For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law:
he should.
Hebrews 7:11-15 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? …
Numbers 16:40 To be a memorial unto the children of Israel, that no stranger, which is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to offer incense before the LORD; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as the LORD said to him by the hand of Moses.
Numbers 17:12,13 And the children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish…
there are priests.
See.
Hebrews 11:4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
He would not be a priest
According to the Mosaic Law, priests had to be from the tribe of Levi, specifically descendants of Aaron. Jesus, being from the tribe of Judah, would not qualify for the Levitical priesthood. This highlights the distinction between the earthly priesthood and Christ's superior, eternal priesthood.
since there are already priests
The existence of the Levitical priesthood is acknowledged here. At the time of writing, the temple in Jerusalem was still standing, and the Levitical priests were actively performing their duties. This underscores the continuity of the old covenant practices even as the new covenant was being established through Christ.
who offer gifts according to the law
The Levitical priests offered sacrifices and gifts as prescribed by the Mosaic Law. These offerings were a central part of the old covenant, serving as a temporary measure to atone for sin. In contrast, Christ's sacrifice is once and for all, fulfilling and surpassing the requirements of the law, as elaborated in Hebrews 9 and 10.
• The writer is picturing a purely hypothetical scene. Jesus already ascended (Acts 1:9). His present ministry is in “the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man” (Hebrews 8:2).
• Being “on earth” would confine Him to the old, shadowy system that depended on physical buildings and repeated sacrifices. Yet He now ministers “in the heavenly sanctuary” (Hebrews 9:24).
• Colossians 3:1 invites us to lift our eyes where He actually is: “Set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.”
• Earthbound priesthood belonged to Levi, but “our Lord was descended from Judah, a tribe about which Moses said nothing concerning priests” (Hebrews 7:13-14).
• By the earthly rule He could never approach the altar (Numbers 3:10).
• God intentionally chose a different order for His Son—“You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek” (Hebrews 7:17). That heavenly order depends on an indestructible life, not on genealogy.
• At the time Hebrews was written, temple worship still operated in Jerusalem. Thousands of Levites kept the daily routine (Exodus 28:1; Hebrews 9:6-7).
• The writer isn’t denying their ministry; he’s showing its limits. Their very existence proves the old covenant was still in place for Israel, yet it was “becoming obsolete and growing old” (Hebrews 8:13).
• Levitical priests “stand day after day serving and offering again and again the same sacrifices” (Hebrews 10:11). Those gifts could never cleanse the conscience completely.
• Jesus, by contrast, “gave Himself up for us as an offering and a sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:2). His one offering fulfills the law’s requirements once for all (Hebrews 9:24-26).
• Earthly priests handle symbols; the Son presents the reality. What the law pictured, His cross accomplished.
Hebrews 8:4 points out that Jesus’ priesthood is utterly different from the Levitical system. If He stayed on earth, He would be disqualified by lineage and redundancy; yet He serves in heaven, after a superior order, offering a perfect sacrifice that earthly priests could only foreshadow. Our confidence, therefore, rests not in repetitive rituals but in the finished, heavenly ministry of our exalted High Priest.
(4) For if he were . . .--The oldest Greek MSS. and two important versions read, "If then He were"; and two other changes in the text of this verse also rest on high authority. In its correct form the verse will stand thus: If then He were on earth, He would not even be a priest (that is, He would not be a priest at all), seeing there are those who according to law offer the gifts. The argument somewhat resembles that of Hebrews 7:13-14; there, however, the impediment is that of tribe; here the thought is that the place is preoccupied by men who by express command are bringing the gifts unto God.