American Standard Version
Hebrews 12:16
16lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one mess of meat sold his own birthright.
Hebrews 12:16 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
- New International Version (NIV)See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son.
- English Standard Version (ESV)that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal.
- New King James Version (NKJV)lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright.
Context of Hebrews 12:16
14Follow after peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no man shall see the Lord: 15looking carefully lestthere beany man that falleth short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby the many be defiled; lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one mess of meat sold his own birthright. 17For ye know that even when he afterward desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected; for he found no place for a change of mind in his father, though he sought it diligently with tears. 18For ye are not come unto a mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, and unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest,
Read all of Hebrews 12Hebrews 12:16 word by word
μή τις πόρνος ἢ βέβηλος ὡς Ἠσαῦ, ὃς ἀντὶ βρώσεως μιᾶς ἀπέδετο τὰ πρωτοτόκια ἑαυτοῦ.Read the interlinear
Cross-references for Hebrews 12:16
- Hebrews 13:4Let marriage be had in honor among all, and let the bed be undefiled: for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.
- Mark 7:21For from within, out of the heart of men, evil thoughts proceed, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries,
- Acts 15:20but that we write unto them, that they abstain from the pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from what is strangled, and from blood.
- 1 Corinthians 5:1It is actually reported that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not even among the Gentiles, that oneof you hath his father’s wife.
- 1 Corinthians 6:15Know ye not that your bodies are members of Christ? shall I then take away the members of Christ, and make them members of a harlot? God forbid.
- 1 Corinthians 10:8Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.
- 2 Corinthians 12:21lest again when I come my God should humble me before you, and I should mourn for many of them that have sinned heretofore, and repented not of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they committed.
- Galatians 5:19Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
- Ephesians 5:3But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as becometh saints;
- Colossians 3:5Put to death therefore your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry;
- 1 Thessalonians 4:3For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye abstain from fornication;
- Revelation 2:20But I have this against thee, that thou sufferest the woman Jezebel, who calleth herself a prophetess; and she teacheth and seduceth my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed to idols.
- Revelation 21:8But for the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their part shall be in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death.
- Revelation 22:15Without are the dogs, and the sorcerers, and the fornicators, and the murderers, and the idolaters, and every one that loveth and maketh a lie.
- Genesis 25:31And Jacob said, Sell me first thy birthright.
- Genesis 27:36And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?
Commentaries on Hebrews 12:16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16Lest there be any fornicator - Any licentious person who would turn the Gospel of the grace of God into lasciviousness. Or profane person, as Esau - It is not intimated that Esau was a fornicator; and the disjunctive , or, separates the profane person from the fornicator. And Esau is here termed profane, because he so far disregarded the spiritual advantages connected with his rights of primogeniture, that he alienated the whole for a single mess of…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16Lest there be any fornicator - The sin here referred to is one of those which would spread corruption in the church, and against which they ought to be especially on their guard. Allusion is made to Esau as an example, who, himself a corrupt and profane man, for a trifle threw away the highest honor which as a son he could have. Many have regarded the word used here as referring to idolatry, or defection from the true religion to a false one - as the word…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 12-17Verses 12-17 A burden of affliction is apt to make the Christian's hands hang down, and his knees grow feeble, to dispirit him and discourage him; but against this he must strive, that he may better run his spiritual race and course. Faith and patience enable believers to follow peace and holiness, as a man follows his calling constantly, diligently, and with pleasure. Peace with men, of all sects and parties, will be favourable to our pursuit of…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16Ancient Jewish writings describe Esau as sexually immoral because he married Hittite women, Judith and Basemath (Genesis 26:34; see Jubilees 25:1; Philo, On the Virtues 208). Esau showed disrespect for his birthright (Genesis 25:29–34), which is why he was considered godless. His choice to trade God's blessings for immediate fulfillment shows a lack of faith.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. fornicator--(He 13:4; 1Co 10:8). or profane--Fornication is nearly akin to gluttony, Esau's sin. He profanely cast away his spiritual privilege for the gratification of his palate. Ge 25:34 graphically portrays him. An example well fitted to strike needful horror into the Hebrews, whosoever of them, like Esau, were only sons of Isaac according to the flesh [Bengel]. for one morsel--The smallness of the inducement only aggravates the guilt of casting…Read the comment
Topics related to Hebrews 12:16
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Hebrews 12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries