Hebrews 7:16

New Living Translation

Jesus became a priest, not by meeting the physical requirement of belonging to the tribe of Levi, but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
who did not become a priest based on a legal regulation about physical descent but based on the power of an indestructible life.

King James Version (1611)
Who is made not after the Law of a carnall commandement, but after the power of an endles life.

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

English Standard Version
who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life.

New American Standard Bible
who has become a priest not on the basis of a law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life.

New Century Version
He was not made a priest by human rules and laws but through the power of his life, which continues forever.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
who has become such not on the basis of a law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life.

Legacy Standard Bible
who has become such not according to a law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life.

Berean Standard Bible
one who has become a priest not by a law of succession, but by the power of an indestructible life.

Contemporary English Version
That person wasn't appointed because of his ancestors, but because his life can never end.

Complete Jewish Bible
one who became a cohen not by virtue of a rule in the Torah concerning physical descent, but by virtue of the power of an indestructible life.

Darby Translation
who has been constituted not according to law of fleshly commandment, but according to power of indissoluble life.

Easy-to-Read Version
He was made a priest, but not because he met the requirement of being born into the right family. He became a priest by the power of a life that will never end.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Which is not made Priest after the Law of the carnal commandement, but after the power of the endlesse life.

George Lamsa Translation
One who was not appointed after the law of carnal commandments, but after the power of life which abides for ever.

Good News Translation
He was made a priest, not by human rules and regulations, but through the power of a life which has no end.

Lexham English Bible
who has become a priest not according to a law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life.

Literal Translation
who has not become so according to a law of a fleshly command, but according to the power of an indissoluble life.

Amplified Bible
who has become a priest, not on the basis of a physical and legal requirement in the Law [concerning his ancestry as a descendant of Levi], but on the basis of the power of an indestructible and endless life.

American Standard Version
who hath been made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life:

Bible in Basic English
That is to say, not made by a law based on the flesh, but by the power of a life without end:

Hebrew Names Version
who has been made, not after the law of a fleshly mitzvah, but after the power of an endless life:

International Standard Version
who was appointed to be a priest,to be a priest">[fn] not on the basis of a regulation concerning his ancestry, but rather on the basis of the power of an indestructible life.

Etheridge Translation
who was made not by the law of bodily commandments, but in the power of a life which is indissoluble.

Murdock Translation
who was not according to the law of corporeal injunctions, but according to the energy of an indissoluble life.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Which is not made after the lawe of the carnall commaundement, but after the power of the endlesse lyfe:

English Revised Version
who hath been made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life:

World English Bible
who has been made, not after the law of a fleshly commandment, but after the power of an endless life:

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
but after the power of an endless life.

Weymouth's New Testament
and hold His office not in obedience to any temporary Law, but by virtue of an indestructible Life.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
which is not maad bi the lawe of fleischli maundement, but bi vertu of lijf that may not be vndon.

Update Bible Version
who has been made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life:

Webster's Bible Translation
Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.

New English Translation
who has become a priest not by a legal regulation about physical descent but by the power of an indestructible life.

New King James Version
who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life.

New Life Bible
Christ did not become a Religious Leader by coming from the family group of Levi as the Law said had to be. He became the Religious Leader by the power of a life that never ends.

New Revised Standard
one who has become a priest, not through a legal requirement concerning physical descent, but through the power of an indestructible life.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Who, not according to a law of commandment dealing with the flesh, hath arisen, but according to the power of an indissoluble life;

Douay-Rheims Bible
Who is made, not according to the law of a law of a carnal commandment, but according to the power of an indissoluble life.

Revised Standard Version
who has become a priest, not according to a legal requirement concerning bodily descent but by the power of an indestructible life.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
which is not made after the lawe of the carnall commaundmet: but after the power of the endlesse lyfe

Young's Literal Translation
who came not according to the law of a fleshly command, but according to the power of an endless life,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
which is not made after ye lawe of the carnall commaundement, but after the power of the endlesse life

Mace New Testament (1729)
who was not establish'd by virtue of a temporary law, but with the power of being a perpetual priest.

Simplified Cowboy Version
Jesus is the trail boss now. It's not because he was papered a certain way, it's because he has the power of everlasting life.

Contextual Overview

¹¹ So if the priesthood of Levi, on which the law was based, could have achieved the perfection God intended, why did God need to establish a different priesthood, with a priest in the order of Melchizedek instead of the order of Levi and Aaron? ¹² And if the priesthood is changed, the law must also be changed to permit it. ¹³ For the priest we are talking about belongs to a different tribe, whose members have never served at the altar as priests. ¹⁴ What I mean is, our Lord came from the tribe of Judah, and Moses never mentioned priests coming from that tribe. ¹⁵ This change has been made very clear since a different priest, who is like Melchizedek, has appeared. ¹⁶ Jesus became a priest, not by meeting the physical requirement of belonging to the tribe of Levi, but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed. ¹⁷ And the psalmist pointed this out when he prophesied, "You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek." ¹⁸ Yes, the old requirement about the priesthood was set aside because it was weak and useless. ¹⁹ For the law never made anything perfect. But now we have confidence in a better hope, through which we draw near to God. ²⁰ This new system was established with a solemn oath. Aaron's descendants became priests without such an oath,

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the law: Hebrews 9:9, Hebrews 9:10, Hebrews 10:1, Galatians 4:3, Galatians 4:9, Colossians 2:14, Colossians 2:20

the power: Hebrews 7:3, Hebrews 7:17, Hebrews 7:21, Hebrews 7:24, Hebrews 7:25, Hebrews 7:28, Revelation 1:18

Reciprocal: Leviticus 8:34 - General Romans 6:9 - Christ Galatians 3:3 - having Ephesians 2:15 - the law

Cross-References

Genesis 7:1
When everything was ready, the Lord said to Noah, "Go into the boat with all your family, for among all the people of the earth, I can see that you alone are righteous.

Genesis 7:2
Take with you seven pairs—male and female—of each animal I have approved for eating and for sacrifice, and take one pair of each of the others.

Genesis 7:3
Also take seven pairs of every kind of bird. There must be a male and a female in each pair to ensure that all life will survive on the earth after the flood.

Genesis 7:4
Seven days from now I will make the rains pour down on the earth. And it will rain for forty days and forty nights, until I have wiped from the earth all the living things I have created."

Genesis 7:5
So Noah did everything as the Lord commanded him.

Genesis 7:10
After seven days, the waters of the flood came and covered the earth.

Deuteronomy 33:27
The eternal God is your refuge, and his everlasting arms are under you. He drives out the enemy before you; he cries out, ‘Destroy them!'

Psalms 46:2
So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea.

Proverbs 3:23
They keep you safe on your way, and your feet will not stumble.

Matthew 25:10
"But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Who was made,.... Not as man, much less as God; but as a priest, constituted and appointed one:

not after the law of a carnal commandment: either the ceremonial law in general, which was a carnal one, if we consider the persons to whom it belonged, the Israelites according to the flesh; it was incumbent upon, and might be performed by such who were only carnal; and it was performed by and for men that were in the flesh, or mortal; and if we consider the matter of it, the subject on which various of its rites were exercised was the flesh or body, and which were performed by manual operation; and the sacrifices of it were the flesh of beasts; and these were for the sins of the flesh, and for the removing the ceremonial uncleanness of it; and the virtue of them reached only to the purifying of the flesh; and the whole of it is distinct from the moral law, which is spiritual, and reaches to the spirit or soul of man; whereas this only was concerned about temporal and external things: or else the law of the priesthood is particularly intended; or that commandment which respected the priesthood of Aaron; which law regarded the carnal descent of his sons; enjoined a carnal inauguration of them, and provided for their succession and continuance in a carnal way; after which, Christ the great high priest did not become one:

but after the power of an endless life; this may be understood either of the Gospel, according to which Christ is a priest; and which is called "life", in opposition to the law which is the ministration of death; and because it is the means of quickening dead sinners, and of reviving drooping saints; and points out Christ the way of life, and has brought life and immortality to light: and may be said to be "endless", in distinction from the law, which is temporary; and because it is itself permanent and everlasting; contains in it the promise of eternal life, and is the means of bringing souls unto it: and there is a "power" goes along with it; which distinguishes it from the weak and beggarly elements of the ceremonial law, which is abolished, because of the weakness of it; for it is attended with the power of the Spirit of God, and is the power of God unto salvation: or else this intends the endless life which Christ has, in and of himself; and which qualifies him for a priest; and stands opposed to the mortality of the priests, and to that law which could not secure them from it: the priests died, and the law by which they were priests could not prevent their death; Christ is the living God, the Prince of life, he had power to lay down his life as man, and power to take it up again; and his life, as man, is an endless one, which qualifies him for that part of his priestly office, his intercession and advocacy: or it may design that power, which his Father has given him as Mediator, of an endless life, both for himself and for all his people; and regards his ever living as a priest, and the perpetuity of and the continual virtue and efficacy of it.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Who is made - That is, the other priest is made, to wit, the Messiah. He was made a priest by a special 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.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

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.