34 And this shall be a sign H226 unto thee, that shall come H935 upon thy two H8147 sons, H1121 on Hophni H2652 and Phinehas; H6372 in one H259 day H3117 they shall die H4191 both H8147 of them.
And the ark H727 of God H430 was taken; H3947 and the two H8147 sons H1121 of Eli, H5941 Hophni H2652 and Phinehas, H6372 were slain. H4191
And he gave H5414 a sign H4159 the same day, H3117 saying, H559 This is the sign H4159 which the LORD H3068 hath spoken; H1696 Behold, the altar H4196 shall be rent, H7167 and the ashes H1880 that are upon it shall be poured out. H8210
And the messenger H1319 answered H6030 and said, H559 Israel H3478 is fled H5127 before H6440 the Philistines, H6430 and there hath been also a great H1419 slaughter H4046 among the people, H5971 and thy two H8147 sons H1121 also, Hophni H2652 and Phinehas, H6372 are dead, H4191 and the ark H727 of God H430 is taken. H3947
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 1 Samuel 2
Commentary on 1 Samuel 2 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 2
In this chapter we have,
1Sa 2:1-10
We have here Hannah's thanksgiving, dictated, not only by the spirit of prayer, but by the spirit of prophecy. Her petition for the mercy she desired we had before (ch. 1:11), and here we have her return of praise; in both out of the abundance of a heart deeply affected (in the former with her own wants, and in the latter with God's goodness) her mouth spoke. Observe in general,
1Sa 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 illustrious.
1Sa 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, and therefore he will punish them, Amos 3:2. The message is sent to Eli himself, because God would bring him to repentance and save him; not to his sons, whom he had determined to destroy. And it might have been a means of awakening him to do his duty at last, and so to have prevented the judgment, but we do not find it had any great effect upon him. The message this prophet delivers from God is very close.