Hebrews 12:16

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

14Pursue peace with everyone, as well as holiness, without which no one will see the Lord. 15See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God, and that no root of bitterness springs up to cause trouble and defile many. See to it that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his birthright. 17For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected. He could find no ground for repentance, though he sought the blessing with tears. 18For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom, and storm;

Hebrews 12:16 word by word

μή τις πόρνος ἢ βέβηλος ὡς Ἠσαῦ, ὃς ἀντὶ βρώσεως μιᾶς ἀπέδετο τὰ πρωτοτόκια ἑαυτοῦ.Read the interlinear

• thatμήmē · notG3361
• ·τιςtis · oneG5100
• sexually immoralπόρνοςpornos · sexual sinnerG4205
• orἤē · orG2228
• is godlessβέβηλοςbebēlos · profaneG952
• likeὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
• EsauἨσαῦĒsau · EsauG2269
• whoὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• forἀντίanti · forG473
• a singleεἷςheis · oneG1520
• mealβρῶσιςbrōsis · eatingG1035
• soldἀποδίδωμιapodidōmi · to payG591
• hisἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• birthrightπρωτοτόκιαprōtotokia · birthrightG4415

Cross-references for Hebrews 12:16

• Hebrews 13:4Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.
• Mark 7:21For from within the hearts of men come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,
• Acts 15:20Instead, we should write and tell them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals, and from blood.
• 1 Corinthians 5:1It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is intolerable even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife.
• 1 Corinthians 6:15Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never!
• 1 Corinthians 10:8We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died.
• 2 Corinthians 12:21I am afraid that when I come again, my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved over many who have sinned earlier and have not repented of their acts of impurity, sexual immorality, and debauchery.
• Galatians 5:19The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery;
• Ephesians 5:3But among you, as is proper among the saints, there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed.
• Colossians 3:5Put to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry.
• 1 Thessalonians 4:3For it is God’s will that you should be holy: You must abstain from sexual immorality;
• Revelation 2:20But I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads My servants to be sexually immoral and to eat food sacrificed to idols.
• Revelation 21:8But to the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.”
• Revelation 22:15But outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
• Genesis 25:31“First sell me your birthright,” Jacob replied.
• Genesis 27:36So Esau declared, “Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has cheated me twice. He took my birthright, and now he has taken my blessing.” Then he asked, “Haven’t you saved 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

• Birthright
• Esau
• Firstborn
• Gluttony
• Jacob
• Repentance
• Reprobacy
• Worldliness

In the dictionaries

• Esau
• Acceptably
• Aside
• Birthright
• Bitterness
• Carefully
• Chastening
• Cloud
• Contradiction
• Endure

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