A priest (literally or figuratively)
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ἱερεύς is the NT's word for the priestly office — and Hebrews uses it to make its central claim: Jesus is not a Levitical priest but a priest of a different and superior order, Melchizedek's. The argument of Heb 7 turns on the permanence: the Levitical priests were many because they were mortal — 'the former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office' (7:23).
Reader summary
Full entry for ἱερεύς (G2409) · Open the biblical lexicon
ἱερεύς is the NT's word for the priestly office — and Hebrews uses it to make its central claim: Jesus is not a Levitical priest but a priest of a different and superior order, Melchizedek's. The argument of Heb 7 turns on the permanence: the Levitical priests were many because they were mortal — 'the former priests were many in number, because they were.
The BSB source-word alignment has 31 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include priests (15), priest (10), a priest (5), [and] priest (1).
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 8:4. Its strongest book concentrations include Hebrews (14), Luke (5), Acts (3), Matthew (3).
This entry includes 1 verse guide that explain exact original-language forms in context.
ἱερεύς is the NT's word for the priestly office — and Hebrews uses it to make its central claim: Jesus is not a Levitical priest but a priest of a different and superior order, Melchizedek's. The argument of Heb 7 turns on the permanence: the Levitical priests were many because they were mortal — 'the former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office' (7:23).
Jesus 'holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever' (7:24). This permanent priesthood means permanent intercession: 'he always lives to make intercession for them' (7:25). The priestly office is regularly presented as mediation: standing between the holy God and sinful people and marking the need for God-given access. Jesus is the ἱερεύς who does not merely approach on behalf of others but who is himself both the priest and the sacrifice (Heb 9:11-14), both the one who offers and the one offered.
And because his offering was once-for-all, the work of mediation is not ongoing in terms of repeated sacrifice but permanent in terms of intercession.
The local NT index currently counts about 31 occurrences for G2409. Hebrews supplies the densest theological treatment. The Synoptics use it in healing narratives (show yourself to the priest) and in the Good Samaritan. Revelation deploys the corporate priesthood of believers (1:6; 5:10; 20:6).
For it is testified: “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”
The Ps 110:4 citation is the linchpin in Hebrews' argument. Melchizedek's order is superior to Levi's for three reasons Hebrews develops: (1) Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek, and Levi was 'in the loins of Abraham' — so Levi tithed to Melchizedek; (2) Melchizedek blessed Abraham, and the lesser is blessed by the greater; (3) the Melchizedek priest is 'forever' — the Levitical priests die. The Ps 110 word functions in Hebrews as prophetic evidence that God intended a priesthood beyond the Levitical order.
Therefore He is able to save completely those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them.
The present tense of Jesus' priestly work: 'always lives to make intercession.' The sacrifice was once; the intercession is permanent. This is the NT's answer to the question of what the ascended Christ is doing — He is at the Father's right hand as the living ἱερεύς, presenting His own finished work on behalf of every believer who draws near.
No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God, just as Aaron was.
The ἱερεύς is not self-appointed. This verse is the bridge between the Aaronic prototype and Jesus: both were called by God, not self-installed. The distinction from false or presumptuous priesthood (Num 16; Uzziah in 2 Chr 26:16-21) is that God initiates the call. Jesus' priesthood rests on divine appointment, not human succession.
Who has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and power forever and ever! Amen.
The corporate priesthood: believers as ἱερεῖς (priests) in Christ. Rev 1:6 and 5:10 both echo Exod 19:6 ('a kingdom of priests') — the covenant people's identity finally realized in the church through Christ. The priestly access once restricted to Aaron and his sons is now opened to believers through the mediating priesthood of Jesus.
Now by chance a priest was going down the same road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
The Good Samaritan parable's ἱερεύς — the one whose office is mediation and whose calling is to stand between holy God and needy people — passes by the wounded man. The irony is total: the priest who officiates at sacrifice ignores the sacrifice of compassion. Jesus uses the ἱερεύς's failure to define the neighbor-love that the law requires.
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders ItA compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
Verse-level guides showing how this original-language form works in its specific context, including grammar, verse function, and guarded interpretation.
Greek word. One who performs sacred duties mediating between divine and human realms through ritual sacrifice and intercession.
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
16 of 32 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
a priest
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Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
This word appears as a noun across 7 case and number patterns. The form changes show how the word functions in a sentence; they do not change the basic lexical meaning by themselves.
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Showing 3 selected witnesses from 31 lexical occurrence verses.
ἱερεύς is built from this root:
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Heb 7:25 — 'he always lives to make intercession for them' — is the pastoral heart of Jesus' priestly office. The sacrifice was once, at Calvary; the intercession is permanent, at the Father's right hand. The believer who comes to God in prayer is not approaching a distant deity but drawing near through a living High Priest who has already secured the access.
The 'uttermost' of 'able to save to the uttermost' is not a boast about scope alone but a claim about completeness: nothing is beyond the reach of the one who always lives to intercede. The word 'always' is the pastoral anchor: not merely able to intercede, but continuously doing so without pause.
Heb.7.25
The distinction between ἱερεύς (priest, one who offers sacrifice) and ἀρχιερεύς (G0749, high priest) matters in Hebrews: Jesus is presented as both in different arguments. As ἱερεύς he is in the priestly line; as ἀρχιερεύς (Heb 4:14-16; 9:11) he is the supreme mediator who enters the Holy of Holies itself. The Melchizedek parallel in Heb 7 uses ἱερεύς because Ps 110:4 uses the basic priestly term, not the high-priestly one — the argument is about the order of priesthood, not the rank within a single order.
The OT foundation: Aaron's call (Exod 28-29) → the Levitical priestly code (Lev 8-9) → Ps 110:4 ('a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek') → NT: Heb 5-10 (Jesus as the superior ἱερεύς) → Heb 7:25 (permanent intercession) → Heb 9:11-14 (high priest of the greater tabernacle, his own blood) → Rev 1:6; 5:10 (believers as priests in the new creation) → Rev 20:6 ('they will be priests of God and of Christ'). The trajectory from Levitical exclusivity to universal priestly access is the priestly arc of Scripture.
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