Hebrews 7 · Verse 16

Hebrews 7:16

Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.

Hebrews 7:16, King James Version

Hebrews 7:16 in other translations

BSB	one who has become a priest not by a law of succession, but by the power of an indestructible life.
WEB	who has been made, not after the law of a fleshly commandment, but after the power of an endless life;
ASV	who hath been made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life:
YLT	who came not according to the law of a fleshly command, but according to the power of an endless life,
DARBY	who has been constituted not according to law of fleshly commandment, but according to power of indissoluble life.
BBE	That is to say, not made by a law based on the flesh, but by the power of a life without end:
Webster	Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.

What does Hebrews 7:16 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

16. carnal ... endless--mutually contrasted. As "form" and "power" are opposed, 2Ti 3:5; so here "the law" and "power," compare Ro 8:3, "The law was weak through the flesh"; and He 7:18, "weakness." "The law" is here not the law in general, but the statute as to the priesthood. "Carnal," as being only outward and temporary, is contrasted with "endless," or, as Greek, "indissoluble." Commandments is contrasted with "life." The law can give a commandment, but it cannot give life (He 7:19). But our High Priest's inherent "power," now in heaven, has in Him "life for ever"; He 9:14, "through the eternal Spirit"; He 7:25, "able ... ever liveth" (Joh 5:26). It is in the power of His resurrection life, not of His earthly life, that Christ officiates as a Priest.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes

Verse 16. Who is made. That is, the other priest is made--to wit, the Messiah. He was made a priest by a peculiar law.

Not after the law of a carnal commandment. Not according to the law of a commandment pertaining to the flesh. The word carnal means fleshly; and the idea is, that the law under which the priests of the old dispensation were made was external, rather than spiritual; it related more to outward observances than to the keeping of the heart. That this was the nature of the Mosaic ritual in the main, it was impossible to doubt, and the apostle proceeds to argue from this undeniable truth.

But after the power of an endless life. By an authority of endless duration, That is, it was not concerned mainly with outward observances, and did not pass over from one to another by death, but was unchanging in its character, and spiritual in its nature. It was enduring and perpetual as a priesthood, and was thus far exalted above the service performed by the priests under the former dispensation.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 16 Who is made - Appointed to this high office by God himself, not succeeding one that was disabled or dead, according to that law or ordinance directed to weak and perishing men, who could not continue by reason of death. This is probably all that the apostle intends by the words carnal commandment, εντολης σαρκικης· for carnal does not always mean sinful or corrupt, but feeble, frail, or what may be said of or concerning man in his present dying condition. But after the power of an endless life - Not dying, or ceasing through weakness to be a priest; but properly immortal himself, and having the power to confer life and immortality on others. He ever lives, as Priest, to make intercession for men; and they who believe on him shall never perish, but have everlasting life.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Hebrews 7:11-25

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…

Read the full comment on Hebrews 7:11-25 →

Hebrews 7:16 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ὃςhoswhoG3739

οὐounotG3756

κατὰkataaccording toG2596

νόμονnomona lawG3551

ἐντολῆςentolēsof a commandmentG1785

σαρκίνηςsarkinēsfleshlyG4560

γέγονενgegonenhas been constitutedG1096

ἀλλὰallabutG235

κατὰkataaccording toG2596

δύναμινdunamin[the] powerG1411

ζωῆςzōēsof a lifeG2222

ἀκαταλύτου·akatalutouindestructible;G179

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Hebrews 7:16

Revelation 1:18
I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
Galatians 4:9
But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
Galatians 4:3
Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:
Colossians 2:20
Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,
Hebrews 10:1
For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.
Colossians 2:14
Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
Hebrews 7:3
Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.
Hebrews 7:28
For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.
Hebrews 7:24-25
But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
Hebrews 7:17
For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
Hebrews 7:21
(For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:)
Hebrews 9:9-10
Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

the law.
9:9,10; 10:1; Ga 4:3,9; Col 2:14,20
the power.
3,17,21,24,25,28; Re 1:18

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Hebrews 7:15
And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest,
Hebrews 7:16
Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.
Hebrews 7:17
For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

Read all of Hebrews 7

Hebrews 7:16 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	El cual no es hecho conforme á la ley del mandamiento carnal, sino según la virtud de vida indisoluble;
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	qui n’a pas été établi selon la loi d’un commandement charnel, mais selon la puissance d’une vie impérissable.
German Elberfelder 1871	der es nicht nach dem Gesetz eines fleischlichen Gebots geworden ist, sondern nach der Kraft eines unauflöslichen Lebens.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	qui non secundum legem mandati carnalis factus est, sed secundum virtutem vitæ insolubilis.