Who Was Melchizedek? — Genesis 14:18–20 Examined

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The Mysterious Appearance in Genesis 14

In Genesis 14:18–20, we encounter an individual who appears suddenly in the narrative, without introduction or backstory, yet bearing titles and authority of remarkable weight. The passage reads:

“And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. Now he was priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said, ‘Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Maker of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.’ And he gave him a tenth of everything.” — Genesis 14:18–20, UASV

This brief account raises several critical questions: Who was this Melchizedek? What does his title mean? How does his role as both king and priest relate to later biblical themes? Why does the New Testament give him such attention, particularly in Hebrews chapter 7?

To answer these questions, we must begin with the actual historical context in Genesis, using the historical-grammatical method of interpretation, and allow Scripture to interpret Scripture—particularly in Psalms and Hebrews—while avoiding speculative or allegorical methods that go beyond what is written.

Melchizedek in Genesis: A Historical Person

Genesis presents Melchizedek straightforwardly as a historical human king-priest, ruling in Salem, an early name for what would later become Jerusalem (cf. Psalm 76:2: “His tabernacle is in Salem”). He is described as “king of Salem” and “priest of God Most High” (El Elyon). The text does not present him as an angelic being or a Christophany (pre-incarnate appearance of Christ), nor does it imply any supernatural origin or immortal status.

Melchizedek brings out bread and wine, customary food items that could symbolize hospitality or covenantal fellowship, but there is no basis in the Genesis account to view them as sacramental. He blesses Abram, invoking “God Most High, Maker of heaven and earth,” and receives from Abram a tithe—a tenth of the spoils from the defeated Mesopotamian coalition.

What is striking in the narrative is Melchizedek’s role as both king and priest, something forbidden under the Law of Moses, which rigidly separated kingship (Judah) and priesthood (Levi). But this separation did not exist in the patriarchal period. Thus, Melchizedek is historically situated prior to the Mosaic Law and Levitical priesthood.

Not a Theophany or a Supernatural Being

There is no biblical support for the theory that Melchizedek was a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ. Genesis never identifies him as divine, nor does it use any theophanic formula such as “the Angel of Jehovah,” which is applied elsewhere in genuine theophanies (e.g., Genesis 16:7–13; 22:11–18).

Moreover, Hebrews 7:3 explicitly says Melchizedek was “resembling the Son of God,” not that he was the Son of God:

“Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest permanently.” — Hebrews 7:3, UASV

The writer of Hebrews is not saying that Melchizedek literally had no parents or never died. He is saying that in the Genesis account, none of these details are recorded. His genealogy, birth, and death are entirely omitted, which is highly unusual in the Hebrew Scriptures, particularly for a priestly figure. This silence is intentional and used typologically, not literally, to highlight aspects of Jesus Christ’s greater priesthood.

The Typology in Psalm 110 and Hebrews 5–7

The next major biblical reference to Melchizedek occurs in Psalm 110:4, a Davidic psalm written around 1000 B.C.E.:

“Jehovah has sworn and will not change his mind, ‘You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.’”

This prophetic statement anticipates a future figure—distinct from the Levitical order—who will hold a permanent priesthood “in the order of Melchizedek.” It is crucial to note that this is the only priesthood in the Old Testament declared to be eternal. The Levitical priesthood was hereditary and time-limited. This distinction is foundational to the argument in Hebrews 7.

In the book of Hebrews, Melchizedek is used as a type or model for Christ’s priesthood. The author emphasizes several points:

Melchizedek’s dual role as both king and priest anticipates Christ’s dual offices.
The absence of genealogy in Genesis typologically foreshadows Christ’s heavenly, non-Levitical priesthood.
Abraham’s act of giving tithes to Melchizedek demonstrates Melchizedek’s superiority over Abraham, and by extension, over Levi, who was still “in the loins” of Abraham (Hebrews 7:9–10).
Christ’s priesthood is said to be “after the order of Melchizedek” and is based on the power of an indestructible life, not on ancestry (Hebrews 7:15–17).

All of this firmly situates Melchizedek as a historical man whose recorded role and attributes were used by God as a model or type of the future Messiah’s priesthood.

Addressing the Shem Theory

Some have speculated that Melchizedek was actually Shem, the son of Noah, who was still alive during Abraham’s time (Shem died at 600 years old, approximately 1846 B.C.E., and Abraham was born in 2167 B.C.E., making them contemporaries for some 150 years). This idea arises mainly from extra-biblical Jewish tradition, not from the biblical text itself.

There are several problems with this view:

Genesis never identifies Melchizedek as Shem, though Genesis is meticulous in its genealogies. If the Holy Spirit intended to inform the reader of such an identification, the text would not have concealed it.
Hebrews 7 rests on the fact that Melchizedek’s genealogy is unknown. If Melchizedek were Shem, then his ancestry would be known (Shem is one of the most documented patriarchs in Genesis).
The anonymity of Melchizedek’s lineage is essential to the typological argument in Hebrews 7. To equate him with Shem undermines that argument entirely.

The theory, while imaginative, contradicts the exegetical and theological framework provided by the inspired Scriptures.

Conclusion: A Historical King-Priest and Type of Christ

Melchizedek was a real, historical human king and priest of Salem, serving as priest of the true God, “El Elyon,” during the days of Abraham. His significance is not in supernatural origin or hidden identity, but in the intentional narrative gaps in Genesis that allow him to serve as a type of the coming Messiah—Jesus Christ—whose priesthood would also be royal, eternal, and apart from the Levitical order.

The author of Hebrews, writing under divine inspiration, uses Melchizedek as a typological pattern to contrast with and surpass the limitations of the Levitical priesthood. Christ, like Melchizedek, is both king and priest, appointed by God, not by lineage, and holds a priesthood that does not end.

Thus, Melchizedek is not a myth, an angel, or a pre-incarnate Christ. He is a shadow of what would be fulfilled in the eternal, unchangeable, and divinely instituted priesthood of the Son of God.

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About the Author

EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored over 220+ books. In addition, Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).