers, although they also have come from the loins of Abraham.<a id="ren65007005-d" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en65007005-d">d</a> <span id="v65007006" class="ver">6</span>But he who was not of their ancestry received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had received the promises. <span id="v65007007" class="ver">7</span>Unquestionably, a lesser person is blessed by a greater.<a id="rfn65007007-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn65007007-1">*</a> <span id="v65007008" class="ver">8</span>In the one case, mortal men receive tithes; in the other, a man of whom it is testified that he lives on. <span id="v65007009" class="ver">9</span>One might even say that Levi<a id="rfn65007009-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn65007009-1">*</a> himself, who receives tithes, was tithed through Abraham, <span id="v65007010" class="ver">10</span>for he was still in his father’s loins when Melchizedek met him.</p> <p><span id="v65007011" class="ver">11</span><a id="rfn65007011-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn65007011-1">*</a> If, then, perfection came through the levitical priesthood, on the basis of which the people received the law, what need would there still have been for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not reckoned according to the order of Aaron?<a id="ren65007011-e" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en65007011-e">e</a> <span id="v65007012" class="ver">12</span>When there is a change of priesthood, there is necessarily a change of law as well. <span id="v65007013" class="ver">13</span>Now he of whom these things are said<a id="rfn65007013-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn65007013-1">*</a> belonged to a different tribe, of which no member ever officiated at the altar. <span id="v65007014" class="ver">14</span>It is clear that our Lord arose from Judah,<a id="rfn65007014-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn65007014-1">*</a> and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.<a id="ren65007014-f" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en65007014-f">f</a> <span id="v65007015" class="ver">15</span><a id="rfn65007015-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn65007015-1">*</a> It is even more obvious if another priest is raised up after the likeness of Melchizedek, <span id="v65007016" class="ver">16</span>who has become so, not by a law expressed in a commandment concerning physical descent but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed.<a id="rfn65007016-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn65007016-1">*</a> <span id="v65007017" class="ver">17</span>For it is testified:</p> <div class="senseline"> <p class="slf">“You are a priest forever</p> <p class="sl1l">according to the order of Melchizedek.”<a id="ren65007017-g" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en65007017-g">g</a></p> </div> <p class="pcon"><span id="v65007018" class="ver">18</span>On the one hand, a former commandment is annulled because of its weakness and uselessness,<a id="ren65007018-h" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en65007018-h">h</a> <span id="v65007019" class="ver">19</span>for the law brought nothing to perfection; on the other hand, a better hope<a id="rfn65007019-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn65007019-1">*</a> is introduced, through which we draw near to God. <span id="v65007020" class="ver">20</span><a id="rfn65007020-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn65007020-1">*</a> And to the degree that this happened not without the taking of an oath<a id="rfn65007020-2" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn65007020-2">*</a>—for others became priests without an oath, <span id="v65007021" class="ver">21</span>but he with an oath, through the one who said to him:</p> <div class="senseline"> <p class="slf">“The Lord has sworn, and he will not repent:<a id="ren65007021-i" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en65007021-i">i</a></p> <p class="sl1l">‘You are a priest forever’ ”—</p> </div> <p class="pcon"><span id="v65007022" class="ver">22</span><a id="ren65007022-j" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en65007022-j">j</a> to that same degree has Jesus [also] become the guarantee of an [even] better covenant.<a id="rfn65007022-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn65007022-1">*</a> <span id="v65007023" class="ver">23</span>Those priests were many because they were prevented by death from remaining in office, <span id="v65007024" class="ver">24</span>but he, because he remains forever, has a priesthood that does not pass away.<a id="ren65007024-k" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en65007024-k">k</a> <span id="v65007025" class="ver">25</span><a id="rfn65007025-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn65007025-1">*</a> Therefore, he is always able to save those who approach God through him, since he lives forever to make intercession for them.<a id="ren65007025-l" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en65007025-l">l</a></p> <p><span id="v65007026" class="ver">26</span><a id="ren65007026-m" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en65007026-m">m</a> It was fitting that we should have such a high priest:<a id="rfn65007026-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn65007026-1">*</a> holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, higher than the heavens.<a id="rfn65007026-2" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn65007026-2">*</a> <span id="v65007027" class="ver">27</span>He has no need, as did the high priests, to offer sacrifice day after day,<a id="rfn65007027-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn65007027-1">*</a><a id="ren65007027-n" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en65007027-n">n</a> first for his own sins and then for those of the people; he did that once for all when he offered himself. <span id="v65007028" class="ver">28</span>For the law appoints men subject to weakness to be high priests, but the word of the oath, which was taken after the law, appoints a son, who has been made perfect forever.<a id="ren65007028-o" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en65007028-o">o</a></p> </section> <br /><h1 class="cn"><a class="xref" href="intro.htm"><span class="ac">Book Introduction</span></a></h1><h1 class="cn"><a class="xref" href="footnotes.htm"><span class="ac">Footnotes</span></a></h1></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center">Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the <i>New American Bible, revised edition</i> © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. 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