Hebrews 12:16

“that no one be sexually immoral or profane like Esau, who in exchange for a single meal sold his own birthright.”
Hebrews 12:16 · direct translation from the Greek

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With the Greek beneath

that no oneμή τιςbesexually immoralπόρνοςorἢprofaneβέβηλοςlikeὡςEsau,Ἠσαῦwhoὃςin exchange forἀντὶa singleμιᾶςmealβρώσεωςsoldἀπέδετοhis ownἑαυτοῦbirthright.τὰ πρωτοτόκια

Allusion · Genesis 25:29-34

Go to Genesis 25:29-34

Both texts speak of Esau, who sells his birthright for a meal.

They share words that are rare in the original, without a quotation.

ἨσαῦĒsauG2269עֵשָׂוesavH6215“Esau”
πρωτοτόκιαprōtotokiaG4415בְּכֹרָתְbejoratH1062“birthright”

Firstbornבְּכוֹר / πρωτότοκοςבכור prōtotokos

The first male child. According to the law he belonged to YHWH and was redeemed (Exodus 13:2, 13), and he received a double portion of the inheritance (Deuteronomy 21:17). The New Testament calls Jesus “firstborn” (Luke 2:7; Colossians 1:15).

See it in the glossary

Hebrews 12:16, word by word

sexually immoralπόρνοςpornos

sexually immoral person

Sexually immoral person, someone who practices sexual immorality.

Where else “pornos” appears

profaneβέβηλοςbebēlos

profane, godless

Profane: treating what is holy as common; godless.

Where else “bebēlos” appears

EsauἨσαῦĒsau

Esau

Esau: the elder son of Isaac, twin brother of Jacob.

Where else “Ēsau” appears

in exchange forἀντὶanti

instead of

As a swap for: "eye for eye".

Where else “anti” appears

a singleμιᾶςmias

one

The quantity one, or a single one within a group.

Where else “mias” appears

mealβρώσεωςbrōseōs

food

What one eats to live; also the food that gives eternal life.

Where else “brōseōs” appears

soldἀπέδετοapedeto

sell

To hand something or someone over to another for money.

Where else “apedeto” appears

birthrightπρωτοτόκιαprōtotokia

birthright

Birthright: the rights of the firstborn son.

Where else “prōtotokia” appears

Translation note

This recalls Genesis 25:29-34.

The context

15seeing to it that no one falls short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and through it many become defiled;

16 · This verse (above)

17For you know that even afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for a change of mind, although he sought it with tears.

Read all of Hebrews 12

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