24) There now follows the mighty contrast: “but he, because he remains
forever, εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα,” as God himself declares in his sworn
statement in Ps. 110:4, “has an unchangeable priesthood.” The διά phrases with the substantivized present
infinitives are placed chiastically, thus close together, which heightens the
contrast: they are prevented from remaining on—he remains forever. God says
this regarding him under oath. He thus has a priesthood that is ἀπαράβατον; this word always has the sense of
“unchangeable,” unwan-delbar, and does not mean, as some suppose,
“untransferable” (C.-K. 184, etc.; B.-P. 126). Because he remains forever he
has an unchangeable priesthood. (R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of the Epistle to the
Hebrews and of the Epistle of James [Columbus, Ohio: Lutheran Book Concern,
1938], 238)
