Thomas Aquinas Commentary Hebrews 12:12-17

"Wherefore lift up the hands that hang down, and the palsied knees; and make straight paths for your feet, that that which is lame be not turned out of the way, but rather be healed. Follow after peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no man shall see the Lord: looking carefully lest [there be] any man that falleth short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble [you], and thereby the many be defiled; lest [there be] any fornication, or profane person, as Esau, who for one mess of meat sold his own birthright. For ye know that even when he afterward desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected; for he found no place for a change of mind [in his father,] though he sought is diligently with tears." — Hebrews 12:12-17 (ASV)

Having indicated how we should behave toward the enduring evils of chastisement, the Apostle now shows how we should act to avoid the evils of guilt. In this regard, he does two things: first, he gives his admonition; second, he provides the reasons (Hebrews 12:18). Regarding the first point, he warns those who are sinning, and then those who are not yet sinning (Hebrews 12:14). There are two kinds of sin—omission and transgression. Therefore, he first warns against sins of omission, and second, against sins of transgression (Hebrews 12:18).

A sin of omission occurs in two ways: one, when a person fails to do good, and another, by failing to endure evil and adversity. Regarding the first, he says, Therefore—that is, because chastisement yields the most peaceable fruit—to obtain this fruit, lift your drooping hands. Since the hand is the organ of all organs, it is said to droop when it stops performing good works. Therefore, it must be lifted up with a right intention to do things pleasing to God: Let us lift up our hearts with our hands to God (Lamentations 3:41); The lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice (Psalms 140:2); The slothful hand has wrought poverty; but the hand of the industrious riches (Proverbs 10:4); The hand of the valiant shall bear rule, but that which is slothful shall be under tribute (Proverbs 12:24). As a sign of this, when Moses lifted up his hands, Israel conquered; but when he let them fall, Amalek overcame them (Exodus 17:11).

Regarding the other sin of omission, he says, strengthen your weak knees. The entire weight of the body is held up by the knees. Therefore, those who lack the courage to endure adversity bravely have weak knees. This weakness must be put aside: You have strengthened the weary hands; your words have confirmed them that were staggering, and you have strengthened the trembling knees (Job 4:3); Strengthen the feeble hands and confirm the weak knees (Isaiah 35:3). Therefore, lift up your hands and knees, and do not give in to idleness or hesitate because of weakness.

Then, in verse 13, he rebukes the sin of transgression. Now, that sin is a kind of obliqueness and curvature. For something is straight when its middle does not point in a different direction from its ends; that is, its action does not depart from its proper intention and goal. But there are three kinds of obliqueness: in the affections, in action, and in understanding. From sinful affection follows obliqueness in the understanding and depravity in loving. Therefore, regarding the first, which is the root of the others, he says, make straight paths for your feet—that is, correct your affections. For as the feet carry the body, so the affections carry the mind. Therefore, straight feet are proper affections: Their feet were straight feet (Ezekiel 1:7). Therefore, make the affections straight, by which the whole body is carried spiritually. Make straight in the wilderness the paths of our Lord (Isaiah 40:3); that is, as far as it is in your power, devote yourself to this.

Regarding the second kind of obliqueness—in our actions—he refers to what is lame. For just as the tibia is said to be lame when it does not follow the rule of the locomotive power, so an action is lame when it turns to the right in prosperity or to the left in adversity, and does not follow the rule of divine law: This is the way: walk in it and do not go aside to the right or left (Isaiah 30:21). Or, a person limps who, along with the Gospel, observes the ceremonial laws of the Old Testament. Regarding the obliqueness of the understanding, he warns that it should not be put out of joint. For an intellectual error follows an evil action: They err that do evil (Proverbs 14:22); These things they thought and were deceived; for their own malice blinded them . Therefore, a person who would avoid these two deviations must have his feet and his affections right; for this reason, he says, but rather be healed. For just as bodily health consists in the proper balance of the humors, so spiritual health consists in the proper arrangement of the affections: Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed (Jeremiah 17:14).

Then, in verse 14, he advises those who are not sinning to avoid sin. In this regard, he does two things: first, he presents certain remedies to help avoid all sins; second, he advises them to avoid specific sins (Hebrews 12:15b).

Regarding the first point, it should be noted that there are various ends of human actions. Some are ordered toward another, as justice orders a person toward his neighbor, and the end is peace; as Isaiah 32:17 says: Peace will be the work of justice. Others are ordered toward the one acting, such as fasting, and the end is purity, for we fast for the sake of cleanness and purity. Regarding the first, he says, Strive for peace; that is, do not only have it, but seek how to have it with all people: If it be possible, as much as in you lies, have peace with all men (Romans 12:18); Seek after peace and pursue it (Psalms 33:15). Regarding the second, he says, and for the holiness, for Let us wash ourselves from all defilement of the flesh and of the spirit (2 Corinthians 7:1).

He shows that these remedies are necessary by indicating the two injuries we incur without them: first, the loss of glory in the future, and second, the loss of grace in the present. Regarding the first, he says, without which no man shall see God, in which happiness consists: This is eternal life: That they may know you, the one true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent (John 17:50). It is as if to say: Without peace toward our neighbor and cleanness and purity in regard to ourselves, we cannot be happy. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God (Matthew 5:9). But the inheritance of the beatific vision is owed only to sons: Nothing defiled shall enter into it (Revelation 21:27); Lord, who shall dwell in your tabernacle? He that enters without stain (Psalms 14:1); Who shall ascend into the mountain of the Lord? The innocent in hands and the clean of heart (Psalms 23:3).

Regarding the second loss, namely, of God’s grace in the present, he says, see to it that no one fail to obtain the grace of God. For grace is lost by discord and uncleanness: He is not a God of dissension, but of peace (1 Corinthians 4:33); His place was made in peace (Psalms 75:3); Your eyes are too pure to behold evil; and you cannot look on iniquity (Habakkuk 1:13); The Holy Spirit of discipline will flee from the deceitful… He shall not abide when iniquity comes in . But the Apostle is speaking figuratively, for grace is not obtained by merit; otherwise, grace would not be grace. Yet a person must do what he can. God, in His most generous will, gives it to all who prepare themselves: Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man open to me, I will come in to him (Revelation 3:20); He will that all men be saved (1 Timothy 2:4). Therefore, God’s grace is not lacking for anyone, but it communicates itself to all, as far as it is concerned, just as the sun is not lacking for the eyes of the blind. He says, therefore, see that no one fail to obtain the grace of God.

But on the other hand, if grace is not given because of works, but only because a person places no obstacle, it seems to follow that the possession of grace depends solely on free will and not on God’s choice. This is the error of Pelagius. I answer that the very fact that a person places no obstacle is due to grace. Therefore, if anyone places an obstacle and his heart is moved to remove it, this is due to the gift of God’s grace calling him by His mercy: But when it pleased him who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace (Galatians 1:15). But this gift of grace is not sanctifying grace. Therefore, the fact that a person removes that obstacle is due to God’s mercy; if it is not removed, it is due to God’s justice. But he does not say, "lest you fail," but lest anyone fail, because everyone should be concerned for his neighbor: He gave everyone commandment concerning his neighbor .

Then, in verse 15b, he comes specifically to advising the avoidance of sins contrary to each of the previously mentioned remedies. First, he advises them to avoid sins contrary to peace; second, sins contrary to holiness (Hebrews 12:16).

He says, therefore, that no root of bitterness spring up and cause trouble. That is bitter which cannot be tasted without disgust. Therefore, a person’s conduct is said to be bitter when it cannot be without offending those with whom he lives. Against this, it is said of wisdom: Her conversation has no bitterness, nor her company any tediousness, but joy and gladness . Therefore, one knows how to live in wisdom when his conduct is not bitter. This happens when his words and deeds are not harsh. Therefore, he says, that no root of bitterness spring up and cause trouble—that is, bitterness gradually begun and rooted in the heart, springing up to cause trouble and hinder peace, and consequently, to hinder grace and the vision of God: Lest there should be among you a root bringing forth gall and bitterness (Deuteronomy 29:18); Ephraim has provoked me to wrath with his bitterness (Hosea 12:14). Or, the root of bitterness is an evil thought of harmful pleasure, which springs up when, by consent, one accomplishes the deed. And by it many become defiled, because not only the one in whom it exists but others also are defiled by his example: A little leaven corrupts the whole lump (1 Corinthians 5:6).

Then, when he says, Lest there be any immoral person (fornicator) or profane person, like Esau, he warns them to avoid sins contrary to holiness. Specifically opposed to holiness are carnal sins, such as gluttony and lust, which are completed in carnal delight and by which the mind is defiled. Therefore, they defile the mind and the flesh. For this reason, he particularly warns them to avoid these, saying that each one should be looking diligently, not only in himself, but also lest he be an immoral person and sin against his neighbor. As Augustine says, "Mutually guard each other’s purity." Fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not be so much as named among you, as becomes saints (Ephesians 5:3); Keep yourself from all fornication . Secondly, he forbids gluttony, saying, or profane person. Here "profane" suggests something far from the temple, as gluttons are, who make a god of their belly, like Esau. He uses Esau as an example because he sold his birthright because of gluttony. So, too, a glutton sells his eternal inheritance for a bit of food. But Esau was not only a glutton; he was also lustful, because he married two foreign wives against his parents’ will. The birthright had two portions and, before Aaron’s priesthood, included the priestly honor; therefore, in selling his birthright, he was committing simony. It seems, then, that Jacob, who purchased it, also committed simony. But this is not so, for Jacob understood through the Holy Spirit that it was owed to him, according to what is stated in Malachi 1:2: Jacob I loved, Esau I hated. Therefore, he did not buy it, but redeemed from an unjust possessor something that was owed to him. And this is what the Apostle says: who, namely Esau, sold his birthright for a single meal.

Then he shows the punishment that followed when he says, for you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected. For it says in Genesis 27:30 that after Isaac had blessed Jacob, Esau came and asked for a blessing, which he did not obtain. Although his father had acted unknowingly, in the stupor that he experienced, he was in ecstasy and learned from the Holy Spirit that he was not to retract what he had done. Therefore, he said: I have blessed him and he shall be blessed (Genesis 27:33). Thus, Esau, by the counsel of the Holy Spirit, was rejected. This helps us understand that no one should neglect to do good as long as he lives, no matter how rejected he may be in God’s foreknowledge, because after this life no one can obtain God’s inheritance, even though it may be naturally desired.

For he found no place to repent, though he sought it with tears. For as it is recorded in Genesis 27:34: He roared out with a great cry, and being in great consternation, said: Bless me also, my father. But on the other hand, it says in Ezekiel 18:21: If the wicked do penance for all his sins, which he has committed, and keep all my commandments and do judgment and justice, living he shall live, and he shall not die. I answer that as long as one is living in this world, he can do true penance. But sometimes a person repents not from a love of justice, but from the fear of punishment or temporal harm. This is the way Esau repented—not because he had sold his birthright, but because of the rejection. Consequently, his penance was not accepted, because it was not genuine. For this is the way the damned in hell repent, as it says in Wisdom 5:3: Repenting, not because they had sinned, but because they have been excluded.

Yet, according to a Gloss, the phrase immoral person or profane person has another meaning: an "immoral person" is one who, along with the faith, observes the carnal ceremonies, as though having a concubine as well as a wife; but a "profane person," that is, one far from the temple, is, as it were, entirely unbelieving.