Hebrews 12:17 (GNV)

Passage

For ye knowe howe that afterwarde also when he woulde haue inherited the blessing, he was reiected: for he founde no place to repentance, though he sought that blessing with teares.

Nearby Context

Hebrews 12:15 Take heede, that no man fall away from the grace of God: let no roote of bitternes spring vp and trouble you, lest thereby many be defiled.

Hebrews 12:16 Let there be no fornicator, or prophane person as Esau, which for one portion of meate solde his birthright.

Hebrews 12:17 For ye knowe howe that afterwarde also when he woulde haue inherited the blessing, he was reiected: for he founde no place to repentance, though he sought that blessing with teares.

Hebrews 12:18 For ye are not come vnto the mount that might be touched, nor vnto burning fire, nor to blacknes and darkenes, and tempest,

Hebrews 12:19 Neither vnto the sounde of a trumpet, and the voyce of wordes, which they that heard it, excused themselues, that the word should not be spoken to them any more,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "knowe", "howe", "afterwarde", "woulde", "haue", "inherited", "blessing", and "reiected". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "knowe" and "howe", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 16's "Let there be no fornicator or prophane..." into verse 18's "For ye are not come vnto the...", so "knowe" and "howe" belong inside that flow. In Hebrews context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "knowe" and "howe" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.