What does 1 Samuel 2:14 mean?
The custom of the priests of Israel at Shiloh during this time—during the era of the judges (Judges 2:16–19; 21:25)—was apparently a way for the priests to get an extra portion of food from each person's animal sacrifice to the Lord.The sacrifice being described is the peace offering, designed by God to be shared between the Lord, the priests, and those bringing the sacrifice (Leviticus 7:11–18). The portion intended for the priests was the breasts and the right thigh of the animal (Leviticus 7:29–36). Over time, the priests had adopted what may have been the practice of other religions. The priest's servant would come while the people were boiling the meat for their portion of the sacrifice and plunge a trident-style fork into the pot. The priest would keep whatever meat came out on the fork.
This may have been the common custom of the time for religious sacrifices, but it was a corruption of the priest's power and a clear violation of the commands of the Lord. These errors didn't stop there, however.