“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.”
For you know that later, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, although he sought the blessing with tears — Esau's tragedy: repentance (metanoia) became impossible; no 'place of repentance' (topos metanoias) remained though he sought with tears. The warning is severe: some choices irreversibly foreclose grace.
Church Fathers on Hebrews 12:17
“For you know” (he says) “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 now is this? Does he indeed exclude repentance? By no means. 'But how, you say, was it that “he found no place of repentance”?' For if he condemned himself, if he made a great wailing, why did he “find no place of repentance”? Because it was not really a case of repentance. For as the…
Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain
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