A Deep Study for the pro's. Whos MELCHIZEDEK?

[Stinker]

and what important part has he played in Gods plans for mankind?

I always wanted to do a in depth study of him.

It seems he plays a very important part in the Bible.

I have never read, or heard of any in depth study of this person.

I also had a feeling that something VERY important is connected with the study of him.

Any info would be great.

[Mike]

He was the king of Salem.

He was a priest of God in a dispensation prior to Jewish law.

I think that Psalm 110:4 is a reference to Jesus, saying that Jesus will be a priest after the order of Melchizedek.

Then as far as I know we don't know anything else about him.

[Aliya]

Who is he?

I think it is Jesus!

3 Without father, without mother, without descenta, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually. 4 Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.

Only Jesus in earthly form fits this description :yay

[Hootmon]

Melchizedek = My King is Righteousness
H4442
מלכּי־צדק
malkîẏtsedeq
BDB Definition:
Melchizedek = “my king is Sedek”1) king of Salem and priest of the Most High God to whom Abram paid tithe after the battle he fought to free Lot; ‘the order of Melchizedek’ the order of the priesthood to which Christ belongs
Part of Speech: noun proper masculine
A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: from H4428 and H6664
Same Word by TWOT Number: 1199i

H6664
צדק
tsedeq
BDB Definition:
1) justice, rightness, righteousness
1a) what is right or just or normal, rightness, justness (of weights and measures)
1b) righteousness (in government)
1b1) of judges, rulers, kings
1b2) of law
1b3) of Davidic king, Messiah
1b4) of Jerusalem as seat of just government
1b5) of God’s attribute
1c) righteousness, justice (in case or cause)
1d) rightness (in speech)
1e) righteousness (as ethically right)
1f) righteousness (as vindicated), justification (in controversy), deliverance, victory, prosperity
1f1) of God as covenant-keeping in redemption
1f2) in name of Messianic king
1f3) of people enjoying salvation
1f4) of Cyrus
Part of Speech: noun masculine
A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: from H6663
Same Word by TWOT Number: 1879a

Derivative TWOT Number: 1199i
Derivative Transliteration: malki-sedeq
Derivative Strong's Cross Reference: 4442
Derivative Definition: Mekhizedek.

malki-sedeq. Melchizedek. This name occurs only in Gen_14:18 and Psa_110:4. Formed from melek "king" and sedeq "righteous," with the transitional hireq yod. Whether it indicates a construct (possessive) relation or the first personal singular pronominal suffix is a matter of dispute. If the former were true, the name would mean "king of righteous [one?]"; if the latter, "my king is righteous." "Salem" almost certainly refers to Jerusalem. The geography of the campaign in Gen 14 allows it. The similarity of "Adonizedek," king of Jerusalem (Jos_10:1) supports it. Comparison with David, king of Jerusalem (Psa_110:4), cements the connection with Jerusalem. The appearance of Melchizedek in the Bible is important theologically. It lends strong support for the notion that knowledge of the true God possessed by Noah and his sons did not die out. Monotheist Abraham (Gen_18:25) forthrightly acknowledged Melchizedek as priest of the same 'el 'elyon "God Most High," whom Abraham worshipped (Gen_14:18-20). We simply do not know how many Melchizedek-like persons, under more stress than Lot (2Pe_2:6-8), survived the pervasive idolatry of the ancient world. We inevitably think of Job. There were the monotheistic-like views of the fourth century B.C. philosophers of Athens and of Akhenaton, youthful pharaoh of Egypt who lived a millennium earlier. Similar sentiments were expressed in Vedic literature. In the person of Melchizedek we find evidence of an ancient near eastern tradition of true worship at Jerusalem long before Oman the Jebusite transferred title of the rocky "Mount Moriah" to the crown (2Sa_24:18-25; 1Ch_21:18-30). Perhaps Moses knew already something of "the place which the LORD your God shall choose" for the central sanctuary (Deu_12:5). The book of Hebrews, building on the announcement of Messiah's non-Aaronic priesthood in Psalm 110 elaborates the doctrine of our Lord's completely successful priesthood on this textual basis (Heb_6:20; Heb_7:1-8:Heb_7:13).

[Hootmon]

Then after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley). And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High. He blessed him and said, "Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand." He gave him a tenth of all.
(Gen 14:17-20)



A Psalm of David. The LORD says to my Lord: "Sit at My right hand Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet." The LORD will stretch forth Your strong scepter from Zion, saying, "Rule in the midst of Your enemies." Your people will volunteer freely in the day of Your power; In holy array, from the womb of the dawn, Your youth are to You as the dew.

The LORD has sworn and will not change His mind, "You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek." The Lord is at Your right hand; He will shatter kings in the day of His wrath. He will judge among the nations, He will fill them with corpses, He will shatter the chief men over a broad country. He will drink from the brook by the wayside; Therefore He will lift up His head.
(Psa 110:1-7)



For every high priest taken from among men is appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining to God, in order to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins; he can deal gently with the ignorant and misguided, since he himself also is beset with weakness; and because of it he is obligated to offer sacrifices for sins, as for the people, so also for himself. And no one takes the honor to himself, but receives it when he is called by God, even as Aaron was. So also Christ did not glorify Himself so as to become a high priest, but He who said to Him, "YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU"; just as He says also in another passage, "YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK."

In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
(Heb 5:1-10)



In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
(Heb 6:17-20)



For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace. Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually.

Now observe how great this man was to whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth of the choicest spoils. And those indeed of the sons of Levi who receive the priest's office have commandment in the Law to collect a tenth from the people, that is, from their brethren, although these are descended from Abraham. But the one whose genealogy is not traced from them collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed the one who had the promises. But without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater. In this case mortal men receive tithes, but in that case one receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives on. And, so to speak, through Abraham even Levi, who received tithes, paid tithes, for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.

Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the people received the Law), what further need was there for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be designated according to the order of Aaron? For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also. For the one concerning whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no one has officiated at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests. And this is clearer still, if another priest arises according to the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become such not on the basis of a law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life. For it is attested of Him, "YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK." For, on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness (for the Law made nothing perfect), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God. And inasmuch as it was not without an oath (for they indeed became priests without an oath, but He with an oath through the One who said to Him, "THE LORD HAS SWORN AND WILL NOT CHANGE HIS MIND, 'YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER'"); so much the more also Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.

The former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing, but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, made perfect forever.
(Heb 7:1-28)

[Paidfor]

The book of Jasher 16:11 says that Melchizedek and Shem are the same person. Is this contradictory to Heb. 7:6? I guess not since Shem was not descended from Abraham. Jasher also has the name as Adonizedek, but that may just be a difference in translation.

Is Melchizedek a name or a title? It seems like a title to me. If he were Shem and he is living in Jerusalem as a lord of the Jebusites, it would explain why he would have a Jebusite title.

[Veillifted]

Then after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley). And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High. He blessed him and said, "Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand." He gave him a tenth of all.
(Gen 14:17-20)



A Psalm of David. The LORD says to my Lord: "Sit at My right hand Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet." The LORD will stretch forth Your strong scepter from Zion, saying, "Rule in the midst of Your enemies." Your people will volunteer freely in the day of Your power; In holy array, from the womb of the dawn, Your youth are to You as the dew.

The LORD has sworn and will not change His mind, "You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek." The Lord is at Your right hand; He will shatter kings in the day of His wrath. He will judge among the nations, He will fill them with corpses, He will shatter the chief men over a broad country. He will drink from the brook by the wayside; Therefore He will lift up His head.
(Psa 110:1-7)



For every high priest taken from among men is appointed on behalf of men in things pertaining to God, in order to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins; he can deal gently with the ignorant and misguided, since he himself also is beset with weakness; and because of it he is obligated to offer sacrifices for sins, as for the people, so also for himself. And no one takes the honor to himself, but receives it when he is called by God, even as Aaron was. So also Christ did not glorify Himself so as to become a high priest, but He who said to Him, "YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU"; just as He says also in another passage, "YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK."

In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
(Heb 5:1-10)



In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
(Heb 6:17-20)



For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace. Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually.

Now observe how great this man was to whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth of the choicest spoils. And those indeed of the sons of Levi who receive the priest's office have commandment in the Law to collect a tenth from the people, that is, from their brethren, although these are descended from Abraham. But the one whose genealogy is not traced from them collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed the one who had the promises. But without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater. In this case mortal men receive tithes, but in that case one receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives on. And, so to speak, through Abraham even Levi, who received tithes, paid tithes, for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.

Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the people received the Law), what further need was there for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be designated according to the order of Aaron? For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also. For the one concerning whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no one has officiated at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests. And this is clearer still, if another priest arises according to the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become such not on the basis of a law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life. For it is attested of Him, "YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK." For, on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness (for the Law made nothing perfect), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God. And inasmuch as it was not without an oath (for they indeed became priests without an oath, but He with an oath through the One who said to Him, "THE LORD HAS SWORN AND WILL NOT CHANGE HIS MIND, 'YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER'"); so much the more also Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.

The former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing, but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, made perfect forever.
(Heb 7:1-28)

Note also, Jesus and Melchizedak are both High Priests and King.

Jesus is both King and High Priest.

[Asia]

I believe it was Shem! That God would give him some important work. I think Shem passed on his burden to Abraham.

[adam423]

Hootman has the right answer and the scripture to back it up. Nice work!

[Beth O]

and what important part has he played in Gods plans for mankind?

I always wanted to do a in depth study of him.

It seems he plays a very important part in the Bible.

I have never read, or heard of any in depth study of this person.

I also had a feeling that something VERY important is connected with the study of him.

Any info would be great.


Way of Life Encyclopedia
MELCHISEDEC, MELCHIZEDEK
(king of righteousness). Melchizedek (Ge 14:17-20) foreviews Jesus Christ (Ps 110:4; Heb 5:6-10; Heb 7:1-28). HIS CITY. Melchizedek reigned in Salem (Gen 14:18). This later became Jerusalem, and will be Christ's reigning city (Ps 76:2; Zec 8:3-8). HIS NAME. Melchizedek means "king of righteousness." He was also of Salem, which means peace (Heb 7:2). In the Lord Jesus Christ righteousness and peace have met. He makes peace between God and man because He paid man's sin debt (Rom 5:1). There can be no real peace without righteousness (Isa 48:22; Isa 57:21). HIS PROVISION. Melchizedek provided bread and wine for Abraham (Gen 14:18). This foreviews Christ's provision of His body and blood for the needs of His people (Mat 26:26-28). HIS OFFICE. Melchizedek was king (Gen 14:18), priest (Gen 14:18), and prophet (Gen 14:19). The Lord Jesus Christ also is Prophet (De 18:15; Act 3:22), Priest (Hebrews 7-10), and King (1Tim 6:14-15). HIS AUTHORITY. Melchizedek received tithes of Abraham (Gen 14:20; Heb 7:4-9). This is the first mention of tithing in the Bible, and it was long before God gave the law of Moses. Tithing has always been God's normal plan for the support of His earthly work. God's people today are to tithe of their income for God's great program of world evangelism. Tithing honors God as the Giver and Possessor of all (Pr 3:9-10). HIS WORK. He ministered to God's people (Gen 14:18; Mat 20:28). He blessed God's people (Gen 14:19; Luk 24:51). He glorified God (Gen 14:20; Joh 17:4). HIS MYSTERY. There is a mysterious aspect to Melchizedek, because the Bible says he had no beginning of days nor end of life (Heb 7:3). This reminds us that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. Roman Catholic priests are ordained after the order of Melchizedek, but this is blasphemy because no man other than Jesus Christ can rightfully be a priest after this the order. Six times in the Bible God says Jesus Christ is of the order of Melchizedek (Ps 110:4; Heb 5:6,10; Heb 6:20; Heb 7:17,Heb 7:21).