Hebrews 7:11

ἐπʼ αὐτῆς אABCDE. The rec. has ἐπʼ αὐτῇ, K al.

νενομοθέτηται אABCD. Rec. νενομοθέτητο.

11. Εἰ μὲν οὗν κ.τ.λ. At this point begins the a fortiori argument which occupies the next nine verses. “Perfection” (compare the verb in Hebrews 9:9; Hebrews 10:1; Hebrews 10:14; Hebrews 11:40) means power of perfectionment, capacity to achieve the end in view; but this was not to be attained through the Levitic priesthood. The FIFTH point of superiority is that the Melchisedek Priesthood implies the abrogation of the Levitic, and of the whole law which was based upon it.

ἐπʼ αὐτῆς, “for on the basis of it.” The writer regards the Priesthood rather than the Law as constituting the basis of the whole Mosaic system; so that into this slight parenthesis he really infuses the essence of his argument. The Priesthood is obviously changed. For otherwise the Theocratic King of Psalms 110. would not have been called “a Priest after the order of Melchisedek” but “after the order of Aaron.” Clearly then “the order of Aaron” admitted of no attainment of perfection through its means. But if the Priesthood was thus condemned as imperfect and inefficient, the Law was equally disparaged as a transitory institution. Righteousness did not “come by the Law”; if it could so have come Christ would have died in vain (Galatians 2:21. Comp. Hebrews 10:1-14).

ὁ λαὸς … νενομοθέτηται. As νομ. takes the dat. (LXX.) the noun which denotes the person becomes the subject of the passive verb. Winer, p. 326.

τίς ἔτι χρεία. We may supply either ἧν or ἂν ἦν. There could be no need, since none of God’s actions or dispensations are superfluous.

ἕτερον … ἱερέα. Not “another priest” as in A. V. (which would have required ἄλλον) but “a different priest.”

καὶ οὐ … λέγεσθαι, “and that he should not be said (viz. in Psalms 110:4) to be after the order of Aaron.” If the οὐ seem harsh (instead of μὴ) in this construction, we may with Winer (p. 605) join the οὐ to κατὰ τὴν τάξιν, “and be called ‘not after the order of Aaron.’  ” That λέγεσθαι does not here mean eligi is clear from Hebrews 7:13.