Hebrews Bible Study Hebrews 12:12-17

Translation: Hebrews 12:12-17

12 Διὸ τὰς παρειμένας χεῖραςκαὶ τὰ παραλελυμένα γόναταἀνορθώσατε,  13 καὶτροχιὰς ὀρθὰς ποιεῖτε τοῖςποσὶν ὑμῶν, ἵνα μὴ τὸ χωλὸνἐκτραπῇ, ἰαθῇ δὲ μᾶλλον. 

Therefore, straighten up your slacking hands and paralyzed knees, and make a straight course for your feet, in order that what is crippled may not become dislocated, but restored to health instead.

Sort of a rebuke here. Ya’ll are being lazy — get back to work.

14 Εἰρήνην διώκετε μετὰ πάντων, καὶτὸν ἁγιασμόν, οὗ χωρὶςοὐδεὶς ὄψεται τὸν κύριον,  15 ἐπισκοποῦντες μή τιςὑστερῶν ἀπὸ τῆς χάριτος τοῦ θεοῦ, μή τιςῥίζα πικρίας ἄνω φύουσαἐνοχλῇ καὶ διʼ αὐτῆς μιανθῶσιν πολλοί,  16 μή τιςπόρνος ἢ βέβηλος ὡς Ἠσαῦ, ὃς ἀντὶβρώσεως μιᾶς ἀπέδετο τὰ πρωτοτόκια ἑαυτοῦ.

Keep pursuing peace with everyone, and keep pursuing personal dedication to God’s interests, without which no one will see the Lord; look out for one another, lest anyone should miss out on the grace of God, lest any bitter root growing up should cause trouble and through it cause the purity of many to be violated, lest anyone should be a sexually immoral person or totally worldly like Esau, who exchanged his own birthright for one meal.

The word usually rendered holiness or sanctification here has more to do with loyalty or commitment to God than the specific righteous actions associated with holiness; it’s about being set apart to God, consecrated, devoted to Him. 

Looking out for other believers is especially the work of the episkopoi, but here of all believers. Not only do we need to give attention to perseverance personally, but we must help others persevere too.

Esau’s mindset was the opposite of holiness. Instead of being dedicated to God, he was dedicated to this world and its priorities and pleasures.

17 ἴστε γὰρ ὅτι καὶμετέπειτα θέλων κληρονομῆσαι τὴνεὐλογίαν ἀπεδοκιμάσθη, μετανοίας γὰρτόπον οὐχ εὗρεν, καίπερ μετὰδακρύων ἐκζητήσας αὐτήν. 

For you know that also afterwards, when he wished to inherit the blessing, even though he sought it with tears, he was rejected as unworthy, for he did not find a place of repentance.

“It” clearly refers to the blessing in Greek, not the place of repentance.

He was rejected - not by his father but by God, because —

He did not find a place of repentance — he was so set on this world and its values that he could not turn around and treasure God and His purposes.