Hebrews 7:17

Heb_7:17. Scripture proof for κατὰ δύναμιν ζωῆς ἀκαταλύτου, Heb_7:16. This Scripture proof the author finds in the εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, Psa_110:4, upon which words, therefore, the emphasis rests in Heb_7:17.

μαρτυρεῖται γάρ] for he (namely, the ἱερεὺς ἕτερος, Heb_7:15, i.e. Christ) has the testimony. μαρτυρεῖται is not to be taken impersonally: it is witnessed (Bleek, Bisping, Conybeare, al.).

ὅτι] recitative, as Heb_10:8, Heb_11:18.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Heb 7:17 . That Jesus carries on His work perennially is proved by Scripture. “For it is witnessed Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek,” not merely as in Heb 7:11 , κατὰ τ . τάξιν Μ ., although this itself involves the perpetuity of the priesthood, but expressly and emphatically εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα . Heb 7:18-19 taking up the idea of Heb 7:16 affirm the negative and positive result of the superseding of the fleshly ordinance by the power of an indestructible life. On the one hand there is an ἀθέτησις προαγούσης ἐντολῆς , “a setting aside of a foregoing enactment,” that namely which is referred to in Heb 7:17 , and on the other hand, there is “a further bringing in of a better hope”. ἐπεισαγωγὴ κρείττονος ἐλπίδος , the ἐπί in ἐπεισαγωγή balances προαγούσης , and indicates that the better hope was introduced over and above all that had already been done in the same behalf of bringing men to God. The μὲν … δὲ indicate that the sentence must thus be construed, and not as rendered in A.V. The reason of this replacement of the old legal enactment is given in the clause, διὰ τὸ αὐτῆς ἀσθενὲς καὶ ἀνωφελές “on account of its weakness and uselessness”. This arrangement depending on the flesh was helpless to achieve the most spiritual of achievements, the union of man with God, the bringing together in true spiritual fellowship of sinful and earthly man with the holy God. So Paul found that arrangements of a mechanical and external nature were ἀσθενῆ καὶ πτωχὰ στοιχεῖα , Gal 4:9 . “The uselessness (unhelplessness) of the priesthood was proved by its inability to aid men in that ἐγγίζειν τῷ Θεῷ , which is their one want” (Vaughan). The ordinance regulating the priesthood failed to accomplish its object; and indeed this characterised the entire system of which it was a characteristic part. οὐδὲν γὰρ ἐτελείωσεν ὁ νόμος , “for nothing was brought to perfection by the law”. The law made beginnings, taught rudiments, gave initial impulses, hinted, foreshadowed, but brought nothing to perfection, did not in itself provide for man’s perfect entrance into God’s fellowship. Therefore there was introduced that which did achieve in perfect form this reconcilement with God, viz .: a better hope, which is therefore defined as διʼ ἧς ἐγγίζομεν τῷ Θεῷ , “by which we draw near to God”. The law said (Exo 19:21 ) διαμάρτυραι τῷ λαῷ μήποτε ἐγγίσωσι πρὸς τὸν Θεόν . The “better” hope is that which springs from belief in the indestructible life of Christ and the assurance that that life is still active in the priestly function of intercession. It is the hope that is anchored within the veil fixed in Christ’s person and therefore bringing us into God’s presence and fellowship.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For--proving His life to be "endless" or indissoluble (Heb 7:16). The emphasis is on "for ever." The oldest manuscripts read, "He is testified of, that Thou art," &c.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 17. For he testifieth] That is, either the Scripture, in the place so often quoted, or God by that Scripture.

Thou art a priest for ever] This is the proof that he was not appointed according to the carnal commandment, but according to the power of an endless life, because he is a priest for ever; i.e. one that never dies, and is never disabled from performing the important functions of his office; for if he be a priest for ever, he ever lives.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

17. Thou art a priest forever, etc. It is on the single word forever, that the Apostle lays stress in this passage; for he confirms what he said of an indissoluble life. He then shows that Christ differs from the whole race of Levi, because he is made a priest for ever.

But here it may be objected, as the Jews also do, that the word,לעולם laoulam, does not always mean eternity, but the extent of one age, or, at farthest, a long time; and it is added, that when Moses speaks of the ancient sacrifices, he often uses this expression, “This ordinance shall be forever.” (Exodus 12:17, and 19:9.) To this I answer that whenever the sacrifices of the Law are mentioned, “forever” is to be confined to the time of the Law; nor ought this to be deemed strange; for by the coming of Christ a certain renovation of the world was effected. Whenever, then, Moses speaks of his own ministration, he extends the longest time no farther than to Christ. It must yet be also observed, that “forever” is applied to the ancient sacrifices, not with regard to the external ceremony, but on account of their mystical signification. On the present occasion, however, this reason ought to be sufficient, that Moses and his ministrations were for ever; that is, until the coming of the kingdom of Christ, under whom the world was renovated. Now when Christ is come, and a perpetual priesthood is given to him, we can find no end to his age, so that it cannot terminate after a certain period of time. So when applied to him, the word ought to be understood in the sense of eternity; for by the context we are always to judge of the meaning of the word, לעולםlaoulam

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(17) For he testifieth.—A slight change of reading makes the sense clearer: “For witness is borne to him”—as to this “power” of indissoluble life—in the words of the prophecy itself.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

17. he testifieih] Rather, “he is testified of.”

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment,.... Not the moral law; though what is here said of the commandment may be applied to that; that is sometimes called the commandment, Rom 7:12 it went before the promise of the Messiah, and the Gospel of Christ, and the dispensation of it; it is in some respects weak; it cannot justify from the guilt of sin, nor free from the power of it, nor secure from death, the punishment of it, nor give eternal life; though it has a power to command, accuse, convince, and condemn: and it is also unprofitable in the business of justification and salvation; though otherwise it is profitable to convince of sin, to show what righteousness is, and to be a rule of conversation to the saints in the hand of Christ; yet not this, but the ceremonial law is meant, which is the commandment that respected the Levitical priesthood, and is called a carnal one, and is inclusive of many others, and, which distinguishes that dispensation from the Gospel one: and this may be said to be

going before; with respect to time, being before the Gospel state, or the exhibition of the new covenant of grace; and with respect to use, as a type or shadow of good things to come; and as it was a schoolmaster going before, and leading on to the knowledge of evangelical truths: and this is now disannulled, abrogated, and made void; the middle wall of partition is broken down, and the law of commandments contained in ordinances is abolished:

for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof; the ceremonial law was weak; it could not expiate or atone for sin, in the sight of God; it could not remove the guilt of sin from the conscience, but there was still a remembrance of it; nor could it cleanse from the filth of sin; all it could do was, to expiate sin typically, and sanctify externally to the purifying of the flesh; and all the virtue it had was owing to Christ, whom it prefigured; and therefore, being fulfilled in him, it ceased: and it was "unprofitable"; not before the coming of Christ, for then it was a shadow, a type, a schoolmaster, and had its usefulness; but since his coming, who is the body and substance of it, it is unprofitable to be joined to him; and is of no service in the affair of salvation; and is no other than a grievous yoke of bondage; yea, is what renders Christ unprofitable and of no effect, when submitted to as in force, and as necessary to salvation; and because of these things, it is abolished and made null and void. The Jews, though they are strenuous assertors of the unalterableness of the law of Moses, yet sometimes are obliged to acknowledge the abrogation of the ceremonial law in the times of the Messiah; the commandment, they say (r), meaning this, shall cease in the time to come; and again,

"all sacrifices shall cease in the future state, or time to come, (i.e. the times of the Messiah,) but the sacrifice of praise (s).''

(r) T. Bab. Nidda, fol. 61. 2. (s) Vajikra Rabba, scct. 9. fol. 153. 1. & sect. 27. fol. 168. 4.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

17 For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

Ver. 17. For he testfieth] Thus the author still argueth out of Scripture, as knowing that quicquid non habet authoritatem ex Scripturis, eadem facilitate contemnitur qua approbatur, whatsoever is not grounded upon Scripture authority is as easily rejected as received. (Jerome.)

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For he testifieth - “That this is the true account of it is proved by the testimony of God himself, that he was to be a priest for ever;” see the note on Heb 5:6.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

For he testifieth: this is proved by infallible testimony in Psa 110:4, God the Father himself solemnly declared him to be so before the angels in heaven, and revealed it to men on earth by the prophet David.

Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec: that as Melchisedec had no end of days recorded, so this is repeated again to prove, that the Priest after his similitude, i.e. after his order, (the words being here synonymous), must continue for ever. Christ was not a temporary Priest by a carnal law, but was made a Priest for ever, with everlasting power endowed to save all his people: see Heb 7:24,25,28, and Mat 1:21.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

17. He—The psalmist, or the Spirit that inspired him.

Testifieth—Upon the testimony of this psalm our author grounds himself by repeated quotations as impregnably sustaining all his positions. This testimony involves in itself all the particulars he evolves from it. It is the middle point between him and the Melchizedekian passage in Genesis.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

17. Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedek. See Ps. 110:4. This declares that the Christ shall be a priest, a priest forever, a priest not of the order of Aaron, but of Melchizedek; a priest-king whose office abideth continually.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

17. μαρτυρεῖται אABDE. Rec. μαρτυρεῖ.

17. μαρτυρεῖται, “he is testified of.”

ὅτι. This serves the purpose of our modern marks of quotation.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

17.] Proof of the last clause: κατασκευάζει πῶς εἶπε τὸ ἀκαταλύτου ζωῆς, καί φησιν ὅτι ἡ γραφὴ λέγει αὐτὸν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα εἶναι ἱερέα. Thl. The stress of the citation is on εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. For he (the ἱερεὺς ἓτερος) is borne witness of that (just as in μαρτυρούμενος ὅτι ζῇ, ver. 8. The ὅτι belongs, not to the citation, but to the verb. If the rec. μαρτυρεῖ be taken, ὁ θεός must be supplied, as in ch. 1:6, and passim in this Epistle. And then also the ὅτι belongs to the verb) Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedek.

18,

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

17. μαρτυρεῖται yap ὅτι Σύ... for tt 48 witnessed of him, Thou art... Vulg. contestatur enim quoniam Tu...... - Comp. v. 8. The quotation establishes both the eternity and the charactor of tho new pricsthood (els τὸν αἰῶνα, κατὰ τὴν τ. M.).

The direct nal reference in the Psalm (Σὺ ἱερεύς...) has not been given since tho first quotation: v. 6. It occurs again in v. 21.

18,19. ἀθέτησις μὲν γάρ.. ἐπεισαγωγὴ δέ.. j for or there is a disannulling... and a bringing in thereupon.. Vulg. Reprobatio quidem At...introductio vero...The yap goes back to v. 15. The conclusion there pointed to is confirmed by the docisivo fact that the promised priesthood is not only distinct frum the Levitical but also irreconcileable with it, exclusive of it; so far, that is, that the Levitical priesthood has no longer any ground for continuance when this has been established.

The whole seutonco is dividod by μέν and δέ into two corresponding parte. Tivera: goon with both; and οὐδὲν..«νόμος is parenthetical This construction appears to be established decisively by the correspondence of ἀθέτησις.. ἐπεισαγωγή, and of the general scopo of the two clauscs. Tho ‘commandment’ stands over against the ‘hope,’ the ‘weakness and unpro_ fitableness’ of the one over against the power of the other, whereby ‘we draw nigh to God. Παύεται, φησίν, 6 νόμος ἐπεισάγεται δὲ ἡ τῶν κρειττόνων ἐλπίς (Thdt.).

Brooke Foss Westcott (1825–1901), The Epistle to the Hebrews (1889) and The Epistles of St John (1883) — public domain (pre-1929). Text recovered from Internet Archive / Google Books OCR scans. Westcott’s Gospel of John commentary is not included (its OCR lost the chapter running-heads required for reliable verse-keying). Some Greek quoted in the Hebrews volume is imperfectly rendered by the OCR.