Hebrews 7:24

Heb 7:24. Μένειν, because that He continueth) in life and in the priesthood.—αὐτὸν) because He Himself continues: Σὺ, Thou art a Priest, in the singular.—ἀπαράβατον, not passing away) into the hands of successors.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Heb_7:24. The other, on the other hand, because (not by the fact that, de Wette, Bisping) He abides unto eternity, has His priesthood as an unchangeable one.

μένειν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα] must not be explained, with Estius, Seb. Schmidt, and others, of abiding for ever as priest. For in this way the declaration of Heb_7:24 becomes tautological. The expression denotes the everlasting duration of life (comp. Joh_12:34; Joh_21:22-23; 1Co_15:6; Php_1:25), is thus equivalent to the πάντοτε ζῆν, Heb_7:25.

ἀπαράβατος] a word belonging to later Greek (comp. Lobeck, ad Phryn. p. 313), save here, foreign to the N. T., as also to the LXX. Erasmus, Schlichting, Bengel, Schulz, Böhme, Stengel, Stuart, Ebrard, Hofmann, Conybeare, and the majority, take it in the active signification: not passing over to another, thus remaining with the same person, or unchanging. So, as it would seem, already Theodoret (οὗτος δὲ ἀθάνατος ὢν εἰς ἕτερον οὐ παραπέμπει τῆς ἱερωσύνης τὸ γέρας), Oecumenius (ἀδιάδοχον, ἀτελεύτητον), Theophylact (ἀδιάκοπον, ἀδιάδοχον). More correctly, however, because more consistently with the demonstrable usage of the language (see instances in Wetstein and Bleek), does Bleek, after the precedent of Elsner, insist upon the passive signification: that which may not be overstepped, transgressed; therefore: inviolable, unalterable, immutable, which then, it is true, includes likewise the notion of unchanging.

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.

Which cannot pass away.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

he--emphatic; Greek, "Himself." So in Psa 110:4, "THOU art a priest"; singular, not priests, "many."

continueth--Greek, simple verb, not the compound as in Heb 7:23. "Remaineth," namely, in life.

unchangeable--Greek, "hath His priesthood unchangeable"; not passing from one to another, intransmissible. Therefore no earthly so-called apostolic succession of priests are His vicegerents. The Jewish priests had successors in office, because "they could not continue by reason of death." But this Man, because He liveth ever, hath no successor in office, not even Peter (Pe1 5:1).

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 24. But this] οδε, But he, that is, Christ, because he continueth ever i s eternal, hath an unchangeable priesthood, απαραβατον ιερωσυνην, a priesthood that passeth not away from him; he lives for ever, and he lives a priest for ever.

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

(24) But this man.—Better, But He, because He remaineth for ever, hath His priesthood inviolable (or, unchangeable). The former ordinance related to a race, and the individuals were ever passing away; since His life is “indissoluble” (Heb_7:16), none can trespass on His right and invade His priesthood. The rendering of the margin, “that passeth not from one to another,” expresses nearly the same thought; but it is very doubtful whether the Greek will bear this meaning.

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

24. but this man] Rather, “but He”

hath an unchangeable priesthood] Rather, “hath his priesthood unchangeable” (sempiternum, Vulg.) or perhaps “untransmissible;” “a priesthood that doth not pass to another,” as it is rendered in the margin of our Revised Version. The rendering “not to be transgressed against,” or “inviolate” (intransgressibile, Aug.), is not tenable here. This is the seventh particular of superiority. I think it quite needless to enter into tedious modern controversies as to the particular time of Christ’s ministry at which He assumed His priestly office, because I do not think that they so much as entered into the mind of the author. The one thought which was prominent in his mind was that of Christ passing as our Great High Priest with the offering of His finished sacrifice into the Heaven of Heavens. The minor details of Christ’s Priestly work are not defined, and those of Melchisedek are passed over in complete silence.

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 such an high priest became us,.... Is suitable to us, answers to our cases and necessities, is every way such an one as is wanted:

who is holy; by nature, originally and underivatively, perfectly and completely, internally as well as externally; he was typified by the high priest, who had holiness to the Lord written on his forehead, and far exceeds any of the priests in holiness; and such an one becomes us, for had he not been holy he could not have entered into the holy place for us, or have appeared there on our account, or have been our sanctification; so Philo the Jew speaks of the true priest as being not man, but the divine Word, and as free from all sin voluntary and involuntary (x).

harmless; without any vitiosity in his nature, without guile in his mouth, or malice in his heart; doing no injury to any man's person or property: the character chiefly regards the innocence and holiness of his life and conversation; and in which he exceeded the priests under the law; and is a suitable one for us, for hereby he was fit to be made sin, and to take it away:

undefiled; with the sin of Adam, with which all mankind are defiled; with the blood of slain beasts, with which the priests under the law were sprinkled; with the filthy conversation of the wicked, which affects good men: hence he was more excellent than the priests under the law; and one that becomes us, since his blood is the blood of a lamb, without spot and blemish: the high priests under the law, according to the Jews (y), were to excel their brethren in knowledge, beauty, and riches; but the distinguishing character of our high priest is purity and holiness:

separate from sinners; not but that he took the nature of sinners, though not a sinful nature; and he was often in the company of sinners, when on earth, and was reckoned among them, and as one of them; but he was separated from them in Adam; he was not among the individuals of human nature that sinned in him; and he was brought into the world in a different manner from them, not descending from Adam by ordinary generation; and he had no communion with them in sin; nor did he encourage them to it in the days of his flesh; and now he is removed far from them; and herein he exceeds the priests under the law, and is suitable to us: the Syriac and Ethiopic versions read, "separate from sins"; the allusion seems to be, to the separating of the high priest from his own house to one of the courts of the temple seven days before the day of atonement (z), and so before the burning of the heifers (a):

and made higher than the heavens; than the visible heavens, the airy and starry heavens, and than the angels in heaven; and so preferable to the high priests, and exceedingly agreeable to us, Heb 4:14 the allusion may be to the carrying of the high priest on the day of atonement to an upper chamber in the temple, called the chamber of Abtines (b): this may be understood either of Christ's exaltation in heaven, where angels are subject to him, and his priesthood is completed; or of his excelling the angels in the holiness of his nature, which agrees with the other characters in the text, and stands opposed to the infirmities of the priests.

(x) De Profugis, p. 466, 467. & de Victimis, p. 843. (y) Maimon, & Bartenora in Misn, Yoma, c, 1. sect. 3. (z) Misn. Yoma, c. 1. sect. 1. (a) Misn. Parah, c. 3. sect. 1. (b) Misn. Yoma, c. 1. sect. 5.

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

24 But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.

Ver. 24. He continueth ever] What need then is there of a vicar, as the pope will needs be styled?

An unchangeable] Gr. απαραβατον, impassable. He needeth no successor.

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.

But this man - Greek “But he” - referring to Christ.

Because he continueth ever - Greek “Because he remains forever.” The idea is because he does not die, but ever lives, he has an unchanging priesthood. There is no necessity that he should yield it to others, as was the case with the Jewish priests because they were mortal. The reason in their case, why it passed to others, was not that they did not perform the office well, but that they were mortal, and could not continue to hold it. But this reason could not operate in the case of the Lord Jesus, and therefore his priesthood would be permanent.

Hath an unchangeable priesthood - Margin, “or, “which passeth not from one to another.” The margin expresses the sense of the passage. The idea is not strictly that it was “unchangable,” but that “it did not pass over into other hands.” The Levitical priesthood passed from one to another as successive generations came on the stage of action. This reasoning is not designed to prove that the priesthood of Christ will be literally “eternal” - for its necessity may cease when all the redeemed are in heaven - but that it is permanent, and does not pass from hand to hand,

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

But this man, because he continueth ever; this Priest, Jesus, Heb 7:22, is opposed to the Aaronical multitude; this excellent one, 1Ti 2:5, after his resurrection abideth immortal. He is eternal and permanent for person and office: see Heb 7:25; Rom 6:9. They are vanished, but he continues for ever, Rev 1:17,18.

Hath an unchangeable priesthood; aparabaton, a priesthood that cannot pass from him to any other, as Aaron’s did to his successors: no person is to be a sharer in it, nor a successor to it: it is reciprocal with himself; his individual person terminateth it for ever; he hath no vicars nor successors of his priesthood, whatever the pope pretends to in it.

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

24. This man—Extends his own line of unbroken individual life through ages, into and throughout eternity.

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

He continueth forever - In life and in his priesthood. That passeth not away - To any successor.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

24. But this man, etc. Christ was victorious over death before he entered upon his priesthood; he lives forever, and hence, there is no change of his priesthood.

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.

24. ὁ δέ, “but He.” The A.V. “but this man” is not felicitous.

ἀπαράβατον, “hath his priesthood unchangeable” (Oecumen. ἀτελεύτητον, Theoph. ἀδιάδοχον, sempiternum Vulg.): a rendering which is more in accordance with usage than “untransmissible,” “a priesthood that doth not pass to another,” as it is rendered in the margin of our Revised Version. The rendering “not to be transgressed against,” or “inviolate” (intransgressibile, Aug.), is not tenable here. The word belongs to later Greek, is not found in the LXX., and here only in the N.T. This is the SEVENTH particular of superiority. I think it quite needless to enter into tedious modern controversies as to the particular time of Christ’s ministry at which He assumed His priestly office, because I do not think that they so much as entered into the mind of the author. The one thought which was prominent in his mind was that of Christ passing as our Great High Priest with the offering of His finished sacrifice into the Heaven of Heavens. The minor details of Christ’s Priestly work are not defined, and those of Melchisedek are passed over in complete silence.

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.

24.] but He, on account of his remaining for ever (here again, our former argument conversely applies, and obliges us to understand this μένειν of endurance now in life, not in priesthood. It would be tautology to say, as Estius, Seb. Schmidt, al., “because He remains a priest for ever, He has an unchangeable priesthood:” besides that thus the members of the parallelism would not correspond. They, on account of their deaths, are subject to continual renewal: He, because He lives for ever, has, &c. See, besides reff., Joh 21:22 f.: 1Co 15:6: Php 1:25), hath his priesthood unchangeable (such is the construction: as in such sentences as εἶπε μεγάγῃ τῇ φωνῇ,—and χαλεπὴν ἔχει τὴν ἀποκάθαρσιν, Plut. de Discr. Am. et Adult., § 35, in Bl. The art. in such case is quasi-personal, and the adjective a pure predicate, not an epithet. ἀπαράβατος is a word of later Greek: sec Lob. on Phryn. p. 313 (ἀπαράβατον παραιτοῦ λέγειν, ἀλλʼ ἀπαραίτητον: on which Lob. says, “Ratio convenit: nam παράβατον vetus est sed poeticum: ἀπαράβατον neque vetus, neque oratoricum”). Many expositors, Thdrt., Œc., Thl., al., take it actively, διάδοχον οὐκ ἔχουσαν, μὴ παραβαίνουσαν εἰς ἄλλον. But it seems doubtful whether the word ever has this meaning. Palm and Rost give it, but cite only this place as justifying it. On the other hand, the examples in Bleek and Wetst. all tend to substantiate the passive meaning, unalterable; which may not be passed by or put aside. So Galen i. in Hippocr. says, πρὸς γὰρ τὸ κατεπεῖγον ἀεὶ χρὴ τὸν ἰατρὸν ἵστασθαι, καὶ μὴ καθάπερ νόμον ἀπαράβατον φυλάσσειν τὰ κελευθέντα πράττεσθαι. The same expression, νόμος ἀπαράβατος, is found in Epictet. 75. The sun, in Plut. de Oracul. Defect. p. 410, has a τάξις ἀπαράβατος: and Hierceles, Aur. Carm. p. 26, has, τὸ ἀπαράβατον τῆς ἐν τοῖς δημιουργηθεῖσιν εὐταξίας, and p. 72, ἡ τῶν καθηκόντων τήρησις ἀπαράβατος. So vulg. and D-lat., “sempiternum:” de Fuga Sæculi c. 3 (16), vol. i. p. 424, “imprævaricabile:” Aug. de Pecc. Mer. i. 27 (50), vol. x. pt. i., “intransgressibile”).

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

Hath an unchangeable priesthood [απαραβατον εχει την ιερωσυνην] . Rend. hath his priesthood unchangeable. The A. V. misses the possessive force of the article, his priesthood, and the emphasis is on unchangeable ajparabatov, N. T. o. o LXX This may be explained either as inviolable, or which does not pass over to another. Comp. Exo 32:8; Sir. 23 18. Usage is in favor of the former meaning, but the other falls in better with the course of thought.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

24. ὁ δὲ διὰ τὸ μένειν... τὴν ἱερωσ. He, because He abideth for ever, hath His priesthood inviolable. Vulg. Hic autem eo quod maneat in wternum semptternum habet sacerdotium. In both respects Christ offers a contrast with the Levitical priesta. He ‘abides for ever,’ though in this sonse it is not said that He abides with us (παραμένειν), while they were hindered by death from so abiding. In this respect Christ’s eternal abiding as Son (John viii. 35; xii. 34; comp. ὃ. 28)

is contrasted with the transitory oon-

_tinuance of mortal men on earth. And

again the fact that Ho ‘abides for ovor’ in virtue of His Nature involves the further fact that He will fulfil His priestly office for ever.

Jesus quia immortalis est sempiternum habet sacerdotium; nec ullun habere poterit subsequentem, eo quod ipse maneat in sternum (Primas.).

dwapdBaroy ἔχει τὴν lep.] Literally hath His priesthood inviolable, uniiupaired, and so unchangeable. The word ἀπαράβατος has caused difficulty from early times (Ambr. impreavaricabile, Aug. intransgressible: Thoophict. τουτέστιν ἀδιάκοπον, ddia8oxov). Thero appears to be no indopendent authority for the sense ‘untransmitted,’ ‘that does not pass to another.’ According to the analogy of &8aros, ἐπίβατος, the form παράβατος expresses that which is or may be transgressed, invaded. ‘AwapaSaros is therefore that which cannot be (or in fact is not) overstepped, transgressed, violated, that which is ‘absolute’ Thus Galen speaks of ‘observing an absolute law’ (νόμον ἀπαράβατον φνAdrrew). Oompare Epict. Ench. 50, Quast. ad Orthod. § 27; Jos. o. Ap. ii. 41 (τί εὐσεβείας ἀπαραβάτου (inviolate) he uses it of men ἀπαράβατοι μεμενηxores in connexion with the phraso οὐδ᾽ ἂν αὐτοὶ παραβαίημενλ So the word is used in connexion with θεωρία, τάξις, εἱμαρμένη (comp. Wetst. ad loc.) Christ's Priesthood is His alone, open to no rival claim, liable to no invasion of its functions.

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.