Hebrews 12:16

Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.

Fornicator (Hebrews 13:4; 1 Corinthians 10:8).

Or profane. Fornication is nearly akin to gluttony, Esau's sin. He profanely cast away his spiritual privilege for the gratification of his palate. Genesis 25:34 graphically portrays his reckless, self-indulgent levity. An example well fitted to strike horror into those Hebrews, whosoever, like Esau, were only sons of Isaac according to the flesh (Bengel).

For one morsel. The smallness of the inducement aggravates the guilt of casting away eternity for a trifle, so far is it from being a claim for mercy (cf. Genesis 3:6). One act has often the greatest power for good or for evil. So the cases of Reuben and Saul, for evil (Genesis 49:4; 1 Chronicles 5:1; 1 Samuel 13:12-9); for good, Abraham and Phinehas (Genesis 12:1, etc.; Genesis 15:5-1; Numbers 25:6-4).

His birthright - his own (so 'Aleph (') A C read, intensifying the suicidal guilt of the act) rights of primogeniture [ ta (G3588) proototokia (G4415) heautou (G1438) for autou (G846) in C Delta], involving the privilege of being ancestor of the promised seed, and heir of the promises in Him. The Hebrews had, as Christians, the spiritual rights of primogeniture (cf. Hebrews 12:23): they must exercise holy self-control, if they wish not, like Esau, to forfeit them.