Jeremiah 33:18

Jer 33:18 Neither shall the priests the Levites want a man before me to offer burnt offerings, and to kindle meat offerings, and to do sacrifice continually.

Ver. 18. Neither shall the priest want a man.] The same man Christ Jesus, who is, as a King everlasting, so a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek; and his sacrificing of himself once is more than equivalent to the daily perpetual sacrificing. Whereunto may be added the continuance of an evangelical ministry in the Church to the world’s end. {Mat 28:20 Eph 4:11-13}

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.

33:18 After the exiles returned to Jerusalem, Levitical priests conducted worship in the new Temple (Ezra 6:13-22).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

That is chiefly meant of the spiritual sacrifice of thanksgiving, which is left to the Church in the time of Christ, who was the everlasting Priest, and the everlasting sacrifice figured by the sacrifices of the Law.

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

Messiah's literal priesthood (Heb 7:17, Heb 7:21, Heb 7:24-28), and His followers' spiritual priesthood and sacrifices (Jer 33:11; Rom 12:1; Rom 15:16; Pe1 2:5, Pe1 2:9; Rev 1:6), shall never cease, according to the covenant with Levi, broken by the priests, but fulfilled by Messiah (Num 25:12-13; Mal 2:4-5, Mal 2:8).

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 18. Neither shall the priests the Levites want a man] This is a repetition of the promise made to Phinehas, Nu 25:13.

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

As to the priesthood, the same difficulty might be raised, for we know that the priesthood became corrupted; nay, that for the most part the priests not only became degenerate, but altogether sacrilegious. Hence the sacerdotal name itself became nothing else but a base and wicked profanation of all sacred things. But it was God’s purpose in this manner to shew that another priest was to be expected, and that men were not to look on figures and types, but were to raise their thoughts higher, even to him who was to be the only true Mediator to reconcile God to men.

By saying, who may kindle a burnt-offering, etc., he specifies certain things, or some parts of the priest’s office, because the Prophets accommodated their discourses to men of their own age and time, and described the kingdom and priesthood of Christ under those external symbols, which were then in use. It is hence proper to take the ceremonies of the Law as denoting the reality, or what they signified. For Christ offered no calves, nor any incense, but fulfilled all these things which were then set forth to the people under symbols. And he speaks of burning, or perfuming the oblation, מנחה, meneche, for though the oblation remained entire, there was yet a perfuming made by frankincense, and a small portion of the flour was burnt. It is then a mode of speaking, when a part is stated for the whole. It now follows —

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.

(18) Neither shall the priests the Levites want a man . . .—Here again we have a promise which received a fulfilment other than that which the words appeared to imply, and which doubtless was in the prophet’s thoughts. The Levitical priesthood passed away (Heb_7:11), but Christ was made a Priest after the order of Melchizedek; and by virtue of their union with Him, His people became a holy priesthood (Heb_10:19-22), offering, not the burnt-offerings and meat-offerings which were figures of the true, but the spiritual sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving (1Pe_2:5), the sacrifice of body, soul, and spirit, which alone was acceptable to God (Rom_12:1).

The special combination, “the priests the Levites,” is not found elsewhere in Jeremiah, but appears in Deu_17:9; Deu_18:1; Jos_3:3; 2Ch_30:27; Eze_43:19; Eze_44:15; Isa_66:21. As far as it has any special significance, it may indicate either that the priestly character, though not the specific priestly functions, extended to the whole tribe of Levi, or, more probably, that Jeremiah speaks of the Levite-priests of Judah as contrasted with the priests of the “high places,” or such as Jeroboam had made of the lowest of the people.

To kindle meat offerings.—The meat-offering, or minchah, it will be remembered, was of meal and frankincense, not of flesh (Lev_2:1-15). It was burnt with fire on the altar, and the fragrant smoke was a “sweet savour unto the Lord.”

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

18. The making of the Levites co-extensive with the priests, while in consonance with the Deuteronomic legislation (e.g. Deu_17:9; Deu_17:18), was no longer recognised in Nehemiah’s day. Probably this passage was written after the change had in effect taken place, while yet the earlier phrase was retained.

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.

Neither shall the priests the Levites want a man before me,.... The Levitical priesthood has been abolished long ago; that was typical of Christ's priesthood, and is succeeded by it; who is a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek; and who, having offered up himself a sacrifice here on earth for his people, ever appears in heaven, in the presence of God, on their behalf, making intercession for them; and as long as he continues to do so, which will be always, a man shall not be wanting before the Lord:

to offer burnt offerings, and to kindle meat offerings, and to do sacrifice continually; that is, to present that sacrifice before him, and plead the efficacy and virtue of it with him, which was typified by all those sacrifices, and has superseded them, being much better than they. Some understand this of a continuance of Gospel ministers unto the end of the world, who succeeded the priests and Levites; but as they are never called priests and Levites in the New Testament; nor were they properly the successors of the priests and Levites; rather it may be applied unto all believers now, who are priests unto God, and offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Christ; but the first sense is best.

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

Priests. This promise relates to the Christian priesthood; which shall also continue for ever: the functions of which (more especially the great sacrifice of the altar) are here expressed, by the name of holocausts, and other offerings of the law, which were so many figures of the Christian sacrifice. (Challoner) --- The Levitical sacrifices have ceased for 17 centuries. But Christ will officiate by his ministers till the end of time. (Calmet) --- St. Hypolitus and all the fathers agree that the blessed Eucharist is the complement of all the ancient sacrifices. (Worthington)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

The best interpreters understand this of a ministry to abide in the church to the end of the world, according to Mat 28:20; nor is it unusual for God in the Old Testament to express promises relating to, and to be fulfilled under, the gospel by expressions and terms proper to the Old Testament, as Isa 66:23; and in this sense it must be expounded, or restrained to the times immediately following the captivity; but it is generally understood as a promise for a gospel ministry to succeed the ministry in the Jewish church, and to abide to the end of the world.

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

Neither shall the priests the Levites, etc. It has Been thought that this passage is inconsistent with the prophecies of a time when the ark should no more be remembered, (Jer_3:16) and when all should know Jehovah from the least to the greatest. (Jer_31:34) But though sin offerings would in this glorious time become things of the past, yet thank offerings are expressly excepted from abolition (ver. 11), and in Jer_31:14 a special latter-day promise is given to the priests. Moreover, Ezekiel, who repeats the prophecy of the new spiritual covenant, (Eze_11:19 Eze_36:26 Eze_37:26) gives an elaborate sketch of a new temple with a sacrificial system; (Jer 40, etc.) and, if there is any inconsistency, we find the same one in the latter part of Isaiah. In Isa_61:6 the whole regenerate people of Israel is called "the priests of Jehovah;" but in Isa_66:21 the prophet distinctly states that there will be, in some sense, a priestly class within the chosen people.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

A man - That is, a ministry to abide in the church to the end of the world, nor is it unusual for God in the Old Testament to express promises to be fulfilled under the gospel by expressions proper to the Old Testament.

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

for all time There shall not be cut off from them seed fit to offer up a burnt-offering or to burn a meal-offering.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.