Heb 7:17, 21, 24-28 | JFB | STEP | 17. For-- proving His life to be "endless" or indissoluble ( ). The emphasis is on "for ever." The oldest manuscripts read, "He is testified of, that Thou art," &c.

‏ Hebrews 7:17

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

‏ Hebrews 7:21

‏ Hebrews 7:24-28

24. 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 He 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 (1Pe 5:1).

25. Wherefore--Greek, "Whence"; inasmuch as "He remaineth for ever."

also--as a natural consequence flowing from the last, at the same time a new and higher thing [Alford].

save--His very name Jesus (He 7:22) meaning Saviour.

to the uttermost--altogether, perfectly, so that nothing should be wanting afterwards for ever [Tittmann]. It means "in any wise," "utterly," in Lu 13:11.

come unto God--by faith.

by him--through Him as their mediating Priest, instead of through the Levitical priests.

seeing he ever liveth--resuming "He continueth ever," He 7:24; therefore "He is able to the uttermost"; He is not, like the Levitical priest, prevented by death, for "He ever liveth" (He 7:23).

to make intercession--There was but the one offering on earth once for all. But the intercession for us in the heavens (He 7:26) is ever continuing, whence the result follows, that we can never be separated from the love of God in Christ. He intercedes only for those who come unto God through Him, not for the unbelieving world (Joh 17:9). As samples of His intercession, compare the prophetical descriptions in the Old Testament. "By an humble omnipotency (for it was by His humiliation that He obtained all power), or omnipotent humility, appearing in the presence, and presenting His postulations at the throne of God" [Bishop Pearson]. He was not only the offering, but the priest who offered it. Therefore, He has become not only a sacrifice, but an intercessor; His intercession being founded on His voluntary offering of Himself without spot to God. We are not only then in virtue of His sacrifice forgiven, but in virtue of the intercession admitted to favor and grace [Archbishop Magee].

26. such--as is above described. The oldest manuscripts read, "also." "For to US (as sinners; emphatical) there was also becoming (besides the other excellencies of our High Priest) such an High Priest."

holy--"pious" (a distinct Greek word from that for holy, which latter implies consecration) towards God; perfectly answering God's will in reverent piety (Psa 16:10).

harmless--literally, "free from evil" and guile, in relation to Himself.

undefiled--not defiled by stain contracted from others, in relation to men. Temptation, to which He was exposed, left no trace of evil in Him.

separate--rather, "separated from sinners," namely, in His heavenly state as our High Priest above, after He had been parted from the earth, as the Levitical high priest was separated from the people in the sanctuary (whence he was not to go out), Le 21:12. Though justifying through faith the ungodly, He hath no contact with them as such. He is lifted above our sinful community, being "made higher than the heavens," at the same time that He makes believers as such (not as sinners), "to sit together (with Him) in heavenly places" (Ep 2:6). Just as Moses on the mount was separated from and above the people, and alone with God. This proves Jesus is God. "Though innumerable lies have been forged against the venerable Jesus, none dared to charge Him with any intemperance" [Origen].

made--Jesus was higher before (Joh 17:5), and as the God-MAN was made so by the Father after His humiliation (compare He 1:4).

higher than the heavens--for "He passed through [so the Greek] the heavens" (He 4:14).

27. daily--"day by day." The priests daily offered sacrifices (He 9:6; 10:11; Ex 29:38-42). The high priests took part in these daily-offered sacrifices only on festival days; but as they represented the whole priesthood, the daily offerings are here attributed to them; their exclusive function was to offer the atonement "once every year" (He 9:7), and "year by year continually" (He 10:1). The "daily" strictly belongs to Christ, not to the high priests, "who needeth not daily, as those high priests (year by year, and their subordinate priests daily), to offer," &c.

offer up--The Greek term is peculiarly used of sacrifices for sin. The high priest's double offering on the day of atonement, the bullock for himself, and the goat for the people's sins, had its counterpart in the TWO lambs offered daily by the ordinary priests.

this he did--not "died first for His own sins and then the people's," but for the people's only. The negation is twofold: He needeth not to offer (1) daily; nor (2) to offer for His own sins also; for He offered Himself a spotless sacrifice (He 7:26; He 4:15). The sinless alone could offer for the sinful.

once--rather as Greek, "once for all." The sufficiency of the one sacrifice to atone for all sins for ever, resulted from its absolute spotlessness.

28. For--reason for the difference stated in He 7:27, between His one sacrifice and their oft repeated sacrifices, namely, because of His entire freedom from the sinful infirmity to which they are subject. He needed not, as they, to offer For His own sin; and being now exempt from death and "perfected for evermore," He needs not to REPEAT His sacrifice.

the word--"the word" confirmed by "the oath."

which--which oath was after the law, namely, in Psa 110:4, abrogating the preceding law-priesthood.

the Son--contrasted with "men."

consecrated--Greek, "made perfect" once for all, as in He 2:10; 5:9; see on He 2:10; He 5:9. Opposed to "having infirmity." Consecrated as a perfected priest by His perfected sacrifice, and consequent anointing and exaltation to the right hand of the Father.