Oecumenius, on Heb 12:16

“Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau; who for one mess, sold his first birthright.”

“"though he sought it." Does he therefore reject repentance? Certainly not. How then, if he sought repentance with tears, did he not attain it? He did seek it, but he did not find it; for he did not seek it rightly. How so? Because he was not properly repentant. For what kind of words of repentance did he speak? "The days of mourning for my father are approaching, and I will kill my brother Jacob." (Gen. 27:41) Therefore, for this reason, he does not find repentance, because he did not seek it as he ought. Either this is the case, or Paul terrifies those who have not yet fallen so that they do not fall, as if the greatest sins do not deserve repentance: and to those who have not yet sinned, he speaks in such a way, preserving them from falling by fear. But when he sees that some have completely fallen, consider how he changes his speech. For Paul says: "My little children, for whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you." (Gal. 4:19) For that he writes this to those who have already fallen is evident. For he says: "You who are justified by the law have fallen from grace." (Gal. 5:4) You see that when he testifies with them that they have fallen, lest they come to despair, he says: "Of whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you?" (Gal. 4:19) Do you not recognize that he does not reject this holy repentance, but is speaking in an economical manner [οἰκονομικῶς]?”

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.