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Psalm 110 · a question people ask

"A priest forever in the order of Melchizedek" (110:4). Who was Melchizedek, and what is his order?

In the text

The Old Testament tells of Melchizedek in one scene: "Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High" (Genesis 14:18). He blessed Abram (Genesis 14:19-20), and "Abram gave him a tenth of all" (Genesis 14:20). The only other Old Testament verse that names him is this one (110:4). Hebrews reads the two together. It says Melchizedek "remains a priest continually" (Hebrews 7:3), and speaks of a priest who arises "after the likeness of Melchizedek" (Hebrews 7:15), "who has been made, not after the law of a fleshly commandment, but after the power of an endless life" (Hebrews 7:16). The word the WEB gives as order is dibrah, which Brown-Driver-Briggs gives as "cause, reason, manner" (tap order). Genesis 14's notes say more about Melchizedek, and these notes don't add to what Genesis and Hebrews say.

The verses

“The LORD has sworn, and will not change his mind: “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.””
Psalm 110:4 · World English Bible
“Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High. He blessed him, and said, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth. Blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” Abram gave him a tenth of all.”
Genesis 14:18-20 · World English Bible
“For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of God Most High, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham divided a tenth part of all (being first, by interpretation, “king of righteousness”, and then also “king of Salem”, which means “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), remains a priest continually.”
Hebrews 7:1-3 · World English Bible
“This is yet more abundantly evident, if after the likeness of Melchizedek there arises another priest, who has been made, not after the law of a fleshly commandment, but after the power of an endless life;”
Hebrews 7:15-16 · World English Bible

From Favor's study of Psalm 110

Psalm 110: The LORD says to my Lord

"The LORD says to my Lord" (110:1) uses two different Hebrew words: the divine name, and adoni, a word the Psalms use of the LORD and of a king. The oath "You are a priest forever" (110:4) opens with the same two Hebrew words as the LORD's oath to David in Psalm 132:11. And Jesus used 110:1 to ask how David's son could be David's Lord (Mark 12:37).

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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Every answer cites the verses it rests on. What we believe · All Bible questions