Hebrews 7:16-21
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
16 who has become so, not by a law expressed in a commandment concerning physical descent but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed.[a] 17 For it is testified:
“You are a priest forever
according to the order of Melchizedek.”(A)
18 On the one hand, a former commandment is annulled because of its weakness and uselessness,(B) 19 for the law brought nothing to perfection; on the other hand, a better hope[b] is introduced, through which we draw near to God. 20 [c]And to the degree that this happened not without the taking of an oath[d]—for others became priests without an oath, 21 but he with an oath, through the one who said to him:
“The Lord has sworn, and he will not repent:(C)
‘You are a priest forever’”—
Footnotes
- 7:16 A life that cannot be destroyed: the life to which Jesus has attained by virtue of his resurrection; it is his exaltation rather than his divine nature that makes him priest. The Old Testament speaks of the Aaronic priesthood as eternal (see Ex 40:15); our author does not explicitly consider this possible objection to his argument but implicitly refutes it in Hb 7:23–24.
- 7:19 A better hope: this hope depends upon the sacrifice of the Son of God; through it we “approach the throne of grace” (Hb 4:16); cf. Hb 6:19, 20.
- 7:20–25 As was the case with the promise to Abraham (Hb 6:13), though not with the levitical priesthood, the eternal priesthood of the order of Melchizedek was confirmed by God’s oath (Hb 7:20–21); cf. Ps 110:4. Thus Jesus becomes the guarantee of a permanent covenant (Hb 7:22) that does not require a succession of priests as did the levitical priesthood (Hb 7:23) because his high priesthood is eternal and unchangeable (Hb 7:24). Consequently, Jesus is able to save all who draw near to God through him since he is their ever-living intercessor (Hb 7:25).
- 7:20 An oath: God’s oath in Ps 110:4.
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