Annotations upon all the New Testament philologicall and theologicall wherein the emphasis and elegancie of the Greeke is observed, some imperfections in our translation are discovered, divers Jewish rites and customes tending to illustrate the text are mentioned, many antilogies and seeming contradictions reconciled, severall darke and obscure places opened, sundry passages vindicated from the false glosses of papists and hereticks / by Edward Leigh ...

CHAP. VII.

Vers. 1. FOr this Melchisedek King of Salem &c.] There is nothing spoken of Melchisedek but in Genesis,* 1.1 Psal. 110. and in the 5. Chapter of the Hebrewes and this.

* 1.2Vers. 3. Without Father▪ without Mother, without d••scent] This is not spoken sim∣ply, and absolutely, but by a figure; 1. Because the Scripture mentioneth not who were his Parents, no more doth it Iohs, or the three Childrens. 2. Because he being a type of Christ, hath eternity ascribed unto him by reason of Christ, who as he is man hath no Father; and as he is God hath no Mother; and as he is the eternall God, hath no beginning of dayes. Roberts of Tythes.

Some thinke that this Melchisedek was Sem the ••ldest Sonne of Noah; for he was living when Jsaac was 50 yeares old; and therefore almost all the dayes of Abraham. He was without beginning in the new world, for he was born in the old; and without end in the old world, because he continued in the new after the floud.

Constans veterum Hebrae••rum opinio est Melchisedek fuisse Sem filium Noe. Ribera.

Some Heretickes said he was the Holy Ghost * 1.3 or an Angel.

* 1.4Vers. 4. Vnto whom even the Patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoiles] 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 properly signifieth the chiefe parts, or top of the heape.

* 1.5Vers. 6. Received tithes of Abraham] In the Greek it is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which in plaine English is, he tithed Abraham; and tooke them of him as his due.

* 1.6Vers. 7. And without all contradiction, the lesse is blessed of the better] Taking it for the benediction, which is authoritate not devotione; for the subject may blesse the Prince, and man blesseth God in hearty devotion, but the blessing of authority comes from the greater.

Vers. 22. By so much was Iesus made a surety of a better Testament] Christ was the surety of the first Covenant to pay the debt; of the second Covenant, to performe the duty.

A better Testament] Not in substance, but in the manner of revealing.

Vers. 24. An unchangeable Priest-hood] It signifieth such a Priest-hood which cannot passe from him to any other,* 1.7 as the Priest-hood of Aaron did Perkins.

Vers. 25. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost] In the originall 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, to the uttermost of time, at all times, and for ever; it must be referred to the perfection or fulnesse of time,* 1.8 and not of his saving; that is, continually and perpetually, as the latter words of the verse shew.

Seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them] Superintercede, as the Greeke may signifie.

Vers. 26. For such an High Priest became us] It was a just and decent thing that our High Priest should be such a one.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Gen. 14.
• * 1.2

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, non ratio∣ne generatio∣nis sed ratione commemora∣tionis, quia Scriptura de eo sic loquitur, ut nec patris nec matris ejus ul∣lam saciat men∣t••onem. Gerh. in loc. Non quod tale quod de eo ex∣stet, qui & patrem & matrem & majores habuit, qui & ipse postremò obiit ut coeteri, sed quod nihil de ipsis exprimatur. Hein∣sius. Vide Grotium. Origene saith Melchisedek was an Angel, Ierome consutes that opinion, and saith he was Sem, of whose mind are Epiphanius, Marlorate.
• * 1.3

  Vide Cunaeum de republica Hebr. l. 3. c. 3.
• * 1.4

  Nettles an∣swer to the Je∣wish part of Mr. Seldens History of Tythes. Vide Alardi Epiphyll. Philolog. c. 7. Graecum propriè significat ex spoliis sive exuviis ab hoste detractis, quomodo etiam Graecorum scholia interpretantur. Gerh in loc. Vide Estium.
• * 1.5

  Decimas acce∣pit ab Ab••a∣ham. Beza. Edecumavit Abrahamum. Grotius. Verbum 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, ac simplex 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 & activè usurpatur, pro eo quod est decimas dare, & passive pro eo, quod est decimas accipere. Gerh. in loc.
• * 1.6

  Barlow Bishop of Roch. on 20. of Act. 28.
• * 1.7

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, quasi dicas in transibile, quod ad alium transire non potest. Estius.
• * 1.8

  To all ends and purposes pe••fectly. Beza. Perpetually or for ever; so Tremel Grynae∣us. In a ternum, Syrus. in perpetuum, vulg. ad plenum, Erasmus. ad perfectum, Stapulensis. quod Graeca vox propriè signifi∣cat. Gerh. in loc.