Hebrews 7:17 kjv
For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
Hebrews 7:17 nkjv
For He testifies: "You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek."
Hebrews 7:17 niv
For it is declared: "You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek."
Hebrews 7:17 esv
For it is witnessed of him, "You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek."
Hebrews 7:17 nlt
And the psalmist pointed this out when he prophesied, "You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek."
Hebrews 7 17 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 110:4 | The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” | Source of prophecy about the Messiah's eternal priesthood. |
| Gen 14:18-20 | Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine... blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High..." | Historical account of Melchizedek, priest-king, to whom Abraham tithed. |
| Heb 5:6 | As he says also in another place, "You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” | Reiteration of Ps 110:4 applied to Christ. |
| Heb 5:10 | and designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek. | God's specific appointment of Christ to this unique order. |
| Heb 6:20 | where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek. | Christ as a priestly forerunner, emphasizing permanence. |
| Heb 7:1-3 | For this Melchizedek... was king of Salem and priest of God Most High... without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God. | Explaining Melchizedek's typological significance to Christ. |
| Heb 7:11 | If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood... why was there still need for another priest to come—one in the order of Melchizedek...? | Highlights the inadequacy of the Levitical priesthood and need for a new order. |
| Heb 7:21 | ...But he became a priest with an oath when God said to him: "The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: 'You are a priest forever.'” | Connects Christ's priesthood to God's irrevocable oath. |
| Heb 7:23-24 | The former priests were many... because they were prevented by death... but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. | Contrasts the mortality of Levitical priests with Christ's permanent one. |
| Heb 7:28 | For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath... appoints the Son, who has been made perfect forever. | Christ's perfect, consecrated, eternal Sonship versus human weakness. |
| Heb 2:17 | Therefore, he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest... | Jesus' humanity is necessary for His high priestly role. |
| Heb 3:1 | Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest. | Call to fix thoughts on Christ as our Apostle and High Priest. |
| Heb 4:14 | Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. | Jesus as the great High Priest who ascended to heaven. |
| Heb 8:1-2 | Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by a mere human being. | Christ ministers from heaven in the true tabernacle. |
| Heb 9:11 | But Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now here. He went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands... | Christ as the High Priest of a superior, heavenly reality. |
| Heb 10:21 | and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God... | Encouragement to draw near through our great priest. |
| Jer 31:31-34 | "The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah..." | Prophecy of the New Covenant, linked to Christ's superior priesthood. |
| Heb 8:6 | But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior... | Christ mediates a better covenant. |
| Heb 9:15 | For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance... | Christ as mediator, bringing eternal inheritance. |
| Isa 9:6-7 | For to us a child is born... The increase of his government and peace will have no end... from this time on and forever. | Messiah's eternal reign, aligning with eternal priesthood. |
| Dan 7:14 | He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. | Messiah's eternal, indestructible dominion. |
| Luke 1:32-33 | He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob's descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” | Angel's prophecy to Mary confirming Christ's eternal kingship. |
| Rev 11:15 | The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever. | Christ's eternal reign reaffirmed in Revelation. |
| Heb 13:20-21 | Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep... | Connects Christ's resurrection to the "eternal covenant." |
Hebrews 7 verses
Hebrews 7 17 Meaning
This verse declares a divine testimony regarding the identity and nature of the Messiah as an eternal priest. It is a direct quotation from Psalm 110:4, a pivotal Old Testament prophecy applied definitively by the author of Hebrews to Jesus Christ. It underscores that Christ's priesthood is not temporary or based on the earthly lineage of Levi and Aaron, but is permanent and belongs to a superior order, foreshadowed by the ancient figure of Melchizedek. This establishes the unchangeable and eternal nature of Jesus' role as High Priest and the foundation of the new, everlasting covenant.
Hebrews 7 17 Context
Hebrews 7:17 is a pivotal verse within a comprehensive argument the author makes for the superiority of Christ's priesthood. The immediate context of Hebrews 7 (especially verses 11-19) discusses the obsolescence of the Levitical priesthood. If the Old Covenant, tied to the Levitical priests, could achieve perfection, there would have been no need for a "different kind of priest" to arise. The verse emphasizes that Jesus' priesthood, being "according to the order of Melchizedek," signifies a fundamental shift in God's redemptive plan. It implies a change in the Law itself, moving beyond a system of temporary sacrifices and mortal priests. This passage is crucial for understanding the New Covenant, which provides perfect and lasting access to God through Christ. Within the broader context of the letter to the Hebrews, the author systematically presents Christ as superior to all Old Testament figures and institutions, ultimately urging his readers, who may be wavering in their faith or tempted to revert to Judaism, to remain steadfast in Christ as the unique, final, and perfect High Priest.
Hebrews 7 17 Word analysis
- For: Greek gar (γὰρ). Indicates a reason or explanation, linking this statement to the preceding argument about the need for a new priest of a different order. It grounds the necessity for a change in the Law.
- he: Refers to the Lord God in Psalm 110:4, the one who declares the prophecy.
- testifies: Greek martyrei (μαρτυρεῖ). Means to bear witness, give evidence, or solemnly declare. This emphasizes the divine, authoritative, and irrefutable nature of the statement. God Himself confirms this truth.
- You: Refers directly to the Messiah, Jesus Christ. It highlights a personal, direct divine appointment.
- are a priest: Greek hiereus (ἱερεύς). Designates a sacred office, one who mediates between God and humanity by offering sacrifices and interceding. It confirms Christ's established role.
- forever: Greek eis ton aiōna (εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα). Signifies eternality, perpetual duration, an unending nature. This is in direct contrast to the Levitical priesthood which was temporary and inherited through lineage that ended with death, ensuring a continuous succession of priests. Christ's priesthood is permanent because His life is eternal.
- according to the order of: Greek kata tēn taxin (κατὰ τὴν τάξιν). "Order" means sequence, arrangement, manner, or likeness. It implies a unique type or pattern of priesthood, rather than a genealogical succession. It is about a distinct operational and relational model that bypasses and supersedes the Mosaic covenant.
- Melchizedek: Greek Melchisedek (Μελχισεδέκ), from Hebrew Malki-tzedeq (מַלְכִּי־צֶדֶק), meaning "King of Righteousness." He was a historical figure (Gen 14), King of Salem (peace), and priest of God Most High. His lack of recorded genealogy, beginning, or end (in Scripture) and his role as both king and priest made him a perfect "type" or foreshadowing of Christ, who also embodies both kingship and priesthood in a perpetual manner. This distinct "order" signifies a priesthood superior to Aaron's, established not by law or human lineage, but by divine oath and the power of an indestructible life.
Hebrews 7 17 Bonus section
The concept of Melchizedek's "order" bypassing the Abrahamic covenant's promise of the priesthood to Levi highlights that God always had a sovereign plan beyond human covenants. Melchizedek appears ephemerally, mysteriously, yet crucially in Scripture, a divine intervention point that prefigures the radical newness and divine appointment of Christ. The emphasis on "forever" (eis ton aiōna) for Christ's priesthood, paired with God's sworn oath in Psalm 110:4, presents a profound theological truth: unlike the priests under the Law who "died," Christ, through His resurrection, has a "power of an indestructible life" (Heb 7:16), making His ministry of mediation and intercession permanently effective. This truth offers deep assurance for believers that their High Priest lives eternally to intercede for them, ensuring an unending relationship with God and the complete efficacy of their salvation.
Hebrews 7 17 Commentary
Hebrews 7:17 serves as the Scriptural cornerstone for the argument in Hebrews that Jesus Christ embodies a new, eternal, and superior priesthood, thereby superseding the temporary, mortal Levitical priesthood. The reference to Psalm 110:4, given as a divine "testimony," elevates Christ's appointment to a matter of divine decree and an unchangeable oath (as explored in Heb 6:13-18 and 7:21). Unlike the Aaronic priests who served a finite term due to mortality, Christ is a "priest forever." This perpetual nature of His priesthood ensures perpetual access for believers to God, based on His completed and final sacrifice. The distinct "order of Melchizedek" signifies not just a different lineage, but a different operational principle: one not bound by human frailty, ritual law, or the need for repeated sacrifices. This priestly office allows Christ to truly mediate an "eternal covenant," offering perfect purification and unhindered intercession for all who come to God through Him. His eternal priesthood underpins the security and efficacy of the believer's redemption.