Hebrews 7:12

Hebrews 7:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.
• New International Version (NIV)For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law.

Context of Hebrews 7:12

11The Levite priests were a necessary part of God's Law for Israel's people. But those priests could not make the people completely right with God. If that had been possible, the Levite priests could have continued their work. But we see that God has chosen a different kind of priest to serve him. That priest is not someone from Aaron's family, as the Levites were. Instead, he is a priest in the same way that Melchizedek was God's priest. When there is a change in the kind of priest like that, there must also be a change in the law. 13It is the Lord Jesus Christ that the Bible speaks about in this way, as God's special priest. But he belongs to a different tribe. He is not a Levite. Nobody else from his tribe ever served God as a priest. 14We know that our Lord came from Judah's tribe. Moses never said that priests could come from Judah's tribe. So we see that the old law has changed.

Hebrews 7:12 word by word

μετατιθεμένης γὰρ τῆς ἱερωσύνης ἐξ ἀνάγκης καὶ νόμου μετάθεσις γίνεται.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Forγάρgar · forG1063
• the priesthoodὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the priesthoodἱερωσύνηhierōsunē · priesthoodG2420
• being changedμετατίθημιmetatithēmi · to transportG3346
• there is madeγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
• ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• necessityἀνάγκηanagkē · necessityG318
• a changeμετάθεσιςmetathesis · removal/changeG3331
• alsoκαίkai · andG2532
• of the lawνόμοςnomos · lawG3551

Cross-references for Hebrews 7:12

• Isaiah 66:21The Lord says, ‘I will choose some of them to be priests. And I will choose some of them to serve me as Levites.’
• Jeremiah 31:31The Lord says, ‘A time will soon come when I make a new covenant with Israel's people and with Judah's people.
• Ezekiel 16:61Then you will remember the wicked things that you have done and you will be ashamed. You will welcome again your sisters, Sodom and Samaria. I will make them like daughters for you. But they will not share in the same covenant that I make with you.
• Acts 6:13Then they brought in some men to say bad things about Stephen. The things that these men said were not true. They said about Stephen, ‘This man is always saying bad things about the temple. He says bad things against God's Law.

Commentaries on Hebrews 7:12

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12The priesthood being changed - That is, The order of Aaron being now abrogated, to make way for that which had preceded it, the order of Melchisedec. There is made of necessity a change also of the law - The very essence of the Levitical law consisting in its sacrificial offerings; and as these could not confer perfection, could not reconcile God to man, purify the unholy heart, nor open the kingdom of heaven to the souls of men, consequently it must be…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12For the priesthood being changed - According to the prediction in Ps. cx., that it would be. When that occurs, the consequence specified will also follow. There is made of necessity a change also of the law - The Law so far as it grew out of that, or was dependent on it. The connection requires us to understand it only of the Law “so far as it was connected with the Levitical priesthood.” This could not apply to the ten commandments - for they were given…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-25Verses 11-25 The priesthood and law by which perfection could not come, are done away; a Priest is risen, and a dispensation now set up, by which true believers may be made perfect. That there is such a change is plain. The law which made the Levitical priesthood, showed that the priests were frail, dying creatures, not able to save their own lives, much less could they save the souls of those who came to them. But the High Priest of our profession holds…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 12According to the law given to Moses, the appointed priests were descendants of Aaron (Exodus 28:41–43; 29:9). The priesthood changed because Jesus is now the high priest. So, God changed the law about priests.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. For--the reason why Paul presses the words "after the order of Melchisedec" in Psa 110:4, namely, because these presuppose a change or transference of the priesthood, and this carries with it a change also of the law (which is inseparably bound up with the priesthood, both stand and fall together, He 7:11). This is his answer to those who might object, What need was there of a new covenant?Read the comment

Topics related to Hebrews 7:12

• Melchizedek
• Priest
• Succession
• Types

In the dictionaries

• Attendance
• Harmless
• Melchizedek
• Separate
• Adam in the New Testament
• Apocalyptic Literature
• Change
• Christ, Offices of
• Congregation
• Faithful; Faithfulness

Commentaries on Hebrews 7

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings