Hebrews 7:23

And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(23) Were many priests.—Rather, have been made priests many (i.e., in large numbers), because by death they were prevented from continuing. (Comp. Hebrews 7:8, where the thought is somewhat similar.)

Benson Commentary

Hebrews 7:23-25. And there were many priests — One after another, because they were hindered by death from continuing in the perpetual execution of their office. But this man, because he continueth ever — In life and in his office; hath an unchangeable priesthood — One that passes not from one to another. Wherefore — From whence it appears; that he is able to save to the uttermost — From sin and its consequences, into the favour and image of God, and to preserve to eternal life, all that by faith and prayer come to God through him — As their priest; seeing he ever liveth to make intercession — That is, he lives and intercedes, in every circumstance of their respective lives, through all successive ages and generations. He died once, he intercedes perpetually. “The nature of the apostle’s argument requires that by Christ’s always living we understand his always living in the body: for it is thus that he is a sympathizing High-Priest, who in his intercession pleads the merit of his death to procure the salvation of all who come unto God through him. Agreeably to this account of Christ’s intercession, the apostle (Hebrews 7:27) mentions the sacrifice of himself, which Christ offered as the foundation of his intercession. Now, as he offered that sacrifice in heaven, (Hebrews 8:2-3,) by presenting his crucified body there, and as he continually resides there in the body, some of the ancients were of opinion that his continual intercession consists in the continual presentation of his humanity before his Father, because it is a continual declaration of his earnest desire of the salvation of men, and of his having, in obedience to his Father’s will, made himself flesh, and suffered death to accomplish it. This opinion is confirmed by the manner in which the Jewish high-priest made intercession for the people on the day of atonement, and which was a type of Christ’s intercession in heaven. He made it not [merely or chiefly] by offering prayers for them in the most holy place, but by sprinkling the blood of the sacrifices on the mercy-seat, in token of their death. And as by that action he opened the earthly holy places to the prayers and worship of the Israelites during the ensuing year; so Jesus, by presenting his humanity continually before the presence of his Father, opens heaven to the prayers of his people in the present life, and to their persons after the resurrection.” See Macknight.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

7:11-25 The priesthood and law by which perfection could not come, are done away; a Priest is risen, and a dispensation now set up, by which true believers may be made perfect. That there is such a change is plain. The law which made the Levitical priesthood, showed that the priests were frail, dying creatures, not able to save their own lives, much less could they save the souls of those who came to them. But the High Priest of our profession holds his office by the power of endless life in himself; not only to keep himself alive, but to give spiritual and eternal life to all who rely upon his sacrifice and intercession. The better covenant, of which Jesus was the Surety, is not here contrasted with the covenant of works, by which every transgressor is shut up under the curse. It is distinguished from the Sinai covenant with Israel, and the legal dispensation under which the church so long remained. The better covenant brought the church and every believer into clearer light, more perfect liberty, and more abundant privileges. In the order of Aaron there was a multitude of priests, of high priests one after another; but in the priesthood of Christ there is only one and the same. This is the believer's safety and happiness, that this everlasting High Priest is able to save to the uttermost, in all times, in all cases. Surely then it becomes us to desire a spirituality and holiness, as much beyond those of the Old Testament believers, as our advantages exceed theirs.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

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 forever there, has now an unchangeable priesthood, and everything in regard to his office is permanent.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

23. Another proof of superiority; the Levitical priests were many, as death caused the need of continually new ones being appointed in succession. Christ dies not, and so hath a priesthood which passes not from one to another.

were—Greek, "are made."

many—one after another; opposed to His "unchangeable (that does not pass from one to another) priesthood" (Heb 7:24).

not suffered to continue—Greek, "hindered from permanently continuing," namely, in the priesthood.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

And they truly were many priests: this further demonstrates the excellency of Christ’s priesthood above the Aaronical for its singularity and self-sufficiency; whereas theirs was, for the multiplicity of it, weak, vanishing, and mortal, like themselves. They had multitude of priests together under the high priest, to manage the service, and above seventy high priests, beside their sagans, such as were to officiate for them if at any time they were legally disabled from the institution of the Aaronical order, to the destruction of the temple, and were made according to the law successively.

Because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death; death cut them off one after another; they were all mortal, and could not abide, neither in their priesthood or life, Exodus 28:43. Death transmitted that priesthood from one unto another, till the priesthood itself, by the succession of a better, was abolished, and did expire; so frail, passing, and imperfect were both their persons and office.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And they truly were many priests,.... There were many common priests at a time; and though there was but one high priest at a time, yet there were many of them in a line of succession from Aaron down to the apostle's time. The Jews say (u), that under the first temple eighteen high priests ministered, and under the second temple more than three hundred: this shows the imperfection of this priesthood, since it was in many hands; no one continuing and being sufficient to execute it; but Christ is the one and only high priest; there is no other, nor is there any need of any other: the reason why there were so many under the law was,

because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death; death has a power to forbid a long continuance in this world, and no man does continue long here: death puts a stop to men's works, and to the exercise of their several callings; no office, even the most sacred, exempts from it; no, not the office of high priests: these were but men, sinful men, and so died; and their discontinuance by reason of death shows the imperfection of their priesthood: there was another reason besides this which the apostle gives, why the high priests were so many, and especially about this time; and that is, the office was bought for money, and men that would give most were put into it: hence there were frequent changes; the Jews themselves say, they changed every twelve months (w).

(u) T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 9. 1. Piske Tosephot Zebachim, Art. 72. (w) T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 8. 2.

Geneva Study Bible

{11} And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:

(11) Another argument for the same purpose. The Levitical priests (as mortal men) could not be everlasting, but Christ, as he is everlasting, so has he also an everlasting priesthood, making most effectual intercession for them who come to God by him.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

Hebrews 7:23. Καί] parallel to the καί, Hebrews 7:20.

καὶ οἱ μὲν πλείονές εἰσιν ἱερεῖς γεγονότες] and they on the one hand have as several (or as a plurality) become priests, i.e. of Levitical priests there is a multiplicity. Attention is not here called to the peculiarity that many priests always existed contemporaneously the one with the other (so Erasmus, Paraphr., Braun, Delitzsch), or that “the Levitical priesthood was not given to one, but to a lineage” (Hofmann). That which is meant is—as is evident from the immediately following διὰ τὸ θανάτῳ κωλύεσθαι παραμένειν, and from Hebrews 7:24—the successive plurality, in that one dies after another, and consequently the one succeeds the other. For the author in thus speaking has before his mind the high priests, since it is just with these that Christ is placed in parallel. Comp. Hebrews 7:26 ff., al.

διὰ τὸ θανάτῳ κωλύεσθαι παραμένειν] because (wrongly de Wette: “by the fact that”) they are (wrongly de Wette and Bisping: “were”) prevented by death from continuing.

παραμένειν] not: ἐν τῇ ἱερωσύνῃ (so Oecumenius, who is followed by Grotius, Seb. Schmidt, Storr, Kuinoel, Klee, Stein, Bloom-field, Delitzsch, Riehm, Lehrbegr. des Hebräerbr. pp. 459, 437; Alford, Maier, Kurtz, Hofmann, Woerner, and others). It denotes, as is clear from the corresponding διὰ τὸ μένειν αὐτὸν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, Hebrews 7:24, to continue in life. Comp. also Php 1:25, and Meyer ad loc.

Hebrews 7:23-25. Third point of superiority of the priesthood of Christ over the Levitical priesthood. The Levitical priests die one after the other; Christ’s priesthood, on the other hand, is, since He ever lives, an unchangeable and intransitory one. The author consequently lays special stress upon that point of superiority to which already, Hebrews 7:16 f. (comp. Hebrews 7:8), he had pointed.

Expositor's Greek Testament

Hebrews 7:23-25. Another ground of the perfectness of the new priesthood is found in the continued life of the priest, who ever lives to make intercession and can therefore save completely, whereas the Levitical priests were compelled by death to give place to others.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

23. many priests] Lit., “And they truly have been constituted priests many in number.”

they were not suffered to continue by reason of death] The vacancies caused in their number by the ravages of death required to be constantly replenished (Numbers 20:28; Ezekiel 22:20; Ezekiel 22:30).

Bengel's Gnomen

Hebrews 7:23. Πλείονες, many) one after another.—παραμένειν) to remain together on earth. The antithesis is μένειν, to remain absolutely in heaven, Hebrews 7:24.

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 23, 24. - And they indeed have been made priests many in number, because of being by death hindered from continuing. But he, because of his abiding forever, hath his priesthood unchangeable. This second point of contrast has already been twice touched on - ver. 8, with respect to the claim to tithe; and ver. 16, with respect to the order of priesthood: here it is with especial reference to the eternal personality, and hence the perpetual and complete efficiency, of our one Priest. The repetitions are not tautological, having each time different bearings. The contrast here, as before, is between mortal men who succeed each other in the office of priesthood, and One who has the office inherent in himself forever. The word ἀπαράβατον (translated "unchangeable") is taken by some in an intransitive sense, as in margin of the A.V., that doth not pass to another, equivalent to ἀδιάδοχον. This, however, is not the proper force of this late Greek word, nor does the sense of the passage of necessity require it. Hebrews 7:23

Vincent's Word Studies

Were many priests (πλείονές εἰσιν γεγονότες ἱερεῖς)

Comp. Hebrews 7:21 for the construction. Rend. have been made priests many in number.

Because they were not suffered to continue (διὰ τὸ κωλύεσθαι παραμένειν)

Rend. because they are hindered from continuing. Παραμένειν "to abide by their ministration."