‘The Word of Righteousness’
. . . and having been perfected, He came to be the Author of eternal salvation to all the ones who obey Him, having been called by God as a High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek. Concerning whom we have much to discuss but it’s hard to interpret since you are spiritually dull and don’t seem to listen. For indeed because at the time you ought to be teachers, you still need to have someone to teach you again the basic principles of the Words of God; you are still in need of milk, not solid food; like an infant who is incapable of understanding / experiencing ‘the Word of Righteousness’.
Hebrews 5:9-13
The Word ‘Righteousness‘
. . . and having been perfected, He came to be the Author of eternal salvation to all the ones who obey Him, having been called by God as a High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek. Concerning whom we have much to discuss but it’s hard to interpret since you are spiritually dull and don’t seem to listen. For indeed because at the time you ought to be teachers, you still need to have someone to teach you again the basic principles of the Words of God; you are still in need of milk, not solid food; like an infant who is incapable of understanding the Word ‘Righteousness’.
Hebrews 5:9-13
Over the last number of Gems I have outlined the key issues with this passage in Hebrew relating to ‘The Word of Righteousness’, Jesus and Melchizedek. In Gem 2095 I told you that the phrase ‘The Word of Righteousness’ is unique in Scripture. It is used nowhere else. Then I showed you how the Bible versions handle the phrase, dividing into three different camps in terms of interpreting the phrase in Gems 2096 and 2097. I then highlighted the difference between treating the phrase as an objective genitive which results in understanding the word ‘righteousness’ and a subjective genitive where the phrase could even be perceived to see Jesus Himself as the Word of Righteousness and hence the personification of the term in Gem 2098. Finally, in Gem 2099 I demonstrated that it is very difficult to state what the point of comparison is between Jesus and Melchizedek. Well you have to admit, I did tell you it was a difficult concept. No wonder the author of Hebrews made the comment – there is much to discuss about this but it is hard to explain because of the fact his hearers or readers were still infants and not ready for the explanation.
I have given you above two different translations of this passage. The first which treats the phrase in focus as a subjective genitive personifying Jesus as The Word of Righteousness. The second translation treats the phrase as an objective genitive focused on the word ‘righteousness‘. I have a sneaking suspicion that the author meant it both ways. He is saying how can we understand the concept of righteousness and Jesus as the Word of Righteousness, when many of us don’t even understand the word ‘righteousness’. Even more difficult is to understand Jesus as the personification of ‘The Word of Righteousness’ and therefore the centre of comparison between Christ and Melchizedek.
I believe the author of Hebrews is drawing the readers’ attention to the fact that they don’t know the basics about the meaning of the word righteousness and so how can they know the significance of Jesus as the Word of Righteousness in the way in which John uses the Word in John 1:1 and in John 1:14. I have demonstrated already that Jesus is The Word Who became flesh. Paul has told us that Jesus is the Righteousness of God. It is very clear to me that the writer to the Hebrews (and also to us) is making it very clear to us by the use of the names Melchizedek and Jesus.
In Gem 2091 I told you:-
The Meaning of Melchizedek
Melchizedek in Hebrew is:-[מלכּי־צדק] malkı̂ẏ-tsedeq “my king of salem” or “my king who is tsedeq”. [צדק] can mean Salem as in (Jeru)salem a derivative of “shalom” or it can mean just, right, righteous, righteousness.
It is like Zedekiah which is a combination of [Zedek] and [iah], where [iah] is the equivalent of [Yahweh]. Zedekiah Hebrew [Ṣidqīyyāh] – “The LORD is my righteousness” or “the LORD is just” or “my righteousness is the LORD”. I find it interesting that some versions don’t make the true meaning or complication of the word or name of Melchizedek clear. Rather than being the King of Justice, the word in the causative form of the verb has the sense of “being made just”. ‘Righteousness’ is a better translation of the word zedek (tsidik) than ‘justice’. The emphasis is less on ‘justice’ and more on ‘being made just or righteous’ or ‘having righteousness’.
Can it be any clearer than that? Melchizedek is called the “King of Salem” or the “King of Peace”. Jesus is called the Word of Righteousness and the Prince of Peace. Melchizedek’s name literally means my King is righteousness. I am convinced that the author of Hebrews wanted us to see the significance of the parallel between Melchizedek and Jesus. He continues to repeat that God has made this Jesus (The Son), High Priest after the order of Melchizedek. It is like the author is leading us to the inescapable conclusion that the comparison is found in the names. I am convinced that is why he is leading us on with so many repetitions on the statement that Jesus is High Priest in the order of Melchizedek. It is plain to see there is no order of Melchizedek the author can appeal to. The answer must be found in the meaning of the names. I find it fascinating that later in Chapter 7:1-3 he will refer to Melchizedek as being a priest of the Most High God, king of Salem, which is, king of peace, without father, without mother, without genealogy, nor beginning of days, nor having end of life, but having been made like the Son of God, he remains a priest in perpetuity. Just look at the similarities between them. When we get to chapter 7 of Hebrews I will construct a table of the comparisons between them. There are more surprises coming through the book of Hebrews.
One thing is indisputable. Jesus is being compared with Melchizedek. It is like the writer is telling the Jewish Christians at the time he wrote the letter and us centuries later that there is much to tell them about this. What is this? The Greek of verse 5:11 reads:
Περὶ οὗ πολὺς ἡμῖν ὁ λόγος καὶ δυσερμήνευτος λέγειν
About whom much {to us} the word and {hard to explain} {to say}
The little Greek word [οὗ] is “whom” or “this”. It is the relative pronoun referring either to Melchizedek who is the immediate, last reference; or to Jesus who the writer was talking about in verses 5 to 9. Or the author could be talking about ‘all of this’. In other words the relationship between Christ and Melchizedek and how they are both word pictures of righteousness, giving us a deep understanding of what righteousness really is. You can see why many see Melchizedek as a type of Christ. Some even go so far as to say Melchizedek is a Christophany. Like a Theophany, when God appears in some way, literally or as an angel; is this Melchizedek a manifestation of Christ in the Old Testament? Was Melchizedek an angel? I would say, “No, absolutely not!” That would just muddy the waters after the author has gone to great lengths to show Jesus is far greater than angels. The author used the word [aphomoioō] ‘similar’ or ‘has similarity to’ Jesus (Christ); therefore leaving us to think the appearance of Melchizedek in the Old Testament was a Christophany. I am not willing to comment about that any further. I made my understanding clear in the last Gem. I have not investigated the Old Testament text well enough. But I do believe it is inescapable that the writer of Hebrews is drawing out the comparisons between Jesus and Melchizedek while focusing on the key term of righteousness. It is not that Jesus is a type of Melchizedek but that Melchizedek is a type of Christ.
In essence the author of Hebrews is focusing on the word righteousness and its meaning and making it clear to the Jewish Christians there is much to say about the word ‘righteousness’ and Jesus as the Righteousness of God. But it is hard to explain it all when the fundamental teaching of Christ needs to be explained over and over to them. How will they ever understand word pictures and analogies related to ‘righteousness’? Righteousness [dikaiosuné] is far more than “doing what is right” or “knowing the difference between right and wrong”. How this all fits with Jesus being “the Word of Righteousness” I will attempt to explain in the following Gem.
Jesus Christ is ‘the Prince of Peace’, the ‘Righteousness of God’ and the “Word of Righteousness”.
Ian
Melchizedek is “the King of Peace” and his name means “My King is Righteousness”. The question is: Who is his King?
Ian
The writer of Hebrews is making a deep statement about the meaning of righteousness and who Jesus is.
Ian
The more aware you are of your own sinfulness, the more gracious you are to others. Judging others reveals self-righteousness.
Rick Warren