1 Samuel 2:12-17

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

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

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Samuel 2:12

The sons of Eli were sons of Belial - They were perverse, wicked, profligate men; devil's children. They knew not the Lord. "They know! nor would an angel show Him; They would not know, nor choose to know Him." These men were the principal cause of all the ungodliness of Israel. Their most execrable conduct, described 1 Samuel 2:13-17 , caused the people to abhor the Lord's offering. An impious priesthood is the grand cause of the transgressions and ruin of any nation;... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Samuel 2:13

When any man offered sacrifice - That is, when a peace-offering was brought, the right shoulder and the breast belonged to the priest, the fat was burnt upon the altar, and the blood was poured at the bottom of the altar; the rest of the flesh belonged to the offerer. Under pretense of taking only their own part, they took the best of all they chose, and as much as they chose. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Samuel 2:14

Kettle - caldron , or pot - We know not what these were, nor of what capacity; nor is it of any consequence. read more

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