SEV Biblia, Chapter 12:17
Porque ya sabis que aun despus, deseando heredar la bendicin, fue reprobado, que no hall lugar de arrepentimiento, aunque la procur con lgrimas.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Hebrew 12:17
Verse 17. When he would have inherited the blessing] When he wished to have the lordship over the whole family conveyed to him, and sought it earnestly with tears, he found no place for a change in his father's mind and counsel, who now perceived that it was the will of God that Jacob should be made lord of all. Repentance] Here metanoia is not to be taken in a theological sense, as implying contrition for sin, but merely change of mind or purpose; nor does the word refer here to Esau at all, but to his father, whom Esau could not, with all his tears and entreaties, persuade to reverse what he had done.
I have blessed him, said he, yea, and he must be blessed; I cannot reverse it now. See the whole of this transaction largely considered and explained, See the notes on "Gen. xxv. 29", &c., and See "Gen. xxvii. 1", &c.
Nothing spoken here by the apostle, nor in the history in Genesis to which he refers, concerns the eternal state of either of the two brothers. The use made of the transaction by the apostle is of great importance: Take heed lest, by apostatizing from the Gospel, ye forfeit all right and title to the heavenly birthright, and never again be able to retrieve it; because they who reject the Gospel reject the only means of salvation.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 17. For ye know how that afterwards , etc..] After he had had his pottage; after he had sold his birthright for it, and the blessing with it; after his father had blessed Jacob: this the apostle relates to the Hebrews, as a thing well known to them; they having read the books of Moses, and being conversant with them, in which the whole history of this affair is recorded: how that when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected ; by his father, who refused to give him the blessing, but confirmed what he had given to Jacob; and also by God, he being the object of his hatred; concerning whom he had said, even before his birth, the elder shall serve the younger, ( Romans 9:11-13), for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears , ( Genesis 27:34,38) though he was very solicitous for the blessing, and shed many tears to obtain it, yet he had no true repentance for his sin in soiling the birthright. Tears are not an infallible sign of repentance: men may be more concerned for the loss and mischief that come by sin, than for the evil that is in it; and such repentance is not sincere; it does not spring from love to God, or a concern for his glory; nor does it bring forth proper fruits: or rather, the sense of the words is, that notwithstanding all his solicitude, importunity, and tears, he found no place of repentance in his father Isaac; he could not prevail upon him to change his mind; to revoke the blessing he had bestowed on Jacob, and confer it on him, ( Genesis 27:33) for he plainly saw it was the mind of God, that the blessing should be where it was; whose counsel shall stand, and he will do all his pleasure. This latter seems to be the better interpretation of the words, though the former agrees with the Targum on ( Job 15:20) all the days of Esau the ungodly, they expected that he would have repented, but he repented not.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 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 rac and course. Faith and patience enable believers to follow peace an holiness, as a man follows his calling constantly, diligently, and with pleasure. Peace with men, of all sects and parties, will be favourabl to our pursuit of holiness. But peace and holiness go together; ther can be not right peace without holiness. Where persons fail of havin the true grace of God, corruption will prevail and break forth; bewar lest any unmortified lust in the heart, which seems to be dead, shoul spring up, to trouble and disturb the whole body. Falling away from Christ is the fruit of preferring the delights of the flesh, to the blessing of God, and the heavenly inheritance, as Esau did. But sinner will not always have such mean thoughts of the Divine blessing an inheritance as they now have. It agrees with the profane man' disposition, to desire the blessing, yet to despise the means whereb the blessing is to be gained. But God will neither sever the means from the blessing, nor join the blessing with the satisfying of man's lusts God's mercy and blessing were never sought carefully and not obtained.
Greek Textus Receptus
ιστε 2467 5759 γαρ 1063 οτι 3754 και 2532 μετεπειτα 3347 θελων 2309 5723 κληρονομησαι 2816 5658 την 3588 ευλογιαν 2129 απεδοκιμασθη 593 5681 μετανοιας 3341 γαρ 1063 τοπον 5117 ουχ 3756 ευρεν 2147 5627 καιπερ 2539 μετα 3326 δακρυων 1144 εκζητησας 1567 5660 αυτην 846
Vincent's NT Word Studies
17. He found no place of repentance (metanoiav gar topon ouc euren). The phrase place of repentance N.T.o . This 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, Gen. xxvii. 33.
Sought it carefully (ekzhthsav). See on 1 Pet. i. 10. Comp. Hebrews xi. 6. See also on questionings, 1 Tim. i. 4.
