(For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:)

(for they indeed have been made priests without an oath; but he with an oath by him that saith of him, The Lord sware and will not repent himself, Thou art a priest for ever);

But this with an oath, by him that said unto him: The Lord hath sworn, and he will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever.)

(for they are become priests without the swearing of an oath, but he with the swearing of an oath, by him who said, as to him, The Lord has sworn, and will not repent of it, Thou art priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedec;)

(For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath, by him that said to him, The Lord swore, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:)

and he with an oath through Him who is saying unto him, 'The Lord sware, and will not repent, Thou art a priest, to the age, according to the order of Melchisedek;')

for these men hold office without any oath having been taken, but He holds it attested by an oath from Him who said to Him, "The Lord has sworn and will not recall His words, Thou art a Priest for ever" -

(For those were made priests without an oath, but this one was made a priest with an oath by him who says of him, The Lord gave his oath, which he will not take back, that you are a priest for ever);

But this man was made a priest with an oath, by the One who said to him: "The Lord has sworn and he will not repent. You are a priest forever."

but his appointment was ratified by an oath, when God said to him – 'The Lord has sworn, and will not change, "You are a priest for all time."'

Hic vero cum jurejurando, per eum qui dixit illi, Tu sacerdos in aeternum secundum ordinem Melchisedec.

For those priests were made without an oath - The Levitical priests were set apart and consecrated without their office being confirmed to them by an oath on the part of God. They received it by regular descent, and when they arrived at a suitable age they entered on it of course. Jesus received his office by special appointment, and it was secured to him by an oath. The word rendered "oath" is in the margin "swearing of an oath." This is the proper meaning of the Greek word, but the sense is not materially varied.
But this with an oath - This priest, the Lord Jesus, became a priest in virtue of an oath.
The Lord sware - see the note at Hebrews 6:13. The reference here is to Psalm 110:4. "The Lord hath sworn."
And will not repent - That is, "will not regret, or will not alter his mind through regret" - for this is the meaning of the Greek word.

Those priests - The Levitical, were made without an oath, to show that the whole system was changeable, and might be abolished.
But this - The everlasting priesthood of Christ, with an oath, to show that the Gospel dispensation should never change, and never be abolished.
By him - God the Father, that said unto him - the promised Messiah, Psalm 110:4, The Lord sware, to show the immutability of his counsel, and will not repent - can never change his mind nor purpose, Thou art a priest for ever - as long as time shall run, and the generations of men be continued on earth. Till the necessity of the mediatorial kingdom be superseded by the fixed state of eternity, till this kingdom be delivered up unto the Father, and God shall be all in all, shall this priesthood of Christ endure.

For these priests were made without an oath,.... The priests of the tribe of Levi, and of the order of Aaron, were installed into their office, and invested with it, without an oath; no mention is made of any when Aaron and his sons were put into it in Moses's time; nor was any used afterwards, neither by God, nor by the priests, nor by the people; it is true indeed that after the sect of the Sadducees arose, the high priest on the day of atonement, was obliged to take an oath that he would not change any of the customs of the day (t); but then this regarded not his investiture, but the execution of his office; and was an oath of his and not of the Lord's, which is here designed:
but this with an oath; that is, Christ was made an high priest with an oath, even with an oath of God; which gives his priesthood the preference to the Levitical priesthood, which was without one: and this oath was made,
by him that said unto him: the Syriac version reads, "as he said to him by David"; that is, in Psalm 110:4. David being the penman of that psalm, in which stand the following words of the Father to Christ:
the Lord sware and will not repent, thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec; which proves that Jehovah swore that Christ should be a priest, and continue so: swearing, when ascribed to God, is after the manner of men, and is always by himself, and never upon any trivial account; but either to confirm his love to his people, or his covenant with them, or the mission of his Son to be the Redeemer, or, as here, his priestly office: and this oath was made not so much on Christ's account, as on account of the heirs of promise, for their consolation; and shows the dignity, validity, importance, and singularity of Christ's priesthood, as well as the durableness of it; and of this oath God will never repent: repentance cannot properly fall upon God, on any account; for it is contrary to his holiness and righteousness, and to his happiness, to his unchangeableness, omniscience, and omnipotence; it is indeed sometimes ascribed to him improperly, and after the manner of men; and only regards a change of his outward conduct according to his immutable will; and the change that is made is in the creature, and not in God himself: but God will not repent in any sense of the priesthood of Christ, nor of his oath, that it should continue for ever according to the order of Melchizedek; for he was every way qualified for it, and has faithfully performed it, not his investiture, but the execution of his office; and was an oath of his and not of the Lord's, which is here designed:
but this with an oath; that is, Christ was made an high priest with an oath, even with an oath of God; which gives his priesthood the preference to the Levitical priesthood, which was without one: and this oath was made,
by him that said unto him: the Syriac version reads, "as he said to him by David"; that is, in Psalm 110:4. David being the penman of that psalm, in which stand the following words of the Father to Christ:
the Lord sware and will not repent, thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec; which proves that Jehovah swore that Christ should be a priest, and continue so: swearing, when ascribed to God, is after the manner of men, and is always by himself, and never upon any trivial account; but either to confirm his love to his people, or his covenant with them, or the mission of his Son to be the Redeemer, or, as here, his priestly office: and this oath was made not so much on Christ's account, as on account of the heirs of promise, for their consolation; and shows the dignity, validity, importance, and singularity of Christ's priesthood, as well as the durableness of it; and of this oath God will never repent: repentance cannot properly fall upon God, on any account; for it is contrary to his holiness and righteousness, and to his happiness, to his unchangeableness, omniscience, and omnipotence; it is indeed sometimes ascribed to him improperly, and after the manner of men; and only regards a change of his outward conduct according to his immutable will; and the change that is made is in the creature, and not in God himself: but God will not repent in any sense of the priesthood of Christ, nor of his oath, that it should continue for ever according to the order of Melchizedek; for he was every way qualified for it, and has faithfully performed it.
(t) Misn. Yoma, c. 1. sect. 5.

Translate in the Greek order, "For they indeed (the existing legal priests) without the (solemn) promise on oath (so the Greek [TITTMANN]) are made priests."
by him--God.
unto him--the Lord, the Son of God (Psalm 110:1).
not repent--never change His purpose.
after the order of Melchisedec--omitted in some oldest manuscripts, contained in others.

The Lord sware and will not repent - Hence also it appears, that his is an unchangeable priesthood.