Hebrews 7:23Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He does the same from the side of the priest. How? By proving that He is one. He would not be one if He were not immortal. Just as the former priests were many because they were mortal, so He is one because He is immortal.

Here too he shows the advantage that Christ has in comparison with the high priests according to the law. He says that there are many priests there because they are mortal. Here there is one, because He is immortal.

Then many priests were needed, since death interrupted the priestly service of each of them, and they did not remain forever.

The priests under the law have a mortal nature, and therefore they cannot serve as priests without interruption. Their children are successors to the priesthood. But Christ, being immortal, does not hand the rank of priesthood over to another.

In the order of time, they were very many, because death prevented each of them from remaining forever.

"There were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing." On the basis of the mortality of the Old Testament high priests, the Apostle speaks of the imperfection of the priesthood itself. Yet this conclusion cannot be applied to the New Testament priesthood, because we have one High Priest, Jesus Christ. As for the priests of the Christian Church, they are only successors and ministers of Christ. They have power not of themselves, but by the authority of the Chief Shepherd.

The Stundists will see in these words a denial of our priesthood, since it consists of many persons. They will say that every such priesthood was abolished with the appearance of Christ, the one and eternal Priest.

But when the Apostle says, “there were many priests,” he means high priests. That the word “priest” can be understood in the sense of “high priest” is proved not only by biblical usage in general (Ps 109:4).

It is also proved in particular by the usage of chapters 6, 7, 8, and 9 of Hebrews. There Christ is called now High Priest (6:20; 7:26, 28; 8:1; 9:11), and now Priest (7:3, 11, 15, 17; 8:4).

Moreover, the “priests” mentioned in v. 23 are clearly renamed high priests by the Apostle in vv. 27 and 28.

Then the Apostle explains precisely what better thing came to men with Jesus, the surety of the New Testament, and with His new priesthood. First, there is the singleness and unchangeability of Christ's priesthood (Heb 7:23-25). The intercession of the Old Testament priests was not so convincing or secure for men, because they themselves were men subject to succession and change through their mortality. But the High Priest of the New Testament is single and abides forever. "Therefore He is also able always to save those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them."

Explaining further this advantage of Christ over the Old Testament priests, the Apostle says that in the Old Testament several priests were appointed at once. This was so that, if one priest suddenly died, another could take his place and the service in the tabernacle would not cease. But Christ, who remains eternally alive, is in no danger of losing the priesthood through death. He has no need of anyone to take His office after Him. His priesthood is unpassing and unchangeable.