1 Samuel 2:12-36

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Samuel 2:11-26

In these verses we have the good character and posture of Elkanah's family, and the bad character and posture of Eli's family. The account of these two is observably interwoven throughout this whole paragraph, as if the historian intended to set the one over against the other, that they might set off one another. The devotion and good order of Elkanah's family aggravated the iniquity of Eli's house; while the wickedness of Eli's sons made Samuel's early piety appear the more bright and... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Samuel 2:27-36

Eli reproved his sons too gently, and did not threaten them as he should, and therefore God sent a prophet to him to reprove him sharply, and to threaten him, because, by his indulgence of them, he had strengthened their hands in their wickedness. If good men be wanting in their duty, and by their carelessness and remissness contribute any thing to the sin of sinners, they must expect both to hear of it and to smart for it. Eli's family was now nearer to God than all the families of the earth,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 2:12

Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial ,.... Not that Eli their father was Belial, a wicked man; but though they had so good a father, they were very wicked men, unprofitable abandoned wretches, that cast off the yoke of the law of God, and gave themselves up to all manner of wickedness: they knew not the Lord ; not that they had no knowledge of God in theory, or were real atheists, but they were so practically; they denied him in works, they had no love to him, nor fear of him, and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 2:13

And the priest's custom with the people was ,.... Not what was according to the will and law of God, but which the sons of Eli had introduced; and in which they were followed by the rest of the priests, and so it became an established custom, and had the force of a law, statute, or judgment, as the word signifies: that when any man offered sacrifice ; not any sort of sacrifice, for if it was a burnt offering, it was wholly consumed by fire, and in that the following custom could not... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 2:14

And he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or cauldron, or pot ,.... Whatever vessel was made use of, larger or lesser, according to the quantity of flesh the owner boiled for himself and friends, the trident the priest's servants brought with him, he struck into the boiler to the bottom; of it: all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took for himself ; as his own property; whereas no part of it at all belonged to him, he having had the breast and shoulder delivered to him in the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 2:15

Also before they burnt the fat ,.... Which belonged to the Lord, and was to be offered to him by fire, in the first place, as it ought to be; and the order of sacrificing required that he should have his part first before the priest or the owner: but so impious were the priests become, that the priest's servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed ; not to the priest that offered, but to the man that brought his sacrifice to be offered by the priest: give flesh to roast for the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 2:16

And if any man said unto him, let them not fail to burn the fat presently ,.... Or stay till they have offered the fat, as the Targum; let that be done in the first place, which may be quickly done, in a very little time, and let as much haste be made as can be to do it: and then take as much as thy soul desireth ; by which it appears that the men that brought the sacrifice had more religion at heart, and were more concerned for the honour and glory of God than the priest; being willing... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 2:17

Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord ,.... That is, the sons of Eli; for they were the ringleaders who set these bad examples, which other priests followed, and therefore the sin is ascribed to them; and which was sadly aggravated by taking what was not their own, and by taking it in a forcible manner, and before the Lord had his part in the offering, and all this done in the tabernacle, in the presence of God; which plainly showed that they had not the fear of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 2:18

But Samuel ministered before the Lord ,.... The ministration of Samuel, though a child, is observed both before and after the account of the ill behaviour and wickedness of Eli's sons; partly to the shame and disgrace of them, and as serving to aggravate their sin, and make it appear the more black and heinous; and partly to his honour and reputation, that he was not corrupted and turned aside from God by their evil practices. The phrase here used is different from that in 1 Samuel 2:11 ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 2:19

Moreover, his mother made him a little coat ,.... Suitable to his stature; this was an outer coat to wear over others, and this also was such an one as the priests wore; it is the same word that is used for the priest's robe, Exodus 28:4 , and this, it is very likely, was altogether of her own spinning, and weaving, and making up; which were works women did in those times: and this Hannah did partly out of her great love to her son Samuel, and partly to lessen the expense that Eli, or the... read more

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