What does 1 Samuel 2:33 mean?
Through an unnamed prophet, the Lord is declaring judgment on Eli, the priest of Israel. The prediction concerns what will become of his descendants. In short, none of the men among those in his line will live to old age. All of them will die young (1 Samuel 2:31–32).Now the Lord adds that one man in Eli's line will not die young: Eli himself. He will not be cut off from serving at God's altar in the prime of his life. Instead, he will weep his eyes out and his heart will be grieved (1 Samuel 4:12–22). Eli will not live to see it, of course, but the Lord declares to the old priest that all the sons to follow from him will die at a young age. Some commentators and translations disagree as to whether the Hebrew should be translated to imply that Eli's descendants will die "by the sword," or "in the prime of life" (NIV).