Question:
Why does the Bible say that Melchizedek is "Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life?" Does that mean there are people who did not descend from Adam and Eve?
Answer:
This verse taken alone seems to say exactly that, doesn't it? The best understanding comes from the context of the verse--we can't leave it in isolation. The subject of the context of the passage is the greateness of Melchizedek in terms of his office (the "priesthood") not his greatness as a person. The source of his priesthood is different than those who descended from Levi. Note: "But this man [Melchizedek] who does not have his descent from them [descendants of Levi] received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises." (Hebrews 7:6) His priesthood is different because he was not born into it, as the Levites were. The text even says that in principle the Levites paid tithes to Melchizedek, which underscores the fact that he received his priesthood from a non-Levitical source; that is, not inherited.
There is sufficient evidence to show that Melchizedek was not even an Israelite, but a Canaanite who worshiped the true and living God. He would have done this apart from meeting Abram, who actually came to meet Melchizedek from a polytheistic background!
There is no record showing that Melchizedek received his priesthood from anyone. Furthermore, there is no record indicating the particulars of his birth or his death. Being a man, he was certainly born, but his ministry did not require these vital statistics. Whatever his priesthood was, it was historical, genuine and continues without interruption.
