• Hebrews 7:11
    New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures

    • 11 If, then, perfection was attainable through the Levitical priesthood+ (for it was a feature of the Law that was given to the people), what further need would there be for another priest to arise who is said to be in the manner of Mel·chizʹe·dek+ and not in the manner of Aaron?

  • Hebrews 7:11
    The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures

    • 11 Εἰ If μὲν indeed οὖν therefore τελείωσις perfection διὰ through τῆς the Λευειτικῆς Levitical ἱερωσύνης priesthood ἦν, was, ὁ the λαὸς people γὰρ for ἐπ’ upon αὐτῆς it νενομοθέτηται, has been legally set, τίς what ἔτι yet χρεία need κατὰ according to τὴν the τάξιν lineup Μελχισεδὲκ of Melchizedek ἕτερον different ἀνίστασθαι to be standing up ἱερέα priest καὶ and οὐ not κατὰ according to τὴν the τάξιν lineup ᾿Ααρὼν of Aaron λέγεσθαι; to be being said?

  • Hebrews 7:11
    The Bible in Living English

    • 11* So if perfection was attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for the people has its legislation on that basis), what more need was there that another priest be set up in such station as Melchisedek’s was and not be said to be in such station as Aaron’s?

  • Hebrews 7:11
    American Standard Version

    • 11 Now if there was perfection through the Levitical priesthood (for under it hath the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should arise after the order of Melchizedek, and not be reckoned after the order of Aaron?

  • Hebrews 7:11
    The Emphasized Bible

    • 11 If indeed therefore there had been a perfecting through means of the Levitical priesthood,—For the people thereon have had based a code of laws What further need according to the rank of Melchizedek for a different priest to be raised up, And not according to the rank of Aaron to be designated?

  • Hebrews 7:11
    King James Version

    • 11 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 Study Notes—Chapter 7
    New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (Study Edition)

    • 7:11

      If, then, perfection was attainable: A perfect person has a completely clean conscience; he knows that he is sinless before Jehovah God. (Compare Heb 10:1, 2.) But no sinful human could attain to such perfection by means of the Mosaic Law and its Levitical priesthood. (Heb 7:19) Those priests offered sacrifices that served to remind God’s people of the reality and the seriousness of sin. (Heb 10:3) The sacrifices also pointed ahead to the greater sacrifice that Christ Jesus would offer “once for all time.” (Heb 9:12; 10:10) Only that perfect sacrifice, corresponding exactly to the life that Adam lost, could lead to full forgiveness of sins. (1Ti 2:6 and study note; Heb 10:4) By means of the ransom, Christ became “the end of the Law,” and as High Priest, he opened the way for humans to attain to perfection at last.​—Ro 10:4; Heb 10:14 and study note.

      it was a feature of the Law: This statement could also be rendered “it was the basis of the Law.” The priesthood of Israel was a key feature of the Law that Jehovah gave to the people. By offering up sacrifices, the priests helped to fulfill a fundamental purpose of the Law, namely, to remind God’s people of the seriousness of sin and the need for atonement. (See study note on Heb 5:1.) In fact, an entire book of the Pentateuch​—Leviticus​—is devoted to the subject of the priesthood, the tabernacle, and the sacrifices.