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Texts -- 1 Samuel 2:13-36 (NET)

Context
2:13 Now the priests would always treat the people in the following way: Whenever anyone was making a sacrifice , while the meat was boiling , the priest’s attendant would come with a three-pronged fork in his hand . 2:14 He would jab it into the basin , kettle , caldron , or pot , and everything that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is what they used to do to all the Israelites when they came there to Shiloh . 2:15 Even before they burned the fat , the priest’s attendant would come and say to the person who was making the sacrifice , “Hand over some meat for the priest to roast ! He won’t take boiled meat from you, but only raw .” 2:16 If the individual said to him , “First let the fat be burned away , and then take for yourself whatever you wish ,” he would say , “No! Hand it over right now ! If you don’t , I will take it forcibly !” 2:17 The sin of these young men was very great in the Lord’s sight , for they treated the Lord’s offering with contempt . 2:18 Now Samuel was ministering before the Lord . The boy was dressed in a linen ephod . 2:19 His mother used to make him a small robe and bring it up to him at regular intervals when she would go up with her husband to make the annual sacrifice . 2:20 Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife saying , “May the Lord raise up for you descendants from this woman to replace the one that she dedicated to the Lord .” Then they would go to their home . 2:21 So the Lord graciously attended to Hannah , and she was able to conceive and gave birth to three sons and two daughters . The boy Samuel grew up at the Lord’s sanctuary. 2:22 Now Eli was very old when he heard about everything that his sons used to do to all the people of Israel and how they used to have sex with the women who were stationed at the entrance to the tent of meeting . 2:23 He said to them, “Why do you behave in this way ? For I hear about these evil things from all these people . 2:24 This ought not to be, my sons ! For the report that I hear circulating among the Lord’s people is not good . 2:25 If a man sins against a man , one may appeal to God on his behalf. But if a man sins against the Lord , who then will intercede for him?” But Eli’s sons would not listen to their father , for the Lord had decided to kill them. 2:26 Now the boy Samuel was growing up and finding favor both with the Lord and with people .
The Lord Judges the House of Eli
2:27 A man of God came to Eli and said to him, “This is what the Lord says : ‘Did I not plainly reveal myself to your ancestor’s house when they were in Egypt in the house of Pharaoh ? 2:28 I chose your ancestor from all the tribes of Israel to be my priest , to offer sacrifice on my altar , to burn incense , and to bear the ephod before me. I gave to your ancestor’s house all the fire offerings made by the Israelites . 2:29 Why are you scorning my sacrifice and my offering that I commanded for my dwelling place ? You have honored your sons more than you have me by having made yourselves fat from the best parts of all the offerings of my people Israel .’ 2:30 Therefore the Lord , the God of Israel , says , ‘I really did say that your house and your ancestor’s house would serve me forever .’ But now the Lord says , ‘May it never be ! For I will honor those who honor me, but those who despise me will be cursed ! 2:31 In fact, days are coming when I will remove your strength and the strength of your father’s house . There will not be an old man in your house ! 2:32 You will see trouble in my dwelling place ! Israel will experience blessings , but there will not be an old man in your house for all time . 2:33 Any one of you that I do not cut off from my altar , I will cause your eyes to fail and will cause you grief . All of those born to your family will die in the prime of life . 2:34 This will be a confirming sign for you that will be fulfilled through your two sons , Hophni and Phinehas : in a single day they both will die ! 2:35 Then I will raise up for myself a faithful priest . He will do what is in my heart and soul . I will build for him a secure dynasty and he will serve my chosen one for all time . 2:36 Everyone who remains in your house will come to bow before him for a little money and for a scrap of bread . Each will say , ‘Assign me to a priestly task so I can eat a scrap of bread .’”

Pericope

NET

Bible Dictionary

  • Hophni

    [ebd] pugilist or client, one of the two sons of Eli, the high priest (1 Sam. 1:3; 2:34), who, because he was "very old," resigned to them the active duties of his office. By their scandalous conduct they brought down a curse on t...
    [smith] (pugilist) and PHINEHAS (brazen mouth), the two sons of Eli, who fulfilled their hereditary sacerdotal duties at Shiloh. Their brutal rapacity and lust, (1 Samuel 2:12-17,22) filled the people with disgust and indignation,...
    [nave] HOPHNI Son of Eli, 1 Sam. 1:3. Sin of, 1 Sam. 2:12-36; 3:11-14. Death of, 1 Sam. 4:4, 11, 17.

  • Eli

    [ebd] ascent, the high priest when the ark was at Shiloh (1 Sam. 1:3, 9). He was the first of the line of Ithamar, Aaron's fourth son (1 Chr. 24:3; comp. 2 Sam. 8:17), who held that office. The office remained in his family till t...
    [isbe] ELI - e'-li (`eli): A descendant of Ithamar, the fourth son of Aaron, who exercised the office of high priest in Shiloh at the time of the birth of Samuel. For the first time in Israel, Eli combined in his own person the fun...
    [smith] (ascension), a descendant of Aaron through Ithamar, the youngest of his two surviving sons. (Leviticus 10:1,2,12) comp. 1Kin 2:27 with 2Sam 8:17; 1Chr 24:3 (B.C. 1214-1116.) he was the first of the line of Ithamar who held th...
    [nave] ELI High priest, 1 Sam. 1:25; 2:11; 1 Kin. 2:27. Judge of Israel, 1 Sam. 4:18. Misjudges and rebukes Haah, 1 Sam. 1:14. His benediction upon Haah, 1 Sam. 1:17, 18; 2:20. Officiates when Samuel is presented at the taberna...

  • HANNAH

    [ebd] favour, grace, one of the wives of Elkanah the Levite, and the mother of Samuel (1 Sam. 1; 2). Her home was at Ramathaim-zophim, whence she was wont every year to go to Shiloh, where the tabernacle had been pitched by Joshua...
    [isbe] HANNAH - han'-a (channah, "grace," "favor"; Hanna): One of the two wives of Elkanah, an Ephraimite who lived at Ramathaim-zophim. Hannah visited Shiloh yearly with her husband to offer sacrifices, for there the tabernacle wa...

  • SAMUEL, BOOKS OF

    [isbe] SAMUEL, BOOKS OF - || I. PLACE OF THE BOOKS OF SAMUEL IN THE HEBREW CANON II. CONTENTS OF THE BOOKS AND PERIOD OF TIME COVERED BY THE HISTORY III. SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS 1. Life of Samuel (1 Samuel 1 through 15) 2. Reign and D...

  • Israel

    [nave] ISRAEL 1. A name given to Jacob, Gen. 32:24-32; 2 Kin. 17:34; Hos. 12:3, 4. 2. A name of the Christ in prophecy, Isa. 49:3. 3. A name given to the descendants of Jacob, a nation. Called also Israelites, and Hebrews, Gen. 4...

  • Songs

    [ebd] of Moses (Ex. 15; Num. 21:17; Deut. 32; Rev. 15:3), Deborah (Judg. 5), Hannah (1 Sam. 2), David (2 Sam. 22, and Psalms), Mary (Luke 1:46-55), Zacharias (Luke 1:68-79), the angels (Luke 2:13), Simeon (Luke 2:29), the redeemed...

  • Poetry

    [ebd] has been well defined as "the measured language of emotion." Hebrew poetry deals almost exclusively with the great question of man's relation to God. "Guilt, condemnation, punishment, pardon, redemption, repentance are the a...

  • Abiathar

    [ebd] father of abundance, or my father excels, the son of Ahimelech the high priest. He was the tenth high priest, and the fourth in descent from Eli. When his father was slain with the priests of Nob, he escaped, and bearing wit...
    [isbe] ABIATHAR - a-bi'-a-thar, ab-i-a'-thar ('ebhyathar, "father of super-excellence," or, "the super-excellent one is father." With changed phraseology these are the explanations commonly given, though "a father remains" would be...
    [nave] ABIATHAR 1. High priest. Called Ahimelech in 2 Sam. 8:17; 1 Chr. 24:3, 6, 31, and Abimelech, 1 Chr. 18:16. Son of Ahimelech, 1 Sam. 22:20. Escapes to David from the vengeance of Saul, who killed the priests in the city of ...

  • Phinehas

    [smith] (mouth of brass). Son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron. (Exodus 6:25) He is memorable for having while quite a youth, by his zeal and energy at the critical moment of the licentious idolatry of Shittim, appeased the divine w...
    [nave] PHINEHAS 1. High priest, Ex. 6:25; 1 Chr. 6:4, 50. Religious zeal of, Num. 25:7-15; Psa. 106:30. Chief of the Korahite Levites, 1 Chr. 9:19, 20. Sent to sound the trumpets in the battle with the Midianites, Num. 31:6. A ...

  • Parents

    [nave] PARENTS Covenant benefits of, entailed on children, Gen. 6:18; Ex. 20:6; Psa. 103:17. Curses entailed, Ex. 20:5; Lev. 20:5; Isa. 14:20; Jer. 9:14; Lam. 5:7; Ezek. 16:44, 45. Involved in children's wickedness, 1 Sam. 2:27-3...

  • PRIESTS AND LEVITES

    [isbe] PRIESTS AND LEVITES - (kohen, "priest"; nothing is definitely known as to the origin of the word; Lewi, "Levite," on which see LEVI): I. DIFFERENT VIEWS OF THE HISTORY 1. The Old View 2. The Graf-Wellhausen View 3. Mediating...

  • Minister

    [nave] MINISTER, a sacred teacher. Index of Sub-topics Miscellany of Minor Sub-topics; Call of; Character and Qualifications of; Charge Delivered to; Courage of; Duties of; Duties of the Church to; Emoluments of; Faithful, Instanc...

  • Samuel

    [ebd] heard of God. The peculiar circumstances connected with his birth are recorded in 1 Sam. 1:20. Hannah, one of the two wives of Elkanah, who came up to Shiloh to worship before the Lord, earnestly prayed to God that she might...
    [nave] SAMUEL Miraculous birth of, 1 Sam. 1:7-20. Consecrated to God before his birth, 1 Sam. 1:11, 22, 24-28. His mother's song of thanksgiving, 1 Sam. 2:1-10. Ministered in the house of God, 1 Sam. 2:11, 18, 19. Blessed of Go...

  • Judgments

    [nave] JUDGMENTS On the serpent, Gen. 3:14, 15. Eve, Gen. 3:16; Adam, Gen. 3:17-19. Cain, Gen. 4:11-15; the Antediluvians, Gen. 6; 7; Sodomites, Gen. 19:23-25; Egyptians, the plagues and overthrow, Ex. 7-14; Nadab and Abihu, Lev....

  • ZADOK

    [isbe] ZADOK - za'-dok (tsadowq, once tsadhoq (1 Ki 1:26), similar to tsaddiq, and tsadduq, post-Biblical, meaning justus, "righteous"; Septuagint Sadok): Cheyne in Encyclopedia Biblica suggests that Zadok was a modification of a G...

  • Elkanah

    [isbe] ELKANAH - el-ka'-na ('elqanah, "God has possessed"): (1) An Ephraimite, the father of Samuel (1 Sam 1:1-28; 2:11-20). Of his two wives, Hannah, the childless, was best beloved. At Shiloh she received through Eli the promise ...
    [nave] ELKANAH 1. Grandson of Korah, Ex. 6:24; 1 Chr. 6:23. 2. Father of Samuel; a descendant of preceding, 1 Sam. 1:1, 4, 8, 19, 21, 23; 2:11, 20; 1 Chr. 6:27, 34. 3. A Levite, 1 Chr. 6:25, 36. 4. Possibly identical with 3, abo...

  • Judge

    [nave] JUDGE Appointed by Persians, Ezra 7:25. Kings and other rulers as, 2 Sam. 8:15; 15:2; 1 Kin. 3:16-28; 10:9; 2 Kin. 8:1-6; Psa. 72:1-4; Matt. 27:11-26; Acts 23:34, 35; 24; 25:11, 12. Priests and Levites as, Deut. 17:9; 2 Ch...

  • Priest

    [nave] PRIEST. Before Moses Melchizedek, Gen. 14:18; Heb. 5:6, 10, 11; 6:20; 7:1-21. Jethro, Ex. 2:16. Priests in Israel before the giving of the law, Ex. 19:22, 24. Called angel, Eccl. 5:6. Mosaic Ex. 28:1-4; 29:9, 44; Num....

  • PRIEST, HIGH

    [isbe] PRIEST, HIGH - (ha-kohen, ho hiereus; ha-kohen ha-mashiach, ho hiereus ho christos; ha-kohen ha-gadhol, ho hiereus ho megas; kohen ha-ro'sh, ho hiereus hegoumenos; New Testament archiereus): I. INSTITUTION OF THE HIGH-PRIEST...

  • HOPHNI AND PHINEHAS

    [isbe] HOPHNI AND PHINEHAS - hof'-ni, fin'-e-as, -az (chophni, "pugilist" (?), pinechac, probably "face of brass"): Sons of Eli, priests of the sanctuary at Shiloh. Their character was wicked enough to merit the double designation ...
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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • The emphasis in this brief section is on the faithfulness and power of God in keeping His promise and providing an heir miraculously through Sarah (17:16; 18:14). Note the threefold repetition of "as He had said,""as He had p...
  • Joseph experienced God's blessing as he served faithfully in Potiphar's house. His master's wife repeatedly seduced him, but he refused her offers because he did not want to sin against God and betray Potiphar's trust. Joseph...
  • The Jews called their first month Abib (v. 2). After the Babylonian captivity they renamed it Nisan (Neh. 2:1; Esth. 3:7). It corresponds to our March-April. Abib means "ear-month"referring to the month when the grain was in ...
  • "As the laws increase and the constraints grow, the people seem less willing or less capable of following them. At this point in the narrative we see that the whole order of the priesthood is thrown open to direct confrontati...
  • The writer now recorded the fulfillment of God's instructions to Moses that Israel should destroy the Midianites (25:16-18). In this account, the aftermath of the battle receives more attention than the battle itself. Evident...
  • The supernatural victory God had given His people elevated Gideon into national recognition. Some of the men of Israel invited Gideon to be their king and to begin a dynasty of rulers (v. 22). Perhaps they were from the north...
  • God sent His Angel to revisit Manoah and his wife because they voiced questions in prayer about how they should rear Samson (v. 8), his way of life (v. 12), and his vocation (v. 12). Their desire to bring their son up accordi...
  • Statements in the Book of Samuel imply that someone who had witnessed at least some of the events recorded wrote it. However the original writer must have written most of it after Samuel's death (i.e., -1 Sam. 25-2 Sam. 24) a...
  • I. Eli and Samuel chs. 1-3A. The change from barrenness to fertility 1:1-2:101. Hannah's condition 1:1-82. Hannah's vow 1:9-183. Hannah's obedience 1:19-284. Hannah's song 2:1-10B. The contrast between Samuel and Eli's sons 2...
  • "I Samuel 1 is presented as a conventional birth narrative which moves from barrenness to birth. Laid over that plot is a second rhetorical strategy which moves from complaint to thanksgiving. With the use of this second stra...
  • "The future of the story now to be told in I and II Samuel concerns not only the newly born son, but the rule of Yahweh to whom laments are addressed and thanksgiving uttered. No wonder the narrative ends with yielding, grate...
  • Samuel's innocence and the godlessness of Eli's sons contrast strongly in this pericope (section). Samuel would succeed and become a channel of God's blessing. Eli's sons would fail, would become a source of frustration to El...
  • Eli's sons were not only evil in their personal lives, but they flagrantly disregarded the will of God even as they served as leaders of Israel's worship of Yahweh. They neither knew the Lord (in the sense of paying attention...
  • In the previous paragraphs two statements about the main characters described them and framed the paragraph: they did not regard the Lord, and they despised the Lord's offerings (vv. 12, 17). Likewise in this one the writer d...
  • The sons of Eli followed the example of Canaanite worship rather than the instruction of the Mosaic Law. Ritual prostitution was part of Canaanite worship, and Eli's sons seem to have adopted this custom. Even when their fath...
  • The rest of the chapter explains why God would put Eli's sons to death (v. 25). The specific criticism that the man of God (a prophet, cf. 9:9-10) directed against Eli and his sons was two-fold. They had not appreciated God's...
  • The Hebrew word used to describe Samuel in verse 1 (naar) elsewhere refers to a young teenager (cf. 17:33). Consequently we should probably think of a boy in his early teens as we read this section. At this time in Israel's h...
  • These verses summarize Samuel's continuing ministry as a prophet in Israel. Samuel qualified for this privilege by his faithful obedience to God's will as he knew it. God sovereignly chose Samuel for this ministry, but his di...
  • The Philistines, as we have already seen in Judges, were Israel's primary enemy to the west at this time. Samson, too, fought the Philistines (Judg. 13-16).52There are about 150 references to the Philistines in 1 and 2 Samuel...
  • The deaths of Hophni and Phinehas, who accompanied the soldiers into battle, were the sign God promised Eli that He would remove the priestly privilege from Eli's descendants eventually (2:34). The writer carefully recorded t...
  • The primary purpose of this chapter, I believe, is to demonstrate the superiority of Yahweh over Dagon, the fertility god of the Philistines.655:1-5 Having captured the ark the Philistines brought it from Ebenezer to their ma...
  • Admirably Saul sought no personal revenge on those who initially had failed to support him (10:27; cf. Judg. 20:13; Luke 19:27). Furthermore he gave God the glory for his victory (cf. Jon. 2:9; Ps. 20:7; Prov. 21:31). He was ...
  • Armed with trust in God and courage Jonathan ventured out to destroy Israel's enemy in obedience to God's command to drive out the inhabitants of Canaan (cf. 9:16). He would have made a good king of Israel. Saul remained in G...
  • We have already seen that Jonathan was a man of faith and courage (14:1-15). Jonathan found a soul brother in David, a man who committed himself to trusting and obeying God as he did. This common purpose on the deepest level ...
  • David was wondering if he had done something wrong that had provoked Saul's hatred (v. 1). Walking with God is sometimes confusing. We need to learn, as David did, that when we try to follow God faithfully some people will op...
  • The writer's attention focused next on Saul's activities. He used the literary device of focusing on David, then on Saul, then on David, etc. He used the same technique in chapters 1-3 with Samuel and Eli's sons to contrast S...
  • Ackroyd, Peter R. The First Book of Samuel. Cambridge Bible Commentary on the New English Bible series. Cambridge, Eng.: University Press, 1971._____. "The Verb Love--'Aheb in the David-Jonathan Narratives--A Footnote."Vetus ...
  • David also observed that the ark's presence in Obed-edom's house resulted in blessing for its host. This made him more eager than ever to install the ark in Jerusalem.Verse 13 probably means after the priests had taken six st...
  • Thirty-two more soldiers obtained special distinction (vv. 24-39), including Uriah the Hittite (v. 39). The writer referred to them as "The Thirty."This designation seems to have been a title for their exclusive group (cf. v....
  • Adonijah was David's fourth son (2 Sam. 3:4) and the eldest one living at this time. Evidently he believed it was more important that the eldest son succeed David, as was customary in the Near East, than that the king of Yahw...
  • Solomon granted Abiathar a parole for participating in Adonijah's rebellion. By removing him from his office he cut off Eli's last descendant thereby fulfilling God's prophecy to Eli (1 Sam. 2:27-36). Eli's fertility ended be...
  • God sent Hezekiah the news of what He would do and why through Isaiah. The "virgin"daughter of Zion (v. 21) refers to Jerusalem as a city that a foreign foe had never violated. The "Holy One of Israel"(v. 22), a favorite name...
  • This message demonstrates a structure that is quite typical of many others in the Book of Jeremiah (cf. 11:1-17; 17:19-27; 34:8-22). First there is an explanation of Yahweh's will (word, law; vv. 1-7), then a description of I...
  • There were two rooms for singers in the inner court. One of them stood beside the north inner gate, and its door faced south. It also accommodated the needs of the priests who were responsible for the care of the temple. The ...
  • 44:15-16 The Levites from Zadok's branch of the priestly family, however, would have special privileges since Zadok and his sons had served the Lord faithfully in the past (cf. 40:46; 1 Sam. 2:35; 2 Sam. 8:17; 15:24-29; 1 Kin...
  • 1:17 In addition to favor with their overseers, God gave Daniel and his three friends the ability to master the subjects they studied and wisdom in these matters (cf. James 1:5). They may have thought that Nebuchadnezzar had ...
  • This section contains material unique in Luke. The only repeated statement occurs in Luke 2:39 and Matthew 2:23. Other unique features are Luke's alternating the reader's attention between John and Jesus, and the joy that sev...
  • Luke's comment on John's personal development shows his interest in human beings, which characterizes this Gospel (cf. 2:40, 52). John's spirit here corresponds roughly to his character and personality (cf. 1 Sam. 2:21).There...
  • Jesus' obedience to His heavenly Father included obedience to His earthly parents (Exod. 20:12; cf. Col. 3:20). Luke balanced the former revelation of Jesus' deity with this indication of His humanity. His second reference to...
  • A. Women served in the doorway of the Tabernacle (Exod. 38:8; 1 Sam. 2:22).The same word (saba) is used of their work as that of the Levites. These women were probably widows who devoted themselves to the service of God.B. Mi...
  • "The author steadily develops his argument that Jesus is supremely great. He is greater than the angels, the author of a great salvation, and great enough to become man to accomplish it. Now the author turns his attention to ...
  • 11:8-10 Like Abraham we should look forward to our inheritance in the coming world and should live as strangers and pilgrims in this world (1 Pet. 1:1).360"Abraham's faith accepted God's promises and acted on them even though...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

  • 1 Samuel 3:1-14The opening words of this passage are substantially repeated from 1 Samuel 2:11-18. They come as a kind of refrain, contrasting the quiet, continuous growth and holy service of the child Samuel with the black n...
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