Hebrews 7:20 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And it was not without an oath. For those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath,

NIV: And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath,

NASB: And to the extent that it was not without an oath

CSB: None of this happened without an oath. For others became priests without an oath,

NLT: This new system was established with a solemn oath. Aaron’s descendants became priests without such an oath,

KJV: And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest:

NKJV: And inasmuch as He was not made priest without an oath

This passage compares the priesthood of the Old Testament with that of Jesus Christ, who is described as a priest of the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 5:5–6). The conclusion is that Jesus offers a greater priesthood, and a more complete salvation, because of the superiority of His office. These verses explain specific areas where the Old Testament priesthood is limited and flawed. As such, it is ultimately useless for our ultimate salvation (Hebrews 7:18). Christ, on the other hand, is the Promised One whom the law was meant to teach us about (Galatians 3:19—4:7).

In this verse, the author of Hebrews points out that the Levitical priests took on their roles by inheritance: "without an oath." Priests were priests because they were of the tribe of Levi (Numbers 3:5–10). Jesus, however, has been guaranteed His eternal priesthood by God (Psalm 110:4). This relates to the other weaknesses of the priesthood, shown in the next few verses:namely, that priests can only serve until they die (Hebrews 7:23) and they themselves are sinful (Hebrews 7:27). Jesus, on the other hand, lives forever (Hebrews 7:16) and is without sin (Hebrews 4:15; 7:27).

Hebrews 7:11–28 expands on prior arguments related to the priesthood of Jesus Christ. Here, the author shows how the priesthood of Jesus is superior to that of the Old Testament Law. This uses the figure of Melchizedek as a model. Christ's priesthood is sinless, perfect, unending, and decreed as such by God. The Levitical priesthood was temporary, flawed, imperfect, and could not last forever. This better promise, in Christ, is tied into the confidence we have as believers.

When Abraham met with Melchizedek in the Old Testament, he honored him with tithes. This shows that Abraham recognized Melchizedek's superiority. Since the Old Covenant was flawed—based on limited priests and limited sacrifices—it is inferior to the priesthood of Melchizedek, which is unending. Jesus Christ fulfills God's promise to establish a priest ''forever'' in a way which perfectly meets our needs.

Chapters 5 and 6 detoured from the main theme in order to present a warning about faithlessness and apostasy. Chapter 7 returns to the topic of Melchizedek, who represents a mysterious but important moment in Old Testament history. Here, the author will show how Melchizedek was superior to Abraham, and that Melchizedek's priesthood is superior to the priesthood of Aaron. This leads into the next chapters, which show how Jesus Christ perfectly fulfills our salvation in ways which the Old Covenant cannot.

The book of Hebrews is meant to challenge, encourage, and empower Christian believers. According to this letter, Jesus Christ is superior to all other prophets and all other claims to truth. Since God has given us Christ, we ought to listen to what He says and not move backwards. The consequences of ignoring God are dire. Hebrews is important for drawing on many portions of the Old Testament in making a case that Christ is the ultimate and perfect expression of God's plan for mankind. This book presents some tough ideas about the Christian faith, a fact the author makes specific note of.