I Samuel 2:13-17 · Bible study
1 Samuel 2:13-17 Commentary: The Sin of Eli's Sons
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why taking meat with a fork became a grave sin: Hophni and Phinehas violated God's law for peace offerings, despising the Lord's offering and causing Israel to
Research Summary
- Meaning: Eli’s sons violated the peace offering law by greedily taking more than their share, before God received His portion, using force, thus despising the Lord’s offering.
- Key words: mishpat (custom/ordinance, here a corrupted practice); na’ats (despise, treat with contempt); minchah (offering, general sacrifice); chazqah (force).
- Main debate: Whether the priests’ custom was an innovation by Eli’s sons or a gradual drift from the law; most see it as sinful innovation.
- Theological theme: God desires pure worship; corruption in leadership defiles worship and turns people away from faith.
- Best use: A warning to religious leaders against entitlement and abuse of office; a call to prioritize God’s honor in every act of worship.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
13or for the custom of the priests with the people. When any man offered a sacrifice, the servant of the priest would come with a three-pronged meat fork while the meat was boiling
14and plunge it into the pan or kettle or cauldron or cooking pot. And the priest would claim for himself whatever the meat fork brought up. This is how they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh.
15Even before the fat was burned, the servant of the priest would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give the priest some meat to roast, because he will not accept boiled meat from you, but only raw.”
16And if any man said to him, “The fat must be burned first; then you may take whatever you want,” the servant would reply, “No, you must give it to me right now. If you refuse, I will take it by force!”
17Thus the sin of these young men was severe in the sight of the LORD, for they were treating the LORD’s offering with contempt.
WEB World English Bible 2000
13The custom of the priests with the people was that when anyone offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant came while the meat was boiling, with a fork of three teeth in his hand;
14and he stabbed it into the pan, or kettle, or cauldron, or pot. The priest took all that the fork brought up for himself. They did this to all the Israelites who came there to Shiloh.
15Yes, before they burned the fat, the priest’s servant came, and said to the man who sacrificed, “Give meat to roast for the priest; for he will not accept boiled meat from you, but raw.”
16If the man said to him, “Let the fat be burned first, and then take as much as your soul desires;” then he would say, “No, but you shall give it to me now; and if not, I will take it by force.”
17The sin of the young men was very great before Yahweh; for the men despised Yahweh’s offering.
KJV King James Version 1769
13And the priests’ custom with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand;
14And he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that came thither.
15Also before they burnt the fat, the priest’s servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have sodden flesh of thee, but raw.
16And if any man said unto him, Let them not fail to burn the fat presently, and then take as much as thy soul desireth; then he would answer him, Nay; but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force.
17Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord: for men abhorred the offering of the Lord.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
13And the custom of the priests with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant came, while the flesh was boiling, with a flesh-hook of three teeth in his hand;
14and he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the flesh-hook brought up the priest took therewith. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that came thither.
15Yea, before they burnt the fat, the priest’s servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have boiled flesh of thee, but raw.
16And if the man said unto him, They will surely burn the fat first, and then take as much as thy soul desireth; then he would say, Nay, but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force.
17And the sin of the young men was very great before Jehovah; for the men despised the offering of Jehovah.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
13And the custom of the priests with the people is : any man sacrificing a sacrifice--then hath the servant of the priest come in when the flesh is boiling, and the hook of three teeth in his hand,
14and hath struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the hook bringeth up doth the priest take for himself; thus they do to all Israel who are coming in, there, in Shiloh.
15Also before they make perfume with the fat--then hath the priest's servant come in, and said to the man who is sacrificing, `Give flesh to roast for the priest, and he doth not take of thee flesh boiled, but raw;'
16and the man saith unto him, `Let them surely make a perfume (as to-day) with the fat, then take to thee as thy soul desireth;' and he hath said to him, `Surely now thou dost give; and if not--I have taken by strength.'
17And the sin of the young men is very great in the presence of Jehovah, for the men have despised the offering of Jehovah.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
13And the priests' custom with the people was, when any man sacrificed a sacrifice, the priest's servant came, when the flesh was cooked, with a flesh-hook of three prongs in his hand;
14and he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or cauldron, or pot; the priest took of it all that the flesh-hook brought up. So they did in Shiloh to all the Israelites that came there.
15Even before they burned the fat, the priest's servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest, and he will not accept sodden flesh of thee, but raw.
16If the man said to him, They will immediately burn the fat entire, then take as thy soul desires; he would say [to him], No, but thou shalt give [it] now; and if not, I will take [it] by force.
17And the sin of the young men was very great before Jehovah, for men despised the offering of Jehovah.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
13Nor the office of the priests to the people: but whosoever had offered a sacrifice, the servant of the priest came, while the flesh was in boiling, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand,
14And thrust it into the kettle, or into the cauldron, or into the pot, or into the pan: and all that the fleshhook brought up, the priest took to himself. Thus did they to all Israel that came to Silo.
15Also before they burnt the fat, the servant of the priest came, and said to the man that sacrificed: Give me flesh to boil for the priest: for I will not take of thee sodden flesh, but raw.
16And he that sacrificed said to him: Let the fat first be burnt to day, according to the custom, and then take to thee as much as thy soul desireth. But he answered, and said to him: Not so: but thou shalt give it me now, or else I will take it by force.
17Wherefore the sin of the young men was exceeding great before the Lord: because they withdrew men from the sacrifice of the Lord.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · I Samuel 2:13
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Hophni and Phinehas flagrantly violated the Mosaic law for peace offerings (Leviticus 7:29-34). God had specified that the priest’s portion was the breast and right shoulder, and only after the fat was burned on the altar. The sons of Eli sent a servant with a three-pronged fork to take any meat he wanted from the boiling pot before the fat was offered. They also demanded raw meat to roast for themselves. When worshippers protested, the servant threatened to take it by force. As Adam Clarke notes, they served themselves before God was served, this was iniquity of the first magnitude. The Cambridge Bible calls it a double sin: robbing the people and offending Jehovah. The narrator sums it up: “The sin of the young men was very great before Yahweh; for the men despised Yahweh’s offering.” Corruption in the priesthood led the people to abhor worship itself, as Clarke and others observe.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Hophni and Phinehas took more than the law allowed, before the fat was burned, and used force, thus despising the Lord's offering.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Origin of the priests' custom (mishpat) | The practice violated the Mosaic law for peace offerings. | Some (Gill, Keil) see it as a deliberate innovation by Eli's sons; others (Barnes) note it contradicts the law but do not specify its origin. The phrase 'the priests' custom' may imply it became institutionalized. |
| Primary offense: against God or against neighbor? | The sin was both theft from the offerer and sacrilege against God. | Some emphasize the offense against God (Cambridge, Gill) because they took before the fat was burned; others (Clarke, Wesley) emphasize the robbery of the worshipper's share. |
| The worshipper's attempt to intervene (v.16) | The worshipper was more concerned for God's honor than the priests were. | Some see this as evidence of general piety among the people (Matthew Henry); others view it as an isolated example that was overruled. |
| Meaning of 'the men despised the offering' (v.17) | The priests' actions caused the offering to be treated with contempt. | Grammatically, 'the men' could refer to the priests (so most translations follow the Masoretic text) or to the people (the Septuagint omits 'the men'). The context supports 'the priests' as the subject. |
Historical & Cultural Context
This passage takes place at Shiloh, the central sanctuary where the ark and tabernacle rested during the time of the judges. Peace offerings (zevach shelamim) were a key part of Israelite worship. The worshipper brought an animal, and after the priest offered the blood and burned the fat on the altar (God’s portion), the rest of the meat was shared: the priest received the breast and right shoulder, and the offerer and his family ate the remainder in a communal feast (Leviticus 3; 7:29-34). The fat was considered especially sacred and belonged to Yahweh alone (Leviticus 3:16). It had to be burned first before anyone else could take their portion.
The word translated “custom” (mishpat) normally means ordinance or judgment, but here it refers to a practice the priests had invented. Keil and Delitzsch call it “the right which they had usurped to themselves.” The three-pronged fork allowed the servant to reach deep into the boiling pot and pull out the choicest pieces. By taking meat before the fat was burned, Hophni and Phinehas showed they cared more for their own appetites than for the honor of God. Their demand for raw meat suggests they wanted to roast it for themselves, perhaps to take home, bypassing the proper ritual entirely.
Verse 16 records that some worshippers tried to insist, “Let the fat be burned first.” This shows that ordinary Israelites understood the law better than the priests did. Yet the priests’ servant countered with threats of force. The entire scene reveals a priesthood that had lost the fear of God and was exploiting its position for personal gain. The surrounding context contrasts this with the faithful service of Samuel, who “ministered before Yahweh, being a child, clothed with a linen ephod” (1 Samuel 2:18).
Textual Notes
The Masoretic text is well preserved here. In verse 16, some Hebrew manuscripts and the ancient versions read “Nay” (as a reply) rather than “him” (a textual variation noted by the Cambridge Bible). In verse 17 the Septuagint omits the phrase “the men,” making the priests the explicit subject of the verb “despised.” Most English translations follow the Masoretic reading. The consulted sources note no variants that significantly alter the meaning.
Reception History
Throughout church history, this passage has served as a stark warning against clerical greed and abuse of authority. Early church writers used it to argue that corrupt ministers do not invalidate the sacraments, the validity depends on Christ, not the administrator. During the Reformation, both Catholic and Protestant exegetes cited these verses to condemn financial corruption in the priesthood. The text has also been used in sermons on the importance of reverent worship and the dangers of treating holy things casually. Modern interpreters often read it as a case study in spiritual abuse and the need for accountability among church leaders. The contrast with the young Samuel, who served faithfully nearby, offers a hope that personal devotion can survive institutional failure.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The right custom vs. the corrupted custom. God’s law gave the priests a specific, sufficient portion. Hophni and Phinehas created a new custom that served themselves, not God.
- A double theft: against God and neighbor. They took the worshipper’s share and, more seriously, they took God’s portion by demanding the meat before the fat was burned.
- Leadership failure damages worship. Because the priests despised the offering, the people also began to abhor it. Corruption spreads outward.
Five-point outline
- The setting: Shiloh, the center of worship, where sacrifices were offered daily.
- The sin: The priests used a fork to seize extra meat, demanded raw meat before the ritual, and threatened force against those who objected.
- The assessment: “The sin of the young men was very great before Yahweh.”
- The root: They “despised Yahweh’s offering”, they treated what belonged to God as worthless.
- The result: The people abhorred the offering; worship lost its meaning.
Illustration hooks
- A kitchen worker at a potluck dips a spoon into every dish before the meal begins, taking the best portions for himself before guests arrive.
- A church treasurer routinely uses offering money for personal expenses, assuming no one will notice.
- A Sunday school teacher skips the lesson to tell off-color stories, causing children to lose respect for the class.
Questions your congregation is asking
- “If my pastor or church leader is living in sin, does that mean God won’t accept my worship?” (The text doesn’t say the worshippers were wrong; it condemns the priests. Wesley notes the validity of sacraments does not depend on the administrator’s goodness.)
- “What should I do when I see leaders taking advantage of their position?” (The passage gives an example of a worshipper who tried to correct the abuse, though he was overruled. It invites prayer for accountability and, if necessary, raising concerns with other leaders.)
- “How can I keep my heart from becoming cynical about church when leaders disappoint me?” (The contrast with Samuel, who served faithfully despite the corruption around him, offers a model of personal devotion.)
Leading a Discussion
This passage challenges us to examine how we approach worship. The sons of Eli turned worship into an opportunity for greed and power. Their example reminds us that God cares not only about what we do but also about the attitudes behind our actions. As you read these verses together, ask where your own practices might drift from God’s instructions and how you can uphold reverence for the Lord.
Discussion questions
- In your own words, what did the law of Moses require of the priests during a peace offering? (See Leviticus 7:29-34.)
- How did the actions of Hophni and Phinehas violate that requirement? List the specific things they did wrong.
- Why do you think the narrator emphasizes that they took meat “before they burned the fat”?
- What does the worshipper’s response in verse 16 tell you about his faith and priorities?
- Verse 17 says their sin was “very great before Yahweh.” What made it so serious in God’s eyes?
- How does the corruption of leaders affect the faith of ordinary people? Have you ever seen this happen?
- What safeguards can church communities put in place to prevent ministers from abusing their role?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Leviticus 7:29 | “Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘He who offers the sacrifice of his peace offerings to Yahweh shall bring his offering to Yahweh out of the sacrifice of his peace offerings. |
| Leviticus 7:34 | For the waved breast and the heaved thigh I have taken from the children of Israel out of the sacrifices of their peace offerings, and have given them to Aaron the priest and to his sons as their portion forever from the children of Israel.’” |
| Exodus 29:27 | You shall sanctify the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the wave offering, which is waved, and which is raised up, of the ram of consecration, even of that which is for Aaron, and of that which is for his sons. |
| Exodus 29:28 | It shall be for Aaron and his sons as their portion forever from the children of Israel; for it is a wave offering. It shall be a wave offering from the children of Israel of the sacrifices of their peace offerings, even their wave offering to Yahweh. |
| I Samuel 2:29 | Why do you kick at my sacrifice and at my offering, which I have commanded in my habitation, and honor your sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel my people?’ |
| Isaiah 56:11 | Yes, the dogs are greedy. They can never have enough. They are shepherds who can’t understand. They have all turned to their own way, each one to his gain, from every quarter. |
| Malachi 1:10 | “Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you,” says Yahweh of Armies, “neither will I accept an offering at your hand. |
| II Peter 2:13 | receiving the wages of unrighteousness; people who count it pleasure to revel in the daytime, spots and defects, reveling in their deceit while they feast with you; |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke condemns the priests for serving themselves before God, taking the best meat before the fat was offered on the altar. He calls this arrogance and a sin of the highest order. Their irreverence made the people despise God's worship and turn to unbelief.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes highlights that Hophni and Phinehas broke the explicit Law by taking more than the priest's stated portion from the peace offerings. He also notes this incident incidentally confirms that the Levitical law already existed at this time. The phrase offering of the Lord refers broadly to any gift to God.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator identifies a double sin in Hophni and Phinehas: they robbed the people by seizing more than their assigned priestly portion, and they insulted God by demanding their share before the consecrated fat had been burned on the altar. Such corruption in the priesthood, he notes, breeds profanity among the people.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Note highlights how Eli's sons abused the priest's customary portion by demanding raw meat before the fat was offered to God, even threatening to take it by force. This greedy, high-handed behavior led the people to despise the Lord's sacrifices, making their sin exceedingly great.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill describes the priests' corrupt custom: a servant would forcibly take extra meat from the boiling pot with a three-pronged hook, and even demand raw meat before the fat was offered to God. This greedy, violent contempt for God's portion caused people to loathe bringing their sacrifices.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB highlights the greed of Eli's sons, who were not satisfied with the lawful priestly portions of breast and shoulder. They violently took raw meat from the offerer's share before the sacred ritual, using a fork to seize preferred pieces. This profane encroachment on the altar's dues and the family feast repulsed the pious.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch highlights that the worst sin of Eli's sons was not the robbery itself but the contempt for the Lord's sacrifice that their actions spread among the people. By demanding raw meat before the fat portions were burned on the altar, they treated God's offering as common and caused others to blaspheme.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange highlights the sharp contrast between Samuel's faithful service and the corrupt priesthood of Eli's sons, who "knew not the Lord." He argues the priesthood had failed its mediating role, so God raised Samuel—a Levite, not a priest—as the true servant who would become the living center of the theocracy and the channel for new revelations.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry contrasts young Samuel's faithful ministry in the sanctuary with Eli's sons, who were wicked and profaned the offerings. While the sons abused their priestly position, Samuel grew in favor with God and man. God also blessed Hannah with more children, showing He never forgets what is lent to Him.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley highlights that the priests took more than their God-given share of the peace-offerings, even snatching parts that should have been waved or belonged to the offerer. Their greed caused the people to despise the offerings, but Wesley insists the sacraments' validity does not depend on the ministers' goodness. The priests' sin was greater because they gave the people this occasion.