For this Melchisedech was king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him:

Hic enim Melchisedech, rex Salem, sacerdos Dei summi, qui obviavit Abrahæ regresso a cæde regum, et benedixit ei:

It was this Melchisedech, king of Salem, and priest of the most high God, who met Abraham and blessed him on his way home, after the defeat of the kings;

To whom also Abraham divided the tithes of all: who first indeed by interpretation, is king of justice: and then also king of Salem, that is, king of peace:

cui et decimas omnium divisit Abraham: primum quidem qui interpretatur rex justitiæ: deinde autem et rex Salem, quod est, rex pacis,

and to him Abraham gave a tenth of his spoils. Observe, in the first place, that his name means, the king of justice; and further that he is king of Salem, that is, of peace.

Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but likened unto the Son of God, continueth a priest for ever.

sine patre, sine matre, sine genealogia, neque initium dierum, neque finem vitæ habens, assimilatus autem Filio Dei, manet sacerdos in perpetuum.

That is all; no name of father or mother, no pedigree, no date of birth or of death; there he stands, eternally, a priest, the true figure of the Son of God.

Now consider how great this man is, to whom also Abraham the patriarch gave tithes out of the principal things.

Intuemini autem quantus sit hic, cui et decimas dedit de præcipuis Abraham patriarcha.

Consider how great a man was this, to whom the patriarch Abraham himself gave a tenth part of his chosen spoil.

And indeed they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is to say, of their brethren: though they themselves also came out of the loins of Abraham.

Et quidem de filiis Levi sacerdotium accipientes, mandatum habent decimas sumere a populo secundum legem, id est, a fratribus suis: quamquam et ipsi exierint de lumbis Abrahæ.

The descendants of Levi, when the priesthood is conferred on them, are allowed by the provisions of the law to take tithes from God’s people, although these, like themselves, come from the privileged stock of Abraham; after all, they are their brothers;

But he, whose pedigree is not numbered among them, received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises.

Cujus autem generatio non annumeratur in eis, decimas sumpsit ab Abraham, et hunc, qui habebat repromissiones, benedixit.

here is one who owns no common descent with them, taking tithes from Abraham himself. He blesses him, too, blesses the man to whom the promises have been made;

And without all contradiction, that which is less, is blessed by the better.

Sine ulla autem contradictione, quod minus est, a meliore benedicitur.

and it is beyond all question that blessings are only given by what is greater in dignity to what is less.

And here indeed, men that die, receive tithes: but there he hath witness, that he liveth.

Et hic quidem, decimas morientes homines accipiunt: ibi autem contestatur, quia vivit.

In the one case, the priests who receive tithe are only mortal men; in the other, it is a priest (so the record tells us) who lives on.

And (as it may be said) even Levi who received tithes, paid tithes in Abraham:

Et (ut ita dictum sit) per Abraham, et Levi, qui decimas accepit, decimatus est:

And indeed, there is a sense in which we can say that Levi, who receives the tithe, paid tithe himself with Abraham;

For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedech met him.

adhuc enim in lumbis patris erat, quando obviavit ei Melchisedech.

as the heir of Abraham’s body, he was present in the person of his ancestor, when he met Melchisedech.

If then perfection was by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchisedech, and not be called according to the order of Aaron?

Si ergo consummatio per sacerdotium Leviticum erat (populus enim sub ipso legem accepit) quid adhuc necessarium fuit secundum ordinem Melchisedech, alium surgere sacerdotem, et non secundum ordinem Aaron dici?

Now, there could be no need for a fresh priest to arise, accredited with Melchisedech’s priesthood, not with Aaron’s, if the Levitical priesthood had brought fulfilment. And it is on the Levitical priesthood that the law given to God’s people is founded.

For the priesthood being translated, it is necessary that a translation also be made of the law.

Translato enim sacerdotio, necesse est ut et legis translatio fiat.

When the priesthood is altered, the law, necessarily, is altered with it.

For he, of whom these things are spoken, is of another tribe, of which no one attended on the altar.

In quo enim hæc dicuntur, de alia tribu est, de qua nullus altari præsto fuit.

After all, he to whom the prophecy relates belonged to a different tribe, which never produced a man to stand at the altar;

For it is evident that our Lord sprung out of Juda: in which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priests.

Manifestum est enim quod ex Juda ortus sit Dominus noster: in qua tribu nihil de sacerdotibus Moyses locutus est.

our Lord took his origin from Juda, that is certain, and Moses in speaking of this tribe, said nothing about priests.

And it is yet far more evident: if according to the similitude of Melchisedech there ariseth another priest,

Et amplius adhuc manifestum est: si secundum similitudinem Melchisedech exsurgat alius sacerdos,

And something further becomes evident, when a fresh priest arises to fulfil the type of Melchisedech,

Who is made not according to the law of a carnal commandment, but according to the power of an indissoluble life:

qui non secundum legem mandati carnalis factus est, sed secundum virtutem vitæ insolubilis.

appointed, not to obey the law, with its outward observances, but in the power of an unending life;

For he testifieth: Thou art a priest for ever, according to the order of Melchisedech.

Contestatur enim: Quoniam tu es sacerdos in æternum, secundum ordinem Melchisedech.

(Thou art a priest in the line of Melchisedech, God says of him, for ever).

There is indeed a setting aside of the former commandment, because of the weakness and unprofitableness thereof:

Reprobatio quidem fit præcedentis mandati, propter infirmitatem ejus, et inutilitatem:

The old observance is abrogated now, powerless as it was to help us;

(For the law brought nothing to perfection,) but a bringing in of a better hope, by which we draw nigh to God.

nihil enim ad perfectum adduxit lex: introductio vero melioris spei, per quam proximamus ad Deum.

the law had nothing in it of final achievement. Instead, a fuller hope has been brought into our lives, enabling us to come close to God.

And inasmuch as it is not without an oath, (for the others indeed were made priests without an oath;

Et quantum est non sine jurejurando (alii quidem sine jurejurando sacerdotes facti sunt,

And this time there is a ratification by oath; none was taken when those other priests were appointed,

But this with an oath, by him that said unto him: The Lord hath sworn, and he will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever.)

hic autem cum jurejurando per eum, qui dixit ad illum: Juravit Dominus, et non pœnitebit eum: tu es sacerdos in æternum):

but the new priest is appointed with an oath, when God says to him, The Lord has sworn an irrevocable oath, Thou art a priest for ever;

By so much is Jesus made a surety of a better testament.

in tantum melioris testamenti sponsor factus est Jesus.

all the more solemn, then, is that covenant for which Jesus has been given us as our surety.

And the others indeed were made many priests, because by reason of death they were not suffered to continue:

Et alii quidem plures facti sunt sacerdotes, idcirco quod morte prohiberentur permanere:

Of those other priests there was a succession, since death denied them permanence;

But this, for that he continueth for ever, hath an everlasting priesthood,

hic autem eo quod maneat in æternum, sempiternum habet sacerdotium.

whereas Jesus continues for ever, and his priestly office is unchanging;

Whereby he is able also to save for ever them that come to God by him; always living to make intercession for us.

Unde et salvare in perpetuum potest accedentes per semetipsum ad Deum: semper vivens ad interpellandum pro nobis.

that is why he can give eternal salvation to those who through him make their way to God; he lives on still to make intercession on our behalf.

For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;

Talis enim decebat ut nobis esset pontifex, sanctus, innocens, impollutus, segregatus a peccatoribus, et excelsior cælis factus:

Such was the high priest that suited our need, holy and guiltless and undefiled, not reckoned among us sinners, lifted high above all the heavens;

Who needeth not daily (as the other priests) to offer sacrifices first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, in offering himself.

qui non habet necessitatem quotidie, quemadmodum sacerdotes, prius pro suis delictis hostias offerre, deinde pro populi: hoc enim fecit semel, seipsum offerendo.

one who has no need to do as those other priests did, offering a twofold sacrifice day by day, first for his own sins, then for those of the people. What he has done he has done once for all; and the offering was himself.

For the law maketh men priests, who have infirmity: but the word of the oath, which was since the law, the Son who is perfected for evermore.

Lex enim homines constituit sacerdotes infirmitatem habentes: sermo autem jurisjurandi, qui post legem est, Filium in æternum perfectum.

The law makes high priests of men, and men are frail; promise and oath, now, have superseded the law; our high priest, now, is that Son who has reached his full achievement for all eternity.