Hebrews 12:17

Hebrews 12:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.
• New International Version (NIV)Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.

Context of Hebrews 12:17

15Remember that God is very kind. Nobody should refuse to let God help them. Make sure that nobody among you causes trouble so that people turn against God. A person who is angry against God is like poison. He spoils many other people's lives so that God does not accept them. 16Make sure that nobody among you has sex in a wrong way. Be careful that nobody is careless about God's rules, like Esau was long ago. He gave away everything that he would have received as his father's first son. He gave it all away so that he could get only one meal. As you know, after that, he still wanted to receive those good things from his father. He wanted his father to ask God to bless him. But his father refused to do that. Esau cried very much when he asked his father to give him those good things. But there was no way that Esau could change what he had done. 18You have come near to God. But you have not come to a place that you can touch, like Sinai mountain. That mountain burned with fire. But where the people stood, it was completely dark. They could not see at all. There was also a very strong wind and a storm. 19There was the loud sound of a trumpet. There was a powerful voice that spoke to them. When the people heard that voice, they were very afraid. So they asked that the voice would not speak to them any more.

Hebrews 12:17 word by word

ἴστε γὰρ ὅτι καὶ μετέπειτα θέλων κληρονομῆσαι τὴν εὐλογίαν ἀπεδοκιμάσθη· μετανοίας γὰρ τόπον οὐχ εὗρεν καίπερ μετὰ δακρύων ἐκζητήσας αὐτήν.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Forγάρgar · forG1063
• ye knowεἴδωeidō · to perceive: understandG1492
• how thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• ·καίkai · andG2532
• afterwardμετέπειταmetepeita · afterwardG3347
• when he would haveθέλωthelō ethelō · to will/desireG2309
• inheritedκληρονομέωklēronomeō · to inheritG2816
• the blessingὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the blessingεὐλογίαeulogia · praiseG2129
• he was rejectedἀποδοκιμάζωapodokimazō · to rejectG593
• he foundεὑρίσκωheuriskō · to find/meetG2147
• noοὐou · noG3756
• placeτόποςtopos · placeG5117
• of repentanceμετάνοιαmetanoia · repentanceG3341
• thoughκαίπερkaiper · althoughG2539
• he soughtἐκζητέωekzēteō · to seek outG1567
• itαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• withμετάmeta · with/afterG3326
• tearsδάκρυ, δάκρυονdakru dakruon · teardropG1144

Cross-references for Hebrews 12:17

• Genesis 27:31He prepared nice food that Isaac liked to eat. Then he took the food to his father, Isaac. Esau said, ‘My father, please sit up. Eat some of the meat from the wild animal that I have killed. Then you can bless me.’
• Hebrews 6:8But a field where only weeds and thorn bushes grow is worth nothing. God will very soon speak against that ground. In the end, fire will burn all of it.
• Proverbs 1:24I called out to you, but you refused to listen. I reached out to you, but you turned your backs to me.
• Jeremiah 6:30I, the Lord, cannot accept them, so they are like useless silver.’
• Matthew 7:23But I will say to these people, “I never knew you. You do not obey God. You are bad. So go away from me.” ’
• Matthew 25:11Later, the five silly women also came to the house. They said, “Sir, Sir, please open the door for us.”
• Luke 13:24Jesus said to the people there, ‘Do your best to go in through the narrow door. I tell you that many people will want to get in there. But they will not be able to go through it.
• Hebrews 6:4That is important, because we must not turn away from Christ, after we have first believed in him. Some people have come into God's light. They have understood God's message. They have started to enjoy the true life that God has given them. They have received the Holy Spirit, like other believers.
• Hebrews 10:26Now that we have learned what is true, we must continue to believe in Jesus. If we know God's true message, but we still choose to do wrong things, God will not forgive us. There is no other sacrifice that will take away our sins.

Commentaries on Hebrews 12:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17When he would have inherited the blessing - When he wished to have the lordship over the whole family conveyed to him, and sought it earnestly with tears, he found no place for a change in his father's mind and counsel, who now perceived that it was the will of God that Jacob should be made lord of all. Repentance - Here is not to be taken in a theological sense, as implying contrition for sin, but merely change of mind or purpose; nor does the word refer…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17For ye know how that afterward … - When he came to his father, and earnestly besought him to reverse the sentence which he had pronounced; see Genesis 27:34-40. The “blessing” here referred to was not that of the birth-right, which he knew he could not regain, but that pronounced by the father Isaac on him whom he regarded as his first-born son. This Jacob obtained by fraud, when Isaac really “meant” to bestow it on Esau. Isaac appears to have been…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. 17The author of Hebrews views Esau's lack of respect for his inheritance (Hebrews 12:16) and his loss of the blessing (Genesis 27:30–40) as closely connected. This led to his bitter tears. By extension, those who reject an inheritance through Christ's new covenant will face a future filled with bitterness.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. afterwards--Greek, "even afterward." He despised his birthright, accordingly also he was despised and rejected when he wished to have the blessing. As in the believer's case, so in the unbeliever's, there is an "afterwards" coming, when the believer shall look on his past griefs, and the unbeliever on his past joys, in a very different light from that in which they were respectively viewed at the time. Compare "Nevertheless afterward," &c. He 12:11…Read the comment

Topics related to Hebrews 12:17

• Gluttony
• Impenitence
• Repentance
• Reprobacy

In the dictionaries

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

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