Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless New Living Translation Yes, the old requirement about the priesthood was set aside because it was weak and useless. English Standard Version For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness Berean Standard Bible So the former commandment is set aside because it was weak and useless Berean Literal Bible For indeed, there is a putting away of the preceding commandment, because of its weakness and uselessness King James Bible For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. New King James Version For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness, New American Standard Bible For, on the one hand, there is the nullification of a former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness NASB 1995 For, on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness NASB 1977 For, on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness Legacy Standard Bible For, on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness Amplified Bible For, on the one hand, a former commandment is cancelled because of its weakness and uselessness [because of its inability to justify the sinner before God] Christian Standard Bible So the previous command is annulled because it was weak and unprofitable Holman Christian Standard Bible So the previous command is annulled because it was weak and unprofitable American Standard Version For there is a disannulling of a foregoing commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness Contemporary English Version In this way a weak and useless command was put aside, English Revised Version For there is a disannulling of a foregoing commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness GOD'S WORD® Translation The former requirements are rejected because they are weak and useless. Good News Translation The old rule, then, is set aside, because it was weak and useless. International Standard Version Indeed, because it was weak and ineffective, the former commandment has been annulled, Majority Standard Bible So the former commandment is set aside because it was weak and useless NET Bible On the one hand a former command is set aside because it is weak and useless, New Heart English Bible For there is an annulling of a foregoing commandment because of its weakness and uselessness Webster's Bible Translation For there is verily a disannulling of the preceding commandment on account of its weakness and unprofitableness. Weymouth New Testament On the one hand we have here the abrogation of an earlier code because it was weak and ineffective-- World English Bible For there is an annulling of a foregoing commandment because of its weakness and uselessness Literal Translations Literal Standard Versionfor an annulling indeed comes of the command going before because of its weakness, and unprofitableness Berean Literal Bible For indeed, there is a putting away of the preceding commandment, because of its weakness and uselessness Young's Literal Translation for a disannulling indeed doth come of the command going before because of its weakness, and unprofitableness, Smith's Literal Translation For there is truly an annulling of the command going before by its weakness and unprofitableness. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleThere is indeed a setting aside of the former commandment, because of the weakness and unprofitableness thereof: Catholic Public Domain Version Certainly, there is a setting aside of the former commandment, because of its weakness and lack of usefulness. New American Bible On the one hand, a former commandment is annulled because of its weakness and uselessness, New Revised Standard Version There is, on the one hand, the abrogation of an earlier commandment because it was weak and ineffectual Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleFor the change which took place in the former law, was made on account of its weaknesses, and because it had become useless. Aramaic Bible in Plain English But there was a change in the first testament because of its impotence, and there was no benefit in it. NT Translations Anderson New TestamentFor, indeed, there is a setting aside of the preceding commandment, because it was weak and unprofitable, Godbey New Testament For there is a disannulling of the preceding commandment, on account of its weakness and inadequacy Haweis New Testament For there is indeed an abrogation of the preceding command, because of its weakness and inutility. Mace New Testament wherefore the preceeding law is abolished for its being weak and useless. Weymouth New Testament On the one hand we have here the abrogation of an earlier code because it was weak and ineffective-- Worrell New Testament For there is verily an annulling of a previous commandment, on account of its weakness and unprofitableness Worsley New Testament For there is indeed a disannulling of the preceding command, on account of it's weakness and unprofitableness; Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context A Superior Priesthood…17For it is testified: “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.” 18So the former commandment is set aside because it was weak and useless 19(for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.… Cross References Galatians 3:24-25 So the law became our guardian to lead us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. / Now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. Romans 8:3 For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man, as an offering for sin. He thus condemned sin in the flesh, Romans 7:12-14 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good. / Did that which is good, then, become death to me? Certainly not! But in order that sin might be exposed as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful. / We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 2 Corinthians 3:7-11 Now if the ministry of death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at the face of Moses because of its fleeting glory, / will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? / For if the ministry of condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry of righteousness! ... Galatians 4:9-10 But now that you know God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you are turning back to those weak and worthless principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? / You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! Colossians 2:14 having canceled the debt ascribed to us in the decrees that stood against us. He took it away, nailing it to the cross! Ephesians 2:15 by abolishing in His flesh the law of commandments and decrees. He did this to create in Himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace Romans 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law, to bring righteousness to everyone who believes. Acts 13:39 Through Him everyone who believes is justified from everything from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. Galatians 5:1-4 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be encumbered once more by a yoke of slavery. / Take notice: I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. / Again I testify to every man who gets himself circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. ... Romans 3:20 Therefore no one will be justified in His sight by works of the law. For the law merely brings awareness of sin. Romans 6:14 For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. Galatians 2:16 know that a man is not justified by works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. Jeremiah 31:31-34 Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. / It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant they broke, though I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD. / “But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD. I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people. ... Ezekiel 36:26-27 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. / And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances. Treasury of Scripture For there is truly a cancellation of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. a disannulling. Hebrews 7:11,12 If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron? … Hebrews 8:7-13 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second… Hebrews 10:1-9 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… the weakness. Hebrews 7:19 For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God. Hebrews 8:7,8 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second… 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; … Jump to Previous Account Annulling Code Command Commandment Earlier Feeble Former Hand Indeed Ineffective Preceding Regulation Setting Side Thereof Useless Verily Weak WeaknessJump to Next Account Annulling Code Command Commandment Earlier Feeble Former Hand Indeed Ineffective Preceding Regulation Setting Side Thereof Useless Verily Weak WeaknessHebrews 7 1. Christ Jesus is a priest after the order of Melchizedek;11. and so far more excellent than the priests of Aaron's order. So The word "so" serves as a conjunction, linking the preceding arguments to the conclusion being drawn. In the context of Hebrews, the author has been discussing the superiority of Christ's priesthood over the Levitical priesthood. This conjunction indicates a logical progression, emphasizing that what follows is a direct result of the previous discourse. The Greek word used here, "ἀθέτησις" (athesis), implies a setting aside or nullification, which is crucial in understanding the transition from the old covenant to the new. the former commandment is set aside because it was weak and useless Persons / Places / Events 1. The Author of HebrewsTraditionally attributed to Paul, though the exact authorship is uncertain. The author writes to Jewish Christians, emphasizing the superiority of Christ's priesthood. 2. The Levitical Priesthood The system of priests from the tribe of Levi, established under the Mosaic Law, which is being contrasted with the priesthood of Jesus. 3. Melchizedek A priest-king mentioned earlier in Hebrews 7, whose order of priesthood is eternal and superior to the Levitical order. 4. Jesus Christ Presented as the ultimate High Priest, whose priesthood is perfect and eternal, unlike the temporary and imperfect Levitical priesthood. 5. The Mosaic Law The body of laws given to Israel through Moses, which included the regulations for the Levitical priesthood. Teaching Points The Imperfection of the Old CovenantThe Mosaic Law, while holy and good, was limited in its ability to perfect humanity. It served as a temporary measure pointing to the need for a better covenant. The Superiority of Christ's Priesthood Jesus, as our High Priest, offers a perfect and eternal priesthood. Unlike the Levitical priests, His sacrifice is once and for all, providing complete redemption. The Transition from Law to Grace Believers are no longer under the old covenant of the Law but under the new covenant of grace through faith in Jesus Christ. This transition calls for a shift in how we relate to God, focusing on faith and relationship rather than ritual and regulation. The Role of the Law in the Life of a Believer While the Law is set aside in terms of its priestly and sacrificial requirements, its moral teachings still guide believers in living a life that honors God.(18, 19) The intimate connection between these two verses is obscured by the ordinary translation. They point out with greater fulness and clearness what is involved in the statement of Hebrews 7:16. "For there is an annulling of a preceding commandment, because of its weakness and unprofitableness (for the Law made nothing perfect), and a bringing in thereupon of a better hope, by which we draw nigh unto God." (It must be borne in mind throughout that by the "commandment" is meant the ordinance which created the Levitical priesthood, not the Law in general.) That Jesus was not made Priest according to a law of a carnal commandment (Hebrews 7:16) involves the annulling of that commandment; in His becoming Priest according to a power of indissoluble life is involved the introduction of a better hope. This is the general meaning, but each division of the thought is expanded. The appointment of a different priest by the very authority on which the former commandment rested, the divine decree, showed that commandment to be of force no longer: as we have already seen (Hebrews 7:11), this is because the commandment is weak and unprofitable--because the priesthood it creates cannot attain the end of its institution, which is to bring men into fellowship with God. The parenthesis, "for the Law made nothing perfect," points out that the weakness just spoken of corresponds to that imperfection which confessedly belongs to the earlier dispensation: even the Jew (who would have accounted a change of priestly line impossible) expected perfection only when Messiah should have appeared. When the earlier commandment is annulled, in its place there is brought in a better hope. The "better hope" stands connected with the "better covenant" (Hebrews 7:22) and the "better promises" (Hebrews 8:6). "And by this (better hope) we draw nigh unto God." The end of the priesthood therefore is attained. (See Hebrews 7:11.) In the Law (Leviticus 10:3) the priests are "those who come nigh unto God," that is, in the service of the sanctuary: with a nobler meaning this name shall now belong to all God's people. . . . Verses 18, 19. - For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof (for the Law made nothing perfect); but [there is on the other hand] a bringing in thereupon of a better hope, through which we draw nigh unto God. Such is certainly the construction of the sentence (not as in the A.V.); οὐδεν γὰρ, etc., in ver. 19 being parenthetical, and ἐπεισαγωγὴ depending on γίνεται in ver. 18. We have here the conclusion of the argument of the vers. 11-18, with a further expression of the inherent insufficiency of the Law, given as the reason of its supersession; reminding us of similar views of what the Law was worth frequent in St. Paul's Epistles (cf. Romans 8:3; Galatians 3:10, etc.). The final clause, δἱ ῆς ἐγγίζομεν τῷ Θεῷ, leads directly up to the main subject in the writer's view, viz. the exposition of Christ's eternal priesthood. But two proofs are first to be given of Christ's priesthood being, unlike the Aaronic, thus eternally availing to bring us near to God. These proofs are to be found in the Divine oath which established it, and the expression, "forever," in Psalm 90, once more adduced. Parallel Commentaries ... Greek Soμὲν (men) Conjunction Strong's 3303: A primary particle; properly, indicative of affirmation or concession; usually followed by a contrasted clause with de. the former προαγούσης (proagousēs) Verb - Present Participle Active - Genitive Feminine Singular Strong's 4254: From pro and ago; to lead forward; intransitively, to precede (participle, previous). commandment ἐντολῆς (entolēs) Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular Strong's 1785: An ordinance, injunction, command, law. From entellomai; injunction, i.e. An authoritative prescription. is γίνεται (ginetai) Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular Strong's 1096: A prolongation and middle voice form of a primary verb; to cause to be, i.e. to become, used with great latitude. set aside Ἀθέτησις (Athetēsis) Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular Strong's 115: Annulment, nullification, abrogation. From atheteo; cancellation. because διὰ (dia) Preposition Strong's 1223: A primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through. it [was] αὐτῆς (autēs) Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Feminine 3rd Person Singular Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons. weak ἀσθενὲς (asthenes) Adjective - Accusative Neuter Singular Strong's 772: (lit: not strong), (a) weak (physically, or morally), (b) infirm, sick. Strengthless. and καὶ (kai) Conjunction Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely. useless ἀνωφελές (anōpheles) Adjective - Accusative Neuter Singular Strong's 512: Useless, unprofitable. Useless or inutility. Links Hebrews 7:18 NIVHebrews 7:18 NLT Hebrews 7:18 ESV Hebrews 7:18 NASB Hebrews 7:18 KJV Hebrews 7:18 BibleApps.com Hebrews 7:18 Biblia Paralela Hebrews 7:18 Chinese Bible Hebrews 7:18 French Bible Hebrews 7:18 Catholic Bible NT Letters: Hebrews 7:18 For there is an annulling (Heb. He. Hb) |
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