1 Samuel 2:31. I will cut off—the arm of thy father's house— i.e. The power and authority; of which the arm in Scripture is the emblem. The Chaldee renders it, I will cut off the strength of thy seed. read more
1 Samuel 2:32. And thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation— The rendering in the margin of our Bibles seems most agreeable to the history; thou shalt see the affliction of thy tabernacle. See chap. 1 Samuel 4:4; 1 Samuel 4:11. Calmet, Saurin, and others, suppose the meaning to be, that Eli should see a rival in the sanctuary; but in that case, the sacred writer must be understood to speak not of Eli, when he says thou, but of his posterity, as Eli died so soon after; and therefore the former... read more
31. I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father's house—By the withdrawal of the high priesthood from Eleazar, the elder of Aaron's two sons (after Nadab and Abihu were destroyed, [Numbers 3:4]), that dignity had been conferred on the family of Ithamar, to which Eli belonged, and now that his descendants had forfeited the honor, it was to be taken from them and restored to the elder branch. read more
32. thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation—A successful rival for the office of high priest shall rise out of another family (2 Samuel 15:35; 1 Chronicles 24:3; 1 Chronicles 29:22). But the marginal reading, "thou shalt see the affliction of the tabernacle," seems to be a preferable translation. read more
B. The Contrast between Samuel and Eli’s Sons 2:11-36Samuel’s innocence and the godlessness of Eli’s sons contrast strongly in this pericope (section of text). Samuel would succeed and become a channel of God’s blessing. Eli’s sons would fail, would become a source of frustration to Eli and the Israelites, and would ultimately perish."The section [1 Samuel 2:11 to 1 Samuel 4:1] poignantly illustrates the theme of ’Hannah’s Song’ as it is epitomized in 1 Samuel 2:7 b, ’he brings low, and also... read more
4. The oracle against Eli’s house 2:27-36The rest of the chapter explains why God would put Eli’s sons to death (1 Samuel 2:25). The specific criticism that the man of God (a prophet, cf. 1 Samuel 9:9-10) directed against Eli and his sons was two-fold. They had not appreciated God’s grace extended to them in the Exodus deliverance nor the opportunity to serve Him as priests (1 Samuel 2:27-29). "Kick at" (NASB, 1 Samuel 2:29; cf. Deuteronomy 32:15) means to "scorn" (NIV, Heb. ba’at). It is a... read more
Hannah’s Song of Thanksgiving. The Sin of Eli’s Sons1-10. The Song of Hannah.This beautiful poem has been well called the ’Magnificat of the Old Testament.’ The song of the Virgin Mary (Luke 1:46-55) is clearly modelled on it very closely. In each case there is the rejoicing over the exaltation of the poor and despised and the humiliation of the rich. But there is a world of difference between Mary’s quiet and restrained gratitude and calm confidence in God’s mercy, on the one hand, and the... read more
(11-36) The Service of the boy Samuel in the Sanctuary—The Dissolute Life of the Sons of Eli—The Doom of the House of Ithamar. read more
(31) I will cut off thine arm.—“The arm” signifies power and strength: “Thy power and strength, and that of thy house is doomed.” (See for the figure Job 22:9; Psalms 37:17.)And there shall not be an old man in thine house.—No one more in thy house, O High Priest, who hast so signally failed in thy solemn duty, shall attain to old age; sickness or the sword shall ever early consume its members. This strange denunciation of the “man of God” is emphasised by being repeated in the next (32) verse,... read more
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E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - 1 Samuel 2:33
thine . Septuagint reads "his". grieve . Hebrew. 'adab. Occurs only here. heart = soul. Hebrew. nephesh. App-13 . in the flower of their age . Septuagint reads "with the sword of men". read more