For the law maketh men high priests which have
infirmity,
&c.] Every word has an emphasis on it, and shows the
difference between Christ and these priests: they were many; they
were made priests by the law, the law of a carnal commandment,
which made nothing perfect, and was disannulled; they were men
that were made priests by it, and could not really draw nigh to
God, and mediate with him for themselves, or others, nor atone
either for their own or others' sins; and they were men that had
infirmity, not natural and corporeal, for they were to have no
bodily blemishes and deficiencies in them, but sinful ones; and
especially such were they who bore this office under the second
temple, and particularly in the times of Christ and his apostles
F4:
but the word of the oath, which was since the
law;
that word which had an oath annexed to it, which declared Christ
an high priest after the order of Melchizedek, was since the law
of the priesthood of Aaron; for though Christ was made a priest
from eternity, yet the promise which declared it, and had an oath
joined to it, was afterwards in David's time, ( Psalms 110:4
) and this word of the oath maketh the son; not a son, but a
priest; publishes and declares him to be so: Christ, though a
man, yet he is not mere man; he is the Son of God, and as such
opposed to men; and therefore is not the Son of God as man; and
this shows that he was a son before he was a priest, and
therefore is not so called on account of his office; and it is
his being the Son of God which gives lustre and glory to his
priestly office, and virtue and efficacy to his sacrifice and
intercession, and gives him the preference to all other priests:
who is consecrated for evermore;
or "perfected", or "perfect"; he is perfect in his obedience and
sufferings, in his sacrifice, and as he is now in heaven, in
complete glory; the law made men priests that did not continue,
but Christ is a priest for evermore, and absolutely, perfect.