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

14Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. 15Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many. Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal. 17You know that afterward, when he wanted his father’s blessing, he was rejected. It was too late for repentance, even though he begged with bitter tears. 18You have not come to a physical mountain, to a place of flaming fire, darkness, gloom, and whirlwind, as the Israelites did at Mount Sinai.

Hebrews 12:16 word by word

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

Words taken from the KJV.

• Lest thereμήmē · notG3361
• anyτιςtis · oneG5100
• fornicatorπόρνοςpornos · sexual sinnerG4205
• orἤē · orG2228
• profane personβέβηλοςbebēlos · profaneG952
• asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
• EsauἨσαῦĒsau · EsauG2269
• whoὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• forἀντίanti · forG473
• oneεἷςheis · oneG1520
• morsel of meatβρῶσιςbrōsis · eatingG1035
• soldἀποδίδωμιapodidōmi · to payG591
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• birthrightὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• birthrightπρωτοτόκιαprōtotokia · birthrightG4415

Cross-references for Hebrews 12:16

• Hebrews 13:4Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery.
• Mark 7:21For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder,
• Acts 15:20Instead, we should write and tell them to abstain from eating food offered to idols, from sexual immorality, from eating the meat of strangled animals, and from consuming blood.
• 1 Corinthians 5:1I can hardly believe the report about the sexual immorality going on among you—something that even pagans don’t do. I am told that a man in your church is living in sin with his stepmother.
• 1 Corinthians 6:15Don’t you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ? Should a man take his body, which is part of Christ, and join it to a prostitute? Never!
• 1 Corinthians 10:8And we must not engage in sexual immorality as some of them did, causing 23,000 of them to die in one day.
• 2 Corinthians 12:21Yes, I am afraid that when I come again, God will humble me in your presence. And I will be grieved because many of you have not given up your old sins. You have not repented of your impurity, sexual immorality, and eagerness for lustful pleasure.
• Galatians 5:19When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures,
• Ephesians 5:3Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people.
• Colossians 3:5So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.
• 1 Thessalonians 4:3God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin.
• Revelation 2:20“But I have this complaint against you. You are permitting that woman—that Jezebel who calls herself a prophet—to lead my servants astray. She teaches them to commit sexual sin and to eat food offered to idols.
• Revelation 21:8“But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
• Revelation 22:15Outside the city are the dogs—the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idol worshipers, and all who love to live a lie.
• Genesis 25:31“All right,” Jacob replied, “but trade me your rights as the firstborn son.”
• Genesis 27:36Esau exclaimed, “No wonder his name is Jacob, for now he has cheated me twice. First he took my rights as the firstborn, and now he has stolen my blessing. Oh, haven’t you saved even one 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