Hebrews 12:16

Hebrews 12:16

Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.

a. ASV: Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one mess of meat sold his own birthright.

  

b. YLT: Lest any one be a fornicator, or a profane person, as Esau, who in exchange for one morsel of food did sell his birthright,

d. Amplified Bible Classic: That no one may become guilty of sexual vice, or become a profane (godless and sacrilegious) person as Esau did, who sold his own birthright for a single meal.

1. “Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau…”

a. Lest [Strong: 3361 mḗ, may; a primary particle of qualified negation (whereas G3756 expresses an absolute denial); (adverb) not, (conjunction) lest; also (as an interrogative implying a negative answer (whereas G3756 expects an affirmative one)) whether:—any but (that), × forbear, + God forbid, + lack, lest, neither, never, no (X wise in), none, nor, (can-)not, nothing, that not, un(-taken), without.]

b. [there be] any [Strong: 5100 tìs, tis; an enclitic indefinite pronoun; some or any person or object:—a (kind of), any (man, thing, thing at all), certain (thing), divers, he (every) man, one (X thing), ought, + partly, some (man, -body, - thing, -what), (+ that no-)thing, what(-soever), ×wherewith, whom(-soever), whose(-soever).]

c. fornicator [Strong: 4205 pórnos, por'-nos; from πέρνημι pérnēmi (to sell; akin to the base of G4097); a (male) prostitute (as venal), i.e. (by analogy) a debauchee (libertine):—fornicator, whoremonger.]

d. or [Strong: 2228 ḗ, ay; a primary particle of distinction between two connected terms; disjunctive, or; comparative, than:—and, but (either), (n-)either, except it be, (n-)or (else), rather, save, than, that, what, yea. Often used in connection with other particles.]

e. profane [person] [Strong: 952 bébēlos, beb'-ay-los; from the base of G939 and βηλός bēlós (a threshold); accessible (as by crossing the door-way), i.e. (by implication, of Jewish notions) heathenish, wicked:—profane (person).]

  

f. as [Strong: 5613 hōs, hoce; probably adverb of comparative from G3739; which how, i.e. in that manner (very variously used, as follows):—about, after (that), (according) as (it had been, it were), as soon (as), even as (like), for, how (greatly), like (as, unto), since, so (that), that, to wit, unto, when(-soever), while, × with all speed.]

g. Esau [Strong: 2269 Ēsaû, ay-sow'; of Hebrew origin (H6215); Esau, an Edomite:—Esau.]

2.  “...who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.”

a. who [Strong: 3739 hós, hos; probably a primary word (or perhaps a form of the article G3588); the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, who, which, what, that:—one, (an-, the) other, some, that, what, which, who(-m, -se), etc.]

b. for [Strong: 473 antí, an-tee'; a primary particle; opposite, i.e. instead or because of (rarely in addition to):—for, in the room of.]

c. one [Strong: 3391 mía, mee'-ah; irregular feminine of G1520; one or first:—a (certain), + agree, first, one, × other.]

d. morsel of meat [Strong: 1035 brōsis, bro'-sis; from the base of G977; (abstractly) eating (literally or figuratively); by extension (concretely) food (literally or figuratively):—eating, food, meat.]

e. sold [Strong: 591 apodídōmi, ap-od-eed'-o-mee; from G575 and G1325; to give away, i.e. up, over, back, etc. (in various applications):—deliver (again), give (again), (re-)pay(-ment be made), perform, recompense, render, requite, restore, reward, sell, yield.]

  

f. his [Strong: 846 autós, ow-tos'; from the particle αὖ aû (perhaps akin to the base of G109 through the idea of a baffling wind) (backward); the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons:—her, it(-self), one, the other, (mine) own, said, (self-), the) same, ((him-, my-, thy- )self, (your-)selves, she, that, their(-s), them(-selves), there(-at, - by, -in, -into, -of, -on, -with), they, (these) things, this (man), those, together, very, which.]

g. birthright [Strong: 4415 prōtotókia, pro-tot-ok'-ee-ah; from G4416; primogeniture (as a privilege):—birthright.]

1). This is of course referring to an incident in Genesis.

a). Genesis 25:29-34  And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint:

25:30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.

25:31  And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.

25:32 And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?

25:33 And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.

25:34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.

2). This passage reminds me of a couple other passages in the New Testament.

a). 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

6:10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

b). Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

5:20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.