1 Samuel 2:12

Eli’s Sons Misuse Their Sacred Office

2:12 The sons of Eli were wicked men. ¹  They did not recognize the Lord’s authority. ² 

1 Samuel 2:17

2:17 The sin of these young men was very great in the Lord’s sight, for they ³  treated the Lord’s offering with contempt.

1 Samuel 2:22-26

2:22 Now Eli was very old when he heard about everything that his sons used to do to all the people of Israel ⁴  and how they used to have sex with ⁵  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 ⁶  people. 2:24 This ought not to be, ⁷  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 ⁸  would not listen to their father, for the Lord had decided ⁹  to kill them.

2:26 Now the boy Samuel was growing up and finding favor both with the Lord and with people.

[2:12]  ¹ tn Heb “sons of worthlessness.”

[2:12]  ² tn Heb “they did not know the Lord.” The verb here has the semantic nuance “recognize the authority of.” Eli’s sons obviously knew who the Lord was; they served in his sanctuary. But they did not recognize his moral authority.

[2:17]  ³ tc Heb “the men,” which is absent from one medieval Hebrew ms, a Qumran ms, and the LXX.

[2:22]  ⁴ tn Heb “to all Israel.”

[2:22]  ⁵ tn Heb “lie with.”

[2:23]  ⁶ tc For “these” the LXX has “of the Lord” (κυρίου, kuriou), perhaps through the influence of the final phrase of v. 24 (“the people of the Lord”). Somewhat less likely is the view that the MT reading is due to a distorted dittography of the first word of v. 24. The Vulgate lacks the word.

[2:24]  ⁷ tn Heb “no.”

[2:25]  ⁸ tn Heb “they”; the referent (Eli’s sons) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:25]  ⁹ tn Heb “desired.”