Hebreos 7:23

23 Hubo muchos sacerdotes bajo el sistema antiguo, porque la muerte les impedía continuar con sus funciones;

Hebreos 7:23 Meaning and Commentary

Hebrews 7:23

And they truly were many priests
There were many common priests at a time; and though there was but one high priest at a time, yet there were many of them in a line of succession from Aaron down to the apostle's time. The Jews say ^F21, that under the first temple eighteen high priests ministered, and under the second temple more than three hundred: this shows the imperfection of this priesthood, since it was in many hands; no one continuing and being sufficient to execute it; but Christ is the one and only high priest; there is no other, nor is there any need of any other: the reason why there were so many under the law was,

because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death;
death has a power to forbid a long continuance in this world, and no man does continue long here: death puts a stop to men's works, and to the exercise of their several callings; no office, even the most sacred, exempts from it; no, not the office of high priests: these were but men, sinful men, and so died; and their discontinuance by reason of death shows the imperfection of their priesthood: there was another reason besides this which the apostle gives, why the high priests were so many, and especially about this time; and that is, the office was bought for money, and men that would give most were put into it: hence there were frequent changes; the Jews themselves say, they changed every twelve months ^F23.

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FOOTNOTES:

F21 T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 9. 1. Piske Tosephot Zebachim, Art. 72.
F23 T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 8. 2.

Hebreos 7:23 In-Context

21 pero había un juramento con relación a Jesús. Pues Dios le dijo:
«El Señor
ha jurado y no romperá su juramento:
“Tú eres sacerdote para siempre”»
.

22 Debido a ese juramento, Jesús es quien garantiza este mejor pacto con Dios.

23 Hubo muchos sacerdotes bajo el sistema antiguo, porque la muerte les impedía continuar con sus funciones;

24 pero dado que Jesús vive para siempre, su sacerdocio dura para siempre.

25 Por eso puede salvar —una vez y para siempre—
a los que vienen a Dios por medio de él, quien vive para siempre, a fin de interceder con Dios a favor de ellos.