The idea that repentance could become an impossibility in certain
circumstances was also common in the ancient synagogue. This was assumed to be
the case α. for someone who
recklessly sins in the confidence of later repentance;a β. for someone who knows God’s power and
nevertheless rises up against God;b γ. for someone who initially stubbornly
refuses repentance;c δ.
for someone who is fully immersed in sin,d and ε. for someone who misleads the multitude
to sin.e
a. See m. Yoma 8.9 at § Matt 4:17 A, #3, n. e; see ʾAbot R. Nat. 39. 40 and b. Yoma
86B in a baraita at § Matt 4:17, A, #3, n. e.
Also see Sir 5:4–7 (Hebrew): “Do not say, ‘I have sinned, and what has happened
to me?’ For God is longsuffering. Do not say, ‘Yahweh is merciful, and he will
wipe out all my guilt!’ Do not trust in forgiveness in order to add guilt upon
guilt, so that you say, ‘His mercy is great; he will forgive the multitude of
my sins.’ For mercy and wrath is with him, and his anger rests on the godless.
Do not tarry to turn to him, and do not put it off day after day; for suddenly
his wrath will go out, and on the day of vengeance you will perish.”
b. Jerusalem Talmud Ḥagigah 2.77B.49: (R.
Meir [ca. 150] said to his teacher, the apostate R. Elisha b. Abbuyah [ca.
120],) “You possess all this wisdom, and you will not turn (in repentance)?” He
answered him, “I cannot!” He said to him, “Why?” He said to him, “Once I rode on
my horse on a Day of Atonement, which fell on a Sabbath, past the holy of
holies and heard a voice from heaven, which came out from the holy of holies
and called out, ‘Turn back, children, except for Elisha b. Abbuyah; for he knew
my power and rose up against me!’ ” — The same is found in Midr. Ruth 3:13
(135A); Midr. Eccl. 7:8 (34A).
c. See Exod. Rab. 13 (75C) at § Rom 9:18. ‖
See Exod. Rab. 11 (74C) at § Matt 4:17 A, #3, n. e, end. ‖ Exodus Rabbah 11 toward the end: “Yet Yahweh hardened
pharaoh’s heart” (Exod 9:12). When God saw that he did not go into himself
because of the first five plagues, God said, “From this point on, even if he
wants to go into himself, I will harden his heart, in order to collect the full
penalty from him, ‘as Yahweh had spoken to Moses’ (Exod 9:12); for so it is
written, ‘I will harden pharaoh’s heart’ (so Exod 4:21 is cited).”
d. Midrash Psalm 1 § 22 (12B): R. Phineas
(b. Hama, ca. 360) said, “He who has completely fallen victim to sin cannot
(penitently) go into himself and there will never be forgiveness for him.”
e. See m. ʾAbot 5.18 at § Rom 5:15 A, #3. ‖
Tosefta Yoma 5.11 (191): Whoever misleads the multitude to sin, to him the
opportunity is not given (by God) to repent, lest his students go down to Sheol
(gehenna), while he obtains the future world; for it says, “A person who is
weighed down by human blood (has human souls on his conscience) flees to the
grave; he will not be upheld” (Prov 28:17) (namely by heaven, by him being
given the opportunity to repent, Rashi on Prov 28:17). — Similar statements are
found in ʾAbot R. Nat. 40 (10B) and b. Yoma 87A.23. (Hermann L.
Strack and Paul Billerbeck, A Commentary on the New Testament from the
Talmud and Midrash, ed. Jacob N. Cerone, 4 vols. [trans. Andrew Bowden and
Joseph Longarino; Bellingham, Wash.: Lexham Press, 2021], 3:802-3)
