Short Answer: Could Esau repent?
Esau could have repented, but he chose not to. Hebrews 12:17, has been misinterpreted to mean that Esau was searching for repentance but could not find it. However, looking closely at the punctuation mark proves otherwise – Punctuation is IMPORTANT! The colon indicates that the left side (the subject matter and emphasis) was centered around “the blessing.”
So, the question arises: what was the “it” that Esau diligently sought with tears? Upon examination, it becomes evident that the “it” he sought was not repentance, but the blessing itself. Even Genesis 27:33-38 and 41, shows Esau begging his father to bless him, expressing his anguish over the loss of the blessing. The “it” that Esau was fervently pursuing was indeed the coveted blessing, not repentance. So could Esau repent? Yes, and he might’ve even found forgiveness if he did, but he chose an alternate route and had one focus: the blessing.
Scripture Outline:
- Hebrews 12:14-17 – “…when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.”
- Not that Esau could not repent but that he would not (didn’t want to) repent
- v. 17 is often read as if Esau was looking for repentance & couldn’t find repentance
- Every colon, comma, period, mark is important
- Colon means that what is on the left of the colon will be further explained on the right
- The subject matter and emphasis in Heb. 12:17 on the left side of the colon was “the blessing”
- The question becomes what is the “it” that Esau carefully sought with tears?
- Some think “it” was repentance
- Gen. 27:33-38, 41 Esau wanted and sought carefully the blessing
- Esau comes to his father Isaac who had given the blessing to his brother, Jacob
- v. 34 “he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me”
- v. 35 “hath taken away thy blessing”
- v. 36 “he hath taken away my blessing… Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?”
- v. 38 “Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me… And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept.”
- The “it” Esau sought was not repentance but the BLESSING
