V. 3.— Without father, without mother, without descent, hating neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.
We have already observed that Melchisedec was a man; he must, therefore, have had a father and a mother, but his priesthood was not by descent like that of the sons of Aaron, “ having neither beginning of days nor end of life.” We may again observe that in the description given of Melchisedec no conjecture is admissible; we must suppose nothing, but take the account given in Scripture as we find it, without addition or diminution. Now in regard to his parents the Scripture is silent, and it was not the intention of the Holy Ghost by the Apostle to add to the information already given. We read nothing of his father or mother, or of his descent. We read of Aaron and his sons being consecrated to, and entering on, the priest’ s office, and of their deaths, but nothing of this kind is related of Melchisedec. He appears in the Scripture as a royal priest executing his office, and there he remains a remarkable type of the Son of God whose priesthood is everlasting.