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Melchizedek in the Bible
Last updated: May 31, 2026
Written by Blake Boege
Melchizedek is a mysterious figure who appears briefly in the Book of Genesis as the king of Salem and priest of El Elyon, the Most High God. Following Abraham's victory over allied kings, Melchizedek presented bread and wine and blessed Abraham, who in turn gave him a tithe of the spoils. The Psalms reference Melchizedek as a prototype of an eternal priest-king. In the New Testament, the Book of Hebrews explains that Jesus is a high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek, emphasizing his superiority over the Levitical priesthood. Scholars and readers search for this topic to study messianic prophecies, priesthood theology, and biblical typology.
Melchizedek appears in Genesis 14 as 'king of Salem' and 'priest of the most high God.' He blesses Abraham, receives a tithe, and disappears. Psalm 110:4 and Hebrews 5-7 use him as a type pointing forward to the priesthood of Christ, a priesthood older and greater than the Levitical line.
Quick Answer
Melchizedek was a mysterious king of Salem and priest of God Most High who blessed Abraham in Genesis 14, serving as a key prophetic model for the priesthood of Jesus Christ.
Direct answer
Melchizedek was the king of Salem and priest of the most high God who met Abraham in Genesis 14, blessed him, and received a tithe from him. He appears briefly, without genealogy, and disappears.
Psalm 110:4 and Hebrews 5-7 use Melchizedek as a type pointing forward to the priesthood of Christ, a priesthood older and greater than the Levitical priesthood. He is "made like unto the Son of God" (Hebrews 7:3), a fitting picture of the eternal high priest.
Examples
Genesis 14:18-20
King of Salem · priest of the most high God
Psalm 110:4
'a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek'
Hebrews 5-7
Christ as high priest after the order of Melchizedek
Tithe and blessing
Abraham gave him a tenth (Genesis 14:20; Hebrews 7:2)
How it works
The page surveys the three biblical passages on Melchizedek and the typological link to Christ's priesthood developed in Hebrews. References are KJV.
The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.Psalm 110:4, KJV
Genesis 14: a sudden encounter
After Abraham (still called Abram in this chapter) defeats a coalition of kings to rescue his nephew Lot, he is met by Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of the most high God. Melchizedek brings out bread and wine and blesses Abraham, saying: 'Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand' (Genesis 14:19-20). Abraham responds by giving him 'tithes of all.' Melchizedek then disappears from the Genesis narrative without further introduction or genealogy.
Psalm 110: the messianic oracle
Centuries later, David writes Psalm 110, addressed to his 'Lord.' Verse 4 reads: 'The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.' The psalm becomes one of the most quoted Old Testament passages in the New Testament. It points forward to a king-priest who is both Davidic and 'after the order of Melchizedek,' that is, distinct from the Levitical line.
Hebrews: Christ as high priest after Melchizedek
The book of Hebrews develops the Melchizedek theme more than any other New Testament writing. Hebrews 5:6 and 5:10 apply Psalm 110:4 to Christ. Hebrews 7 then argues that Melchizedek's priesthood is older and greater than the Levitical priesthood: Abraham (the ancestor of Levi) paid tithes to Melchizedek and was blessed by him; the lesser is blessed by the greater. Christ, the eternal Son, is the great high priest 'after the order of Melchizedek' (Hebrews 6:20). His priesthood is permanent, unchangeable, and able to save 'to the uttermost' (Hebrews 7:25).
What Hebrews 7:3 actually says
Hebrews 7:3 describes Melchizedek as 'Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.' The natural reading is that the Genesis text does not give his father, mother, or genealogy and does not record his death; therefore he stands in the narrative as a fitting type of the eternal priesthood of Christ. The phrase 'made like unto the Son of God' is significant; Melchizedek is a type pointing to Christ, not Christ himself.
What Christians have done with Melchizedek
Christians have long read Melchizedek typologically. He is the king-priest who blesses Abraham, brings out bread and wine, and receives a tithe; Christ is the king-priest who blesses Abraham's heirs, gives the eucharistic bread and wine, and offers himself once for all (Hebrews 10:10-14). The Melchizedek material is brief but theologically heavy, and it is the foundation of the New Testament's portrayal of Christ as our great high priest.
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Frequently asked questions
Genesis 14:18-20 describes Melchizedek as 'king of Salem' and 'priest of the most high God.' He meets Abraham after Abraham's victory over a coalition of kings, brings out bread and wine, blesses Abraham, and receives a tithe of the spoils from him. He appears suddenly in the narrative without a genealogy or backstory, plays a brief role, and is not mentioned again in Genesis.
Three places. (1) Genesis 14:18-20, the original encounter with Abraham. (2) Psalm 110:4: 'The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek,' a messianic oracle. (3) Hebrews 5-7, which draws on both passages to argue that Jesus is the great high priest 'after the order of Melchizedek,' a priesthood superior to and prior to the Levitical priesthood of the Old Testament law.
Some Christian interpreters have proposed this, pointing to Hebrews 7:3 ('Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life'). The historic and majority view is more careful: Hebrews 7:3 means that the Genesis text does not record his lineage, birth, or death, leaving him a fitting type of the eternal priesthood of Christ. He is a type or pattern of Christ, not Christ himself. Hebrews 7:3 says he was 'made like unto the Son of God,' which fits the typological reading.
Most readers identify Salem with the future site of Jerusalem (compare Psalm 76:2: 'In Salem also is his tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Zion'). The name Salem (related to shalom) means 'peace.' Hebrews 7:2 notes the pun: Melchizedek means 'king of righteousness,' and 'king of Salem' means 'king of peace.' These titles are part of the typology pointing to Christ.
Hebrews argues that Melchizedek represents a priesthood that is older and greater than the Levitical priesthood. Abraham (the father of all Israel, including Levi) paid tithes to Melchizedek and was blessed by him; in Hebrews's logic, the lesser is blessed by the greater. Christ, the eternal Son, is the great high priest 'after the order of Melchizedek' (Psalm 110:4; Hebrews 5:6, 5:10, 6:20). His priesthood is permanent and effective in a way the Levitical priesthood could not be.
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