The Meaning of Hebrews 12:17 Explained

Hebrews 12:17

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.

YLT: for ye know that also afterwards, wishing to inherit the blessing, he was disapproved of, for a place of reformation he found not, though with tears having sought it.

Darby: for ye know that also afterwards, desiring to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, (for he found no place for repentance) although he sought it earnestly with tears.

ASV: For 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 is diligently with tears.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Hebrews 12:17 Mean?

Study Notes

it
i.e. the blessing.

Context Summary

Hebrews 12:9-17 - Endure Chastening Seek Holiness
If we are God's children, we will not look on suffering as a punishment. Chastening it may be, but not the penalty of sin. It is administered by our Father. Don't look at the intermediary links in the chain, but remember that Satan could not go beyond the Father's limit in the case of Balaam or Job. See Numbers 22:31; Job 2:6. It is only for the present; it will soon be over; it is intended to free us of dross and is therefore to profit; it will yield peace, and righteousness, and true holiness. Look on and up-the harvest will repay.
We are bidden, Hebrews 12:14-17, to watch each other's interests and to stay the first speck of corruption in the fruit, lest it spread. The corrupt soul infects all in its neighborhood. There are irrevocable acts in life. We cannot undo them, but we may be forgiven. Esau received all that this world could give and became a prince, but he never got back his spiritual leadership. [source]

Chapter Summary: Hebrews 12

1  An exhortation to constant faith, patience, and godliness by Christ's example
22  A commendation of the new covenant

Greek Commentary for Hebrews 12:17

Ye know [ιστε]
Regular form for the second person of οιδα — oida rather than the Koiné οιδατε — oidate He was rejected First aorist passive indicative of αποδοκιμαζω — apodokimazō old verb to disapprove (Matthew 21:42). Place of repentance Μετανοια — Metanoia is change of mind and purpose, not sorrow though he had tears Esau is a tragic example of one who does a willful sin which allows no second chance (Hebrews 6:6; Hebrews 10:26). The author presses the case of Esau as a warning to the Christians who were tempted to give up Christ. [source]
He found no place of repentance [μετανοίας γὰρ τόπον οὐχ εὗρεν]
The phrase place of repentance N.T.oThis does not mean that Esau was rendered incapable of repentance, which is clearly contradicted by what follows; nor that he was not able to persuade Isaac to change his mind and to recall the blessing already bestowed on Jacob and give it to him. This is unnatural, forced, and highly improbable. The words place of repentance mean an opportunity to repair by repenting. He found no way to reverse by repentance what he had done. The penalty could not be reversed in the nature of the case. This is clear from Isaac's words, Genesis 27:33. [source]
Sought it carefully [ἐκζητήσας]
See on 1 Peter 1:10. Comp. Hebrews 11:6. See also on questionings, 1 Timothy 1:4. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Hebrews 12:17

Romans 15:23 Place [τόπον]
Scope, opportunity. So of Esau, Hebrews 12:17. Compare Romans 12:19; Ephesians 4:27. [source]
Hebrews 11:6 Of them that diligently seek him [τοῖς ἐκζητοῦσιν αὐτὸν]
Lit. unto them that seek him out. Comp. Acts 15:17; Hebrews 12:17; 1 Peter 1:10. The verb is used of seeking God, Romans 3:11. God's beneficent will and attitude toward the seeker are not always apparent at the first approach. In such cases there is occasion for faith, in the face of delay, that diligent seeking will find its reward. One is reminded of Jesus' lessons on importunity in seeking God, Luke 11:5-10; Luke 18:1-8.He hides himself so wondrouslyAs though there were no God;He is least seen when all the powersOf ill are most abroad.Or he deserts us at the hourThe fight is almost lost,And seems to leave us to ourselvesJust when we need him most.It is not so, but so it looks;And we lose courage then;And doubts will come if God hath keptHis promises to men.”Faber. [source]
Hebrews 1:14 Ministering spirits [λειτουργικα πνευματα]
Thayer says that λειτουργικος — leitourgikos was not found in profane authors, but it occurs in the papyri for “work tax” (money in place of service) and for religious service also. The word is made from λειτουργια — leitourgia (Luke 1:23; Hebrews 8:6; Hebrews 9:21). Sent forth Present passive participle of αποστελλω — apostellō sent forth repeatedly, from time to time as occasion requires. For the sake of With the accusative, the usual causal meaning of δια — dia That shall inherit “That are going to inherit,” common idiom of μελλω — mellō (present active participle) with the infinitive (present active here), “destined to inherit” (Matthew 11:14). Salvation Here used of the final salvation in its consummation. Only here in the N.T. do we have “inherent salvation,” but see Hebrews 6:12; Hebrews 12:17. We do not have here the doctrine of special guardian angels for each of us, but simply the fact that angels are used for our good. “And if so, may we not be aided, inspired, guided by a cloud of witnesses - not witnesses only, but helpers, agents like ourselves of the immanent God?” (Sir Oliver Lodge, The Hibbert Journal, Jan., 1903, p. 223). [source]
Hebrews 5:8 Though he was a Son [καιπερ ων υιος]
Concessive participle with καιπερ — kaiper regular Greek idiom as in Hebrews 7:5; Hebrews 12:17. Yet learned obedience Second aorist active indicative of μαντανω — manthanō Succinct and crisp statement of the humanity of Jesus in full harmony with Luke 2:40, Luke 2:52 and with Hebrews 2:10. By the things which he suffered There is a play on the two verbs (εματενεπατεν — emathen -πασχω — epathen), paronomasia. Second aorist active indicative of paschō He always did his Father‘s will (John 8:29), but he grew in experience as in wisdom and stature and in the power of sympathy with us. [source]
James 1:19 Ye know this [ιστε]
Or “know this.” Probably the perfect active indicative (literary form as in Ephesians 5:5; Hebrews 12:17, unless both are imperative, while in James 4:4 we have οιδατε — oidate the usual vernacular Koiné perfect indicative). The imperative uses only ιστε — iste and only the context can decide which it is. Εστο — Esto (let be) is imperative. [source]
1 Peter 1:10 Sought []
Used of Esau's seeking carefully for a place of repentance, in Hebrews 12:17. [source]
1 Peter 3:9 Reviling for reviling [λοιδοριαν αντι λοιδοριας]
Allusion to 1 Peter 2:23 (Christ‘s own example).But contrariwise blessing (τουναντιον δε ευλογουντες — tounantion de eulogountes). Adverbial accusative and crasis (το εναντιον — to enantion) of the neuter article and the adjective εναντιος — enantios (εν αντιος — enευλογουντες — antios opposite, Matthew 14:24), “on the contrary.” For ευλογεω — eulogountes (present active participle of ευλογειτε — eulogeō) see Luke 6:28; Romans 12:14 (imperative οτι εις τουτο εκλητητε — eulogeite).For hereunto were ye called See note on 1 Peter 2:21 for this verb and use of ινα ευλογιαν κληρονομησητε — eis touto (pointing to the preceding argument).That ye should inherit a blessing (ινα — hina eulogian klēronomēsēte). Purpose clause with κληρονομεω — hina and the first aorist active subjunctive of klēronomeō a plain reference to Esau, who wanted “to inherit the blessing” (Hebrews 12:17) after he had sold his birthright. Christians are the new Israel (both Gentiles and Jews) and are the spiritual descendants of Isaac (Galatians 4:22.). [source]
1 Peter 3:9 For hereunto were ye called [εις τουτο]
See note on 1 Peter 2:21 for this verb and use of ινα ευλογιαν κληρονομησητε — eis touto (pointing to the preceding argument).That ye should inherit a blessing (ινα — hina eulogian klēronomēsēte). Purpose clause with κληρονομεω — hina and the first aorist active subjunctive of klēronomeō a plain reference to Esau, who wanted “to inherit the blessing” (Hebrews 12:17) after he had sold his birthright. Christians are the new Israel (both Gentiles and Jews) and are the spiritual descendants of Isaac (Galatians 4:22.). [source]
1 Peter 3:9 That ye should inherit a blessing [ινα]
Purpose clause with κληρονομεω — hina and the first aorist active subjunctive of klēronomeō a plain reference to Esau, who wanted “to inherit the blessing” (Hebrews 12:17) after he had sold his birthright. Christians are the new Israel (both Gentiles and Jews) and are the spiritual descendants of Isaac (Galatians 4:22.). [source]

What do the individual words in Hebrews 12:17 mean?

You know for that even afterward wishing to inherit the blessing he was rejected of repentance place not he found although with tears having earnestly sought it
ἴστε γὰρ ὅτι καὶ μετέπειτα θέλων κληρονομῆσαι τὴν εὐλογίαν ἀπεδοκιμάσθη μετανοίας τόπον οὐχ εὗρεν καίπερ μετὰ δακρύων ἐκζητήσας αὐτήν

ἴστε  You  know 
Parse: Verb, Perfect Indicative Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: οἶδα  
Sense: to see.
ὅτι  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ὅτι  
Sense: that, because, since.
καὶ  even 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: καί  
Sense: and, also, even, indeed, but.
μετέπειτα  afterward 
Parse: Adverb
Root: μετέπειτα  
Sense: afterwards, after that.
θέλων  wishing 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: θέλω  
Sense: to will, have in mind, intend.
κληρονομῆσαι  to  inherit 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active
Root: κληρονομέω  
Sense: to receive a lot, receive by lot.
εὐλογίαν  blessing 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: εὐγλωττία 
Sense: praise, laudation, panegyric: of Christ or God.
ἀπεδοκιμάσθη  he  was  rejected 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἀποδοκιμάζω  
Sense: to disapprove, reject, repudiate.
μετανοίας  of  repentance 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: μετάνοια  
Sense: a change of mind, as it appears to one who repents, of a purpose he has formed or of something he has done.
τόπον  place 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: τόπος 
Sense: place, any portion or space marked off, as it were from surrounding space.
εὗρεν  he  found 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: εὑρίσκω  
Sense: to come upon, hit upon, to meet with.
καίπερ  although 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: καίπερ  
Sense: although.
δακρύων  tears 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Neuter Plural
Root: δάκρυον  
Sense: a tear.
ἐκζητήσας  having  earnestly  sought 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἐκζητέω  
Sense: to seek out, search for.