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.
Without father ... - explained by 'without genealogy' or 'descent' (cf. Hebrews 7:6); i:e., his genealogy is not known: whereas a Levitical priest could not dispense with the proof of his descent.
Having neither beginning of days, nor end of life - namely, history not recording his beginning or end, as it has of Aaron. "Days" mean his time of discharging his function. So the eternity in Psalms 110:4 is that of the priestly office chiefly.
Made like - not that he was absolutely "like:" made like, in the particulars here specified. Nothing is said in Genesis of the end of his priesthood, or of his having had either predecessor or successor, which typically represents Christ's eternal priesthood, without beginning or end. Aaron's end is recorded; Melchisedek's, not. "The Son of God" is not said to be made like Melchisedek, but Melchisedek to be "made like unto the Son of God." When Alford denies that Melchisedek was made like the Son of God as to his priesthood, on the ground that Melchisedek was prior to our Lord, he forgets that Christ's eternal priesthood was an archetypal reality in God's purpose from everlasting, to which Melchisedek's priesthood was "made like" in time. Compare Hebrews 8:5, where the heavenly things are represented as the primary archetype of the Levitical ordinances. The words, "Without father, etc. ... beginning of days, nor end ... abideth ... continually," belong
to Melchisedek only in respect to his typical priesthood; in the full sense, they apply to Christ alone.
Melchisedek was, in his priesthood, "made like" Christ, as far as the imperfect type could represent the perfect archetype. 'The portrait of a living man can be seen on the canvas, yet the man is very different from his picture.' There is nothing in Genesis 14:1-24:to mark Melchisedek as superhuman: he is classed with the other kings as a living historic personage; not, as Origen thought, an angel; nor as the Jews, Shem, son of Noah; nor as Calmet, Enoch; nor as the Melchisedekites, the Holy Spirit; nor as others, the Divine Word. He was probably of Shemitic, not Canaanite origin: the last independent representative of the original Shemitic population, which had been vanquished by the Canaanites, Ham's descendants. The greatness of Abraham then lay in hopes; of Melchisedek in present possession. Melchisedek was the highest and last representative of the Noachic covenant, as Christ was the highest and ever-enduring representative of the Abrahamic.
With Melchisedek the priesthood and worship of the true God in Canaan ceased. He was first and last king-priest there, until Christ, the antitype; therefore his priesthood is said to last forever, because it lasts as long as the nature of the thing (namely, his life, and the continuance of God's worship in Canaan) admits. If Melchisedek were literally high priest for ever, then Christ and he would now still be high priests, and we should have two instead of one (!). Tholuck, 'Melchisedek remains in so far as the type remains in the antitype, his priesthood, in Christ.' The father and mother of Melchisedek, as also his children, were not descended from Levi, as the Levitical priests (Hebrews 7:6) were required to be; and are not even mentioned by Moses. The wife of Aaron, Elisheba, the mother from whom the Levitical priests spring, is mentioned; as also Sarah, the mother of the Jewish nation itself. As man, Christ had no father; as God, no mother.