Lectio 1 Lecture 1 Melchisedech sacerdos Melchisedech the priest ^7:1 Hic enim Melchisedech, rex Salem, sacerdos Dei summi, qui obviavit Abrahae regresso a caede regum, et benedixit ei: [n. 326] ^7:1 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: [n. 326] ^7:2 cui et decimas omnium divisit Abraham: primum quidem qui interpretatur rex justitiae: deinde autem et rex Salem, quod est, rex pacis, [n. 331] ^7:2 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: [n. 331] ^7:3 sine patre, sine matre, sine genealogia, neque initium dierum, neque finem vitae habens, assimilatus autem Filio Dei, manet sacerdos in perpetuum. [n. 333] ^7:3 Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but likened unto the Son of God, continues a priest for ever. [n. 333] 326. Supra Apostolus, V cap., probavit Christum esse sacerdotem. In VI autem capite interposuit quaedam ad praeparandos animos auditorum; hic redit ad suum propositum. Intendit enim probare excellentiam sacerdotii Christi ad sacerdotium leviticum. 326. In Chapter 5, the Apostle proved that Christ is a priest, but in Chapter 6, he interposed certain considerations to prepare the minds of his hearers. Now he returns to his main theme: for he intends to prove the excellence of Christ’s priesthood over the Levitical priesthood. Et circa hoc facit duo In regard to this he does two things: primo enim ostendit excellentiam sacerdotii Christi ad sacerdotium Veteris Testamenti; first, he shows the excellence of Christ’s priesthood as compared to the priesthood of the Old Testament; secundo ostendit quod fideles debent sacerdoti Christo reverenter subdi. Et hoc in medio decimi capitis, ibi habentes itaque, fratres, fiduciam. second, he shows that believers should subject themselves reverently to the priesthood of Christ, at having therefore, brethren, a confidence (Heb 10:19). Circa primum duo facit. In regard to the first, he does two things: Primo enim ostendit praerogativam sacerdotii Christi super Leviticum ex parte personae ipsius sacerdotis; first, he shows the prerogative of Christ’s priesthood over the Levitical on the part of the person of the priest; secundo ex parte ministerii, VIII cap. ibi capitulum autem. second, on the part of the minister, at now of the things which we have spoken (Heb 8:1). Circa primum duo facit quia In regard to the first he does two things: primo ostendit existentiam sacerdotii Christi ex promissione divina; first, he proves the existence of Christ’s priesthood by reason of a divine promise; secundo ostendit necessitatem sacerdotii eius, ibi talis enim decebat. second, the need for this priesthood, at for it was fitting (Heb 7:26). Promissionem vero ostendit per illud Ps. CIX, 5: iuravit Dominus, et non poenitebit eum, et cetera. Unde tria ostendit ad propositum suum probandum. But he shows this promise from the words of the Psalm: the Lord has sworn and he will not repent: you are a priest forever according to the order of Melchisedech (Ps 110:4). Hence, he shows three things to prove his thesis. Primo illud quod dicitur secundum ordinem Melchisedech; First, the phrase, according to the order of Melchisedech (Heb 7:17); secundo illud quod dicitur iuravit, ibi et quantum est non sine iureiurando; second, the statement has sworn, at and inasmuch as it is not without an oath (Heb 7:20); tertio illud quod dicitur tu es sacerdos, ibi et alii quidem plures. third, the statement, you are a priest forever, at and the others indeed (Heb 7:23). Circa primum duo facit quia In regard to the first, he does two things: primo ostendit similitudinem Christi ad Melchisedech; first, he shows the likeness of Christ to Melchisedech; secundo ex hac similitudine praefert sacerdotium Christi Levitico, ibi intuemini autem. second, on the basis of this likeness he chooses the priesthood of Christ over the Levitical, at now consider (Heb 7:4). Circa primum duo facit quia In regard to the first, he does two things: primo describit conditiones Melchisedech; first, he describes Melchisedech’s qualities; secundo ostendit, quomodo conveniunt Christo, ibi primum quidem. second, he shows how they fit Christ, at who first indeed. 327. Describit autem Melchisedech primo ex nomine, cum dicit hic autem Melchisedech. Sic enim nominat eum Scriptura, Gen. XIV, v. 18, ubi habetur historia, quam Apostolus hic supponit. Et secundum Glossam, Hebraei dicunt ipsum fuisse Sem primogenitum Noe, et tunc quando Abraham habuit victoriam, erat annorum 390, alias 309. Et occurrit Abrahae nepoti suo. 327. He describes Melchisedech, first of all, by his name when he says, for this Melchisedech. For so the Scripture names him in Genesis (Gen 14:18), where his history, which the Apostle supposes here, is recorded. According to a Gloss, the Hebrews say that this was Shem, the first-born of Noah, and when Abraham obtained the victory, he was 390 or 309 years old and met Abraham, his nephew. 328. Secundo describit eum a dignitate. Erat enim rex et sacerdos. 328. Second, he describes him from his dignity, for he was king and a priest. Quantum ad primum dicitur rex Salem. Et secundum aliquos, Salem dicitur Ierusalem. Sed contra est Hieronymus in quadam epistola, quia, ut ipse dicit, non poterat esse quod ei occurreret a Ierusalem, quod probat ex situ. Alii autem dicunt, quod Salem dicitur ille locus, de quo dicitur Io. III, 23, quod iuxta illum Ioannes baptizabat, et moenia illius loci erant adhuc tempore Hieronymi. In regard to the first he says, king of Salem. Some say that Salem is called Jerusalem. But Jerome denies this in a letter, because, as he says, he could not run into him from Jerusalem, which he proves from its location. Others say that Salem is the place where John baptized (John 3:23), and the walls of that place still existed in Jerome’s time. Quantum ad secundum dicit sacerdos Dei summi. Antiquitus enim ille, qui inter filios erat antiquior, erat sacerdos. Sed verum est, quod tempore Abrahae multum invaluerat cultus idolorum. Et ideo ne credant, quod esset sacerdos idolorum, additur Dei summi, scilicet per essentiam, non per participationem, vel nuncupationem. Deus enim est Creator omnium eorum, qui dicuntur dii, sive per participationem, sive per errorem. Ps. XCIV, 3: rex magnus super omnes deos. Is. LXI, 6: vos sacerdotes Domini vocabimini, et cetera. In regard to the second he says, priest of the most high God. For in olden times the elder brother was a priest. But it is true that in Abraham’s time the worship of idols was on the increase. Therefore, lest anyone suppose that he was a priest of idols, he adds, of the most high God, namely, God by essence, not by participation or name. For God is the Creator of all who are gods either by participation or erroneously: the Lord is a great king above all gods (Ps 95:3); you shall be called priests of the Lord: to you it shall be said: you ministers of our God (Isa 61:6). 329. Tertio describit eum ab officio, ibi qui obviavit, et cetera. Sacerdos enim medius est inter Deum et populum. Debet enim aliquid populo conferre, scilicet spiritualia, et aliquid ab eo accipere, scilicet temporalia. I Cor. IX, v. 11: si nos vobis spiritualia seminavimus, non magnum est si carnalia vestra metamus. 329. Third, he describes him from his office: who met Abraham. For a priest is midway between God and the people. Therefore, he should confer something on the people, namely, spiritual things, and receive something from them, namely, temporal things: if we then have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great matter, if we reap your carnal things? (1 Cor 9:11). Primo ergo debet exhibere confortationem per bona monita. Unde dicitur Gen. XIV, quod quatuor reges vicerunt quinque reges, et captivum duxerunt Lot nepotem Abrahae. Isti quatuor reges sunt quatuor vitia principalia, opposita quatuor cardinalibus virtutibus, quae captivum detinent affectum nepotem rationis, victis quinque sensibus corporis. Qui enim superat et liberat affectum, debet confortari a sacerdote. Is. XXI, 14: occurrentes sitienti ferte aquam; et Is. XXXV, 3: confortate manus dissolutas, et cetera. First, therefore, he should show strength by good advice; hence it says in Genesis (Gen 14) that four kings conquered five kings, and led captive Lot the nephew of Abraham. The four kings are the four principal vices opposed to the four cardinal virtues which hold the emotions, the nephew of reason, captive after the five bodily senses are overcome. For a person who overcomes and frees the emotions deserves to be comforted by a priest: meeting the thirsty, bring him water (Isa 21:14); strengthen the feeble hands, and confirm the weak knees (Isa 35:3). Secundo sacerdos debet confortare per sacramentorum administrationem benedicendo. Unde benedixit ei. Ps. CXVII, 25: benediximus vobis in nomine Domini. Hoc autem fit impendendo sacramenta, per quae confortatur homo in gratia. Num. VI, 27: invocabunt nomen meum super filios Israel, et ego benedicam eis, nam Deus benedicit auctoritate, sed sacerdos ministerio. Et decimas, scilicet ad sustentationem, divisit, scilicet Abraham, id est, recte distribuit. Second, a priest should give strength by administering the sacraments with a blessing; hence, he blessed him: we have blessed you in the name of the Lord (Ps 118:26). But this is done by conferring the sacraments, by which a man is strengthened in grace: they shall invoke my name upon the children of Israel and I will bless them (Num 6:27), for God blesses by his authority, but the priest by his ministry. To whom also Abraham divided, i.e., distributed properly, the tithes of all for his sustenance. 330. Sed contra: quia, ut patet Num. c. XVIII, ex lege est datio decimarum, non ergo sunt ante legem. 330. But it seems from Numbers (Num 18:21) that the giving of tithes dated from the law; therefore, there was none before the law. Respondeo. Dicendum est, quod caeremonialia Veteris Testamenti sunt quaedam determinationes praeceptorum iuris naturalis et praeceptorum moralium. Et ideo quantum ad hoc, quod habebant de iure naturali, servabantur ante legem tantum pro voto observantium, et sine aliquo praecepto. Quod enim aliquid offeratur Deo in recognitionem creationis et dominii, hoc est naturale; sed quod offeratur vitulus et hoedus, hoc est caeremoniale. I answer that the ceremonial precepts of the Old Testament are amplifications of the precepts of the natural law and of the moral precepts; therefore, in regard to what they had from the natural law, they were observed before the law without any precept. For the fact that something is offered to God in recognition of his creation and dominion is natural; but that he should be offered goats and heifers is a ceremonial precept. Similiter de iure naturali est, quod ministri servientes Deo, sustententur a populo, sicut enim patet Gen. XLVII, 22, hoc servabatur etiam apud gentiles. Unde sacerdotes, quia pascebantur de horreis publicis, non sunt compulsi vendere possessiones suas; et ideo fuerunt ante legem. Sed determinatio huius partis est per legem. Lev. XXVII, 30: omnes decimae Domini sunt. Et in huius signum Iacob ante legem, in loco in quo postea fuit aedificatum templum, vovit se daturum decimas. Similarly, it is according to natural law that ministers serving God be sustained by the people, for it is clear from Genesis (Gen 47:22) that this was observed among the gentiles. Hence, priests, because they were fed from the public storehouses, were not compelled to sell their possessions. Therefore, there were tithes before the law, but the determination of this amount was fixed by the law: all tithes are the Lord’s (Lev 27:30). A sign of this was the fact that Jacob before the law vowed that he would give tithes in the place where the temple was later built. Et hoc specialiter, quia ad hoc Dei cultus proprie exhibetur, ut significetur, quod homo quicquid habet, a Deo accepit: et totam perfectionem suam ab ipso expectat. Numerus enim denarius est perfectus, quia consurgit ex partibus suis aliquotis: quia unum, duo, tria, quatuor faciunt decem. Usque etiam ad ipsum ascendit numerus, et omnes alii non sunt nisi quaedam repetitio et additio super denarium. Omnes ergo sunt imperfecti usque dum pervenitur ad ipsum. Et similiter a Deo est omnis perfectio. Ut ergo significaret, quod a Deo est complementum omnis perfectionis, ideo dedit decimas. And this was done particularly because the main reason for rendering worship to God is to signify that whatever a man has, he has received from God, and that he depends on him for his entire perfection. For the number ten is perfect, since it is the sum of its several parts, because the sum of one plus two plus three plus four is ten. Furthermore, one counts as far as ten and all other numbers are repetitions or additions to ten. Therefore, all numbers are imperfect until ten is reached. Likewise, all perfection is from God. Therefore, in order to signify that the fulfillment of all perfection is from God, he gave tithes.