Focused Passage

Hebrews 7:20-28

The Superior Priesthood of Christ After the Order of Melchizedek

Hebrews 7 shows that Melchizedek's superiority to Abraham and Levi anticipates Christ's superior priesthood, which replaces the weak and temporary Levitical order with an oath-secured, permanent, saving priesthood.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

20And none of this happened without an oath. For others became priests without an oath,

21but Jesus became a priest with an oath by the One who said to Him: “The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind: ‘You are a priest forever.’”

22Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.

23Now there have been many other priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office.

24But because Jesus lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood.

25Therefore He is able to save completely those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them.

26Such a high priest truly befits us—One who is holy, innocent, undefiled, set apart from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.

27Unlike the other high priests, He does not need to offer daily sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people; He sacrificed for sin once for all when He offered up Himself.

28For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 20

Original words

AndΚαὶG2532Conjunction. . .καθ’G2596PrepositionnoneοὐG3756Adverbof thisὅσονG3745Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular[happened] withoutχωρὶςG5565Prepositionan oathὁρκωμοσίαςG3728Noun - Genitive Feminine SingularForγὰρG1063Conjunction-εἰσὶνG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural[others]οἱG3588Article - Nominative Masculine Plural-μὲνG3303ConjunctionbecameγεγονότεςG1096Verb - Perfect Participle Active - Nominative Masculine PluralpriestsἱερεῖςG2409Noun - Nominative Masculine PluralwithoutχωρὶςG5565Prepositionan oathὁρκωμοσίαςG3728Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Verse 21

Original words

butδὲG1161Conjunction[Jesus became a priest]G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularwithμετὰG3326Prepositionan oathὁρκωμοσίαςG3728Noun - Genitive Feminine SingularbyδιὰG1223Prepositionthe [One who]τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularsaidλέγοντοςG3004Verb - Present Participle Active - Genitive Masculine SingulartoπρὸςG4314PrepositionHimαὐτόνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular[The] LordΚύριοςG2962Noun - Nominative Masculine Singularhas swornὬμοσενG3660Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctionvvvοὐG3756Adverbwill not change His mindμεταμεληθήσεταιG3338Verb - Future Indicative Passive - 3rd Person SingularYou [are]ΣὺG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 2nd Person Singulara priestἱερεὺςG2409Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularvvvεἰςG1519PrepositionvvvτὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine SingularforeverαἰῶναG165Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular

BSB notes

  • Psalm 110:4
Verse 22

Original words

Because ofΚατὰG2596PrepositionthisτοσοῦτοG5118Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular[oath]καὶG2532ConjunctionJesusἸησοῦςG2424Noun - Nominative Masculine Singularhas becomeγέγονενG1096Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular[the] guaranteeἔγγυοςG1450Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singularof a betterκρείττονοςG2909Adjective - Genitive Feminine Singular - ComparativecovenantδιαθήκηςG1242Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Verse 23

Original words

NowΚαὶG2532Conjunction. . .μὲνG3303ConjunctionthereεἰσινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Pluralhave beenγεγονότεςG1096Verb - Perfect Participle Active - Nominative Masculine PluralmanyπλείονέςG4119Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural - Comparative[other]οἱG3588Article - Nominative Masculine PluralpriestsἱερεῖςG2409Noun - Nominative Masculine PluralsinceδιὰG1223Preposition-τὸG3588Article - Accusative Neuter SingulardeathθανάτῳG2288Noun - Dative Masculine Singularprevented them fromκωλύεσθαιG2967Verb - Present Infinitive Middle or Passivecontinuing [in office]παραμένεινG3887Verb - Present Infinitive Active
Verse 24

Original words

ButδὲG1161Conjunction-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularbecauseδιὰG1223Preposition[Jesus]αὐτὸνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular-τὸG3588Article - Accusative Neuter SingularlivesμένεινG3306Verb - Present Infinitive ActivevvvεἰςG1519PrepositionvvvτὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine SingularforeverαἰῶναG165Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularHe hasἔχειG2192Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular-τὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine Singulara permanentἀπαράβατονG531Adjective - Accusative Feminine SingularpriesthoodἱερωσύνηνG2420Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Verse 25

Original words

ThereforeὅθενG3606Conjunction-καὶG2532ConjunctionHe is ableδύναταιG1410Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singularto saveσῴζεινG4982Verb - Present Infinitive ActivevvvεἰςG1519PrepositionvvvτὸG3588Article - Accusative Neuter SingularcompletelyπαντελὲςG3838Adjective - Accusative Neuter Singularthose whoτοὺςG3588Article - Accusative Masculine Pluraldraw nearπροσερχομένουςG4334Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Masculine Plural-τῷG3588Article - Dative Masculine Singularto GodΘεῷG2316Noun - Dative Masculine Singularthroughδι’G1223PrepositionHimαὐτοῦG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular[since He] alwaysπάντοτεG3842AdverblivesζῶνG2198Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular-εἰςG1519Preposition-τὸG3588Article - Accusative Neuter Singularto intercedeἐντυγχάνεινG1793Verb - Present Infinitive ActiveforὑπὲρG5228PrepositionthemαὐτῶνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural

BSB notes

  • Or forever
Verse 26

Original words

SuchΤοιοῦτοςG5108Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singulara high priestἀρχιερεύςG749Noun - Nominative Masculine SingulartrulyγὰρG1063Conjunction-καὶG2532ConjunctionbefitsἔπρεπενG4241Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularusἡμῖνG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 1st Person Plural[One who is] holyὅσιοςG3741Adjective - Nominative Masculine SingularinnocentἄκακοςG172Adjective - Nominative Masculine SingularundefiledἀμίαντοςG283Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singularset apartκεχωρισμένοςG5563Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine SingularfromἀπὸG575Preposition-τῶνG3588Article - Genitive Masculine PluralsinnersἁμαρτωλῶνG268Adjective - Genitive Masculine PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctionexaltedγενόμενοςG1096Verb - Aorist Participle Middle - Nominative Masculine SingularaboveὑψηλότεροςG5308Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular - ComparativetheτῶνG3588Article - Genitive Masculine PluralheavensοὐρανῶνG3772Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural
Verse 27

Original words

[Unlike]ὥσπερG5618Adverbthe [other]οἱG3588Article - Nominative Masculine Pluralhigh priestsἀρχιερεῖςG749Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural[He]ὃςG3739Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine SingulardoesἔχειG2192Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularnotοὐκG3756AdverbneedἀνάγκηνG318Noun - Accusative Feminine Singularto offerἀναφέρεινG399Verb - Present Infinitive Activevvvκαθ’G2596PrepositiondailyἡμέρανG2250Noun - Accusative Feminine SingularsacrificesθυσίαςG2378Noun - Accusative Feminine PluralfirstπρότερονG4386Adverb - ComparativeforὑπὲρG5228Preposition[His]τῶνG3588Article - Genitive Feminine PluralownἰδίωνG2398Adjective - Genitive Feminine PluralsinsἁμαρτιῶνG266Noun - Genitive Feminine Pluraland thenἔπειταG1899Adverbfor [the sins]τῶνG3588Article - Genitive Feminine Pluralof theτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularpeopleλαοῦG2992Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular-γὰρG1063ConjunctionHe [sacrificed for sin]ἐποίησενG4160Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular. . .τοῦτοG3778Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singularonce for allἐφάπαξG2178Adverbwhen He offered upἀνενέγκαςG399Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine SingularHimselfἑαυτὸνG1438Reflexive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Verse 28

Original words

ForγὰρG1063ConjunctiontheG3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularlawνόμοςG3551Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularappointsκαθίστησινG2525Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singularas high priestsἀρχιερεῖςG749Noun - Accusative Masculine PluralmenἀνθρώπουςG444Noun - Accusative Masculine Pluralwho areἔχονταςG2192Verb - Present Participle Active - Accusative Masculine PluralweakἀσθένειανG769Noun - Accusative Feminine SingularbutδὲG1161ConjunctiontheτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingularoathὁρκωμοσίαςG3728Noun - Genitive Feminine Singularwhich [came]τῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingularafterμετὰG3326PrepositiontheτὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine SingularlawνόμονG3551Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine Singular[appointed]λόγοςG3056Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular[the] SonΥἱόνG5207Noun - Accusative Masculine Singularwho has been made perfectτετελειωμένονG5048Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Masculine SingularvvvεἰςG1519PrepositionvvvτὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine SingularforeverαἰῶναG165Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.