Heb 7:23-24 | Barnes | STEP | Verse 23. And they truly . Under the Jewish dispensation. The object of this verse, and the following, is to state one more reason of the excellence of the priesthood of Christ. It is that, owing to the frailty of human nature and the shortness of life, the office of priest there was continually changing. But here there was no such change. Christ, being exalted to the heavens to live for ever there, has now an unchangeable priesthood, and everything in regard to his office is permanent.

Hebrews 7:23-24

Verse 23. And they truly. Under the Jewish dispensation. The object of this verse, and the following, is to state one more reason of the excellence of the priesthood of Christ. It is that, owing to the frailty of human nature and the shortness of life, the office of priest there was continually changing. But here there was no such change. Christ, being exalted to the heavens to live for ever there, has now an unchangeable priesthood, and everything in regard to his office is permanent. Verse 24. But this man. Gr., "But he"--referring to Christ.

Because he continueth ever. Gr., "Because he remains for ever." 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 ease with the Jewish priests, because they were mortal. The reason, in their ease, 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 ease of the Lord Jesus, and therefore his priesthood would be permanent.

Hath an unchangeable priesthood. Marg., "or, which passeth not from one to another." The margin expresses the sense of the passage. The idea is not strictly that it was unchangeable, 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.

(b) "unchangeable" "which passeth not from on to another" (1) "priesthood" 1Sam 2:35