Hebrews 7:21

Hebrews 7:21

(For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:)

a. ASV: (For they indeed have been made priests without an oath; but he with an oath by him that saith of him, The Lord sware and will not repent himself, Thou art a priest for ever);

b. YLT: And he with an oath through Him who is saying unto him, 'The Lord sware, and will not repent, Thou art a priest -- to the age, according to the order of Melchisedek;')

d. Amplified Bible Classic: For those who formerly became priests received their office without its being confirmed by the taking of an oath by God, but this One was designated and addressed and saluted with an oath, The Lord has sworn and will not regret it or change His mind, You are a Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

1. “(For those priests were made without an oath…”

a. For [Strong: 1063 gár, gar; a primary particle; properly, assigning a reason (used in argument, explanation or intensification; often with other particles):—and, as, because (that), but, even, for, indeed, no doubt, seeing, then, therefore, verily, what, why, yet.]

b. [those] priests [Strong: 2409 hiereús, hee-er-yooce'; from G2413; a priest (literally or figuratively):—(high) priest.]

c. were [Strong: 3303 mén, men; a primary particle; properly, indicative of affirmation or concession (in fact); usually followed by a contrasted clause with G1161 (this one, the former, etc.):—even, indeed, so, some, truly, verily. Often compounded with other particles in an intensive or asseverative sense.]

d. [Strong: 1526 eisí, i-see'; 3rd person plural present indicative of G1510; they are:—agree, are, be, dure, × is, were.]

e. made [Strong: 1096 gínomai, ghin'-om-ahee; a prolongation and middle voice form of a primary verb; to cause to be ("gen"-erate), i.e. (reflexively) to become (come into being), used with great latitude (literal, figurative, intensive, etc.):—arise, be assembled, be(-come, -fall, -have self), be brought (to pass), (be) come (to pass), continue, be divided, draw, be ended, fall, be finished, follow, be found, be fulfilled, + God forbid, grow, happen, have, be kept, be made, be married, be ordained to be, partake, pass, be performed, be published, require, seem, be showed, × soon as it was, sound, be taken, be turned, use, wax, will, would, be wrought.]

  

f. without [Strong: 5565 chōrís, kho-rece'; adverb from G5561; at a space, i.e. separately or apart from (often as preposition):—beside, by itself, without.]

g. [an] oath [Strong: 3728 horkōmosía, hor-ko-mos-ee'ah; from a compound of G3727 and a derivative of G3660; asseveration on oath:—oath.]

1). Although the Aaronic priesthood was ordained by God, designed by God, it was not made by an oath.

a). Exodus 28:1 And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons.

2). Dake: Paul’s argument here is that God has never failed to fulfill His oaths. Since He did not establish the Levitical Priesthood or the Law of Moses by an oath, He was free to change or abolish them at His pleasure.

2.  “...but this with an oath by him that said unto him…”

a. but [Strong: 1161 horkōmosía, hor-ko-mos-ee'ah; from a compound of G3727 and a derivative of G3660; asseveration on oath:—oath.]

b. this with [Strong: 3326 metá, met-ah'; a primary preposition (often used adverbially); properly, denoting accompaniment; "amid" (local or causal); modified variously according to the case (genitive association, or accusative succession) with which it is joined; occupying an intermediate position between G575 or G1537 and G1519 or G4314; less intimate than G1722 and less close than G4862):—after(-ward), × that he again, against, among, × and, + follow, hence, hereafter, in, of, (up-)on, + our, ×and setting, since, (un-)to, + together, when, with (+ -out). Often used in composition, in substantially the same relations of participation or proximity, and transfer or sequence.]

c. [an] oath [Strong: 3728 horkōmosía, hor-ko-mos-ee'ah; from a compound of G3727 and a derivative of G3660; asseveration on oath:—oath.]

1). When discussing the spiritual truth that God swore an oath to Abraham in Hebrews 6:13-16 [describing what occurred in Genesis 22:17] Arthur Pink, in his Exposition of Hebrews, writes: “The assurance which was given to Abraham was the greatest that Heaven itself could afford: a promise and an oath. We say the greatest, for in v. 16, the Apostle declares that amongst men an “oath” is an end of strife; how much more when the great God Himself takes one! Moreover, observe He sware “by Himself”: He staked Himself; it was as though He had said, I will cease to be God if I do not perform this. The Lord pledged His veracity, declared the event should be as certain as His existence.”

2). Surely it applies here as well, that the First Person of the Godhead swore an oath to the Second Person of the Godhead. Hallelujah! Praise God!

d. by [Strong: 1223 diá, dee-ah'; a primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through (in very wide applications, local, causal, or occasional):—after, always, among, at, to avoid, because of (that), briefly, by, for (cause) … fore, from, in, by occasion of, of, by reason of, for sake, that, thereby, therefore, × though, through(-out), to, wherefore, with (-in).]

e. [him that] said [Strong: 3004 légō, leg'-o; a primary verb; properly, to "lay" forth, i.e. (figuratively) relate (in words (usually of systematic or set discourse; whereas G2036 and G5346 generally refer to an individual expression or speech respectively; while G4483 is properly to break silence merely, and G2980 means an extended or random harangue)); by implication, to mean:—ask, bid, boast, call, describe, give out, name, put forth, say(-ing, on), shew, speak, tell, utter.]

  

g. unto [Strong: 4314 prós, pros; a strengthened form of G4253; a preposition of direction; forward to, i.e. toward (with the genitive case, the side of, i.e. pertaining to; with the dative case, by the side of, i.e. near to; usually with the accusative case, the place, time, occasion, or respect, which is the destination of the relation, i.e. whither or for which it is predicated):—about, according to , against, among, at, because of, before, between, (where-)by, for, × at thy house, in, for intent, nigh unto, of, which pertain to, that, to (the end that), × together, to (you) -ward, unto, with(-in). In the comparative case, it denotes essentially the same applications, namely, motion towards, accession to, or nearness at.]

h. him [Strong: 846 autós, ow-tos'; from the particle αὖ aû (perhaps akin to the base of G109 through the idea of a baffling wind) (backward); the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons:—her, it(-self), one, the other, (mine) own, said, (self-), the) same, ((him-, my-, thy- )self, (your-)selves, she, that, their(-s), them(-selves), there(-at, - by, -in, -into, -of, -on, -with), they, (these) things, this (man), those, together, very, which.]

3. “...The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:)”

a. [The] Lord [Strong: 2962 kýrios, koo'-ree-os; from κῦρος kŷros (supremacy); supreme in authority, i.e. (as noun) controller; by implication, Master (as a respectful title):—God, Lord, master, Sir.]

b. sware [Strong: 3660 omnýō, om-noo'-o; a prolonged form of a primary, but obsolete ὄμω ómō, for which another prolonged form ὀμόω omóō om-o'-o is used in certain tenses; to swear, i.e. take (or declare on) oath:—swear.]

c. and [Strong: 2532 kaí, kahee; apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:—and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

d. [will] not [Strong: 3756 ou, oo; a primary word; the absolute negative (compare G3361) adverb; no or not:—+ long, nay, neither, never, no (X man), none, (can-)not, + nothing, + special, un(-worthy), when, + without, + yet but.]

e. repent [Strong: 3338 metaméllomai, met-am-el'-lom-ahee; from G3326 and the middle voice of G3199; to care afterwards, i.e. regret:—repent (self).]

  

g. Thou [Strong: 4771 sý, soo; the personal pronoun of the second person singular; thou:—thou.]

h. [art a] priest [Strong: 2409 hiereús, hee-er-yooce'; from G2413; a priest (literally or figuratively):—(high) priest.]

i. for [Strong: 1519 eis, ice; a primary preposition; to or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etc.); also in adverbial phrases:—(abundant-)ly, against, among, as, at, (back-)ward, before, by, concerning, +continual, + far more exceeding, for (intent, purpose), fore, + forth, in (among, at, unto, -so much that, -to), to the intent that, + of one mind, + never, of, (up-)on, +perish, + set at one again, (so) that, therefore(-unto), throughout, til, to (be, the end, -ward), (here-)until(-to), …ward, (where-)fore, with.]

  

j. ever [Strong: 165 aiṓn, ahee-ohn'; from the same as G104; properly, an age; by extension, perpetuity (also past); by implication, the world; specially (Jewish) a Messianic period (present or future):—age, course, eternal, (for) ever(-more), (n-)ever, (beginning of the , while the) world (began, without end).]

k. after [Strong: 2596 katá, kat-ah'; a primary particle; (prepositionally) down (in place or time), in varied relations (according to the case (genitive, dative or accusative) with which it is joined):—about, according as (to), after, against, (when they were) × alone, among, and, × apart, (even, like) as (concerning, pertaining to touching), × aside, at, before, beyond, by, to the charge of, (charita-)bly, concerning, + covered, (dai-)ly, down, every, (+ far more) exceeding, × more excellent, for, from … to, godly, in(-asmuch, divers, every, -to, respect of), … by, after the manner of, + by any means, beyond (out of) measure, X mightily, more, × natural, of (up-)on (X part), out (of every), over against, (+ your) × own, + particularly, so, through(-oughout, -oughout every), thus, (un-)to(-gether, -ward), × uttermost, where(-by), with.]

l. [the] order [Strong: 5010 táxis, tax'-is; from G5021; regular arrangement, i.e. (in time) fixed succession (of rank or character), official dignity:—order.]

m. [of] Melchizedek [Strong: 3198 Melchisedék, mel-khis-ed-ek'; of Hebrew origin (H4442); Melchisedek (i.e. Malkitsedek), a patriarch:—Melchisedec.]