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Who Was Melchizedek?

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Who was Melchizedek?
Genesis 14:18 The question of “who was Melchizedek?” is a mystery which has never fully been answered or solved. We do know that Genesis 14:18 says that “Melchizedek was king of Salem” and “was the priest of God Most High.” Does this verse give enough information to determine just who he was; after all there is no genealogy for him. Various theories suggest who Melchizedek may have been, and all accounts are relatively similar. We will concentrate on three different commentaries to obtain a better understanding of the person of Melchizedek. Matthew Henry’s Commentary starts like most of the other descriptions, making reference to Genesis 14:18, “He was king of Salem and priest of the most high God”. Henry’s …show more content…

But this time was before the law and before the Levitical priesthood. Guzik does not make Melchizedek out to be more than a king and a priest, but like Henry he list suggestions of who others think he might represent: 1. Seth, Noah’s son; 2. Job, or an angel; 3. An outer-space visitor; 4. An “unfallen Adam” from another planet, sent to observe the progress of God’s work of redemption for this fallen race. Melchizedek walked in and out of the pages of the Bible with little or no fanfare. Who is Melchizedek? Genesis 14:18 says he was the king of Salem, and that he was the priest of God Most High. That is all we know. Had Genesis stopped at him being the king of Salem and omitted he was the priest of God Most High, there probably would be no further discussion concerning him. Melchizedek must have known Abram because when he blessed him in verse 19 he said, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High.” He knew Abram’s name and he knew that Abram trusted in God. Melchizedek and Abram reciprocated one another in that Melchizedek “brought out bread and wine” (vs. 18) and Abram “gave him a tithe of all” (vs. 20). The One Volume Bible Commentary by J.R. Dummelow does not try to give many explanations as to who Melchizedek was. I agree with Dummelow’s commentary more than the other two because he sticks close to the Scriptural account, however I do not agree with his statement that Abram in a general way could have acknowledge Melchizedek as his god.
Bibliography
Church, Rev.

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