Hebrews 7:13Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The meaning of his words is this: I know and say that this tribe did not have the priesthood, and no one from it was a priest. This is precisely what the words mean: from which no one has attended at the altar. But in everything a change took place. Therefore the law and the old covenant had to be changed, because the very tribe was changed. Do you see how he shows still another distinction between the covenants from the distinction of the tribes? He proves their difference not only by this, but also from the person of the High Priest, from the covenant, from the manner of action, and from the type itself.

He shows how the priesthood changed according to tribe. He says that Christ, concerning whom this is said, or to whom the priesthood passed, is from another tribe, namely from Judah. From that tribe no one attended at the altar. From that tribe, namely Judah, no one approached, that is, no one stood before the altar or performed priestly works.

Just as Melchizedek, of whom this is said, belonged to the same generation of men yet appeared from another tribe, from which no one else had ever approached the altar, so also He who received his priesthood was not from the tribe of Levi. This was so that He might correspond to His type, Melchizedek.

For He of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has attended at the altar. The Apostle also names the tribe.

For He of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe. Having said that the priesthood was changed, he then says that it changed not only in its form and actions, but also in tribe. It passed from the tribe of Levi to the tribe of Judah, and from the priestly tribe to the royal one. For Christ, of whom these things are spoken, that is, with reference to whom it is said, You are a priest according to the order, and so forth, was from another tribe, Judah, and not Levi. From which no one has attended at the altar. No one drew near or attended, insofar as sacred service is concerned.

These words must be understood with limitation, in accordance with the words of Jesus Christ: Do not think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I did not come to destroy, but to fulfill (Mt 5:17).

Therefore it is necessary to distinguish between the destruction of the law and its change. Change may contain not the destruction of the law, but on the contrary even its confirmation. Therefore the Apostle says: Do we then overthrow the law by faith? By no means. Rather, we establish the law (Rom 3:31).

Next the Apostle explains how and under what circumstances the actual replacement of one priesthood by another was fulfilled.

First, our Lord Jesus Christ shone forth not from the priestly tribe, that is, not from Levi, but from Judah (Gen 49:10; Mt 1:2ff.; Lk 3:23-38). This was fitting according to the order of Melchizedek, who was not even from Abraham's family at all.

Second, the Lord Jesus Christ became priest not according to the law of a fleshly commandment. That is, He received His priesthood not by inheritance from ancestors, not Levitical ones, and not in order to pass it after His death to His likewise mortal heirs.

In proof of the correctness of this explanation, the Apostle refers to the well-known fact that Jesus the Messiah came from the tribe of Judah, which by law had no right to the priesthood. Yet these things are said of Him, eph' hon legetai tauta, that is, eternal high priesthood is ascribed to Him.