1 Samuel 2 - Printer Friendly

What does 1 Samuel 2 mean?

Chapter Commentary:

First Samuel 2 begins with Hannah's prayer to the Lord (1 Samuel 2:1–10) at the sanctuary in Shiloh. This poetic declaration of praise is Hannah's response to the Lord's gift. She obtained a son, then brought the boy to Eli the priest, to "lend" young Samuel to the Lord for as long as he lives (1 Samuel 1:24–28).

Hannah's prayer begins briefly with her own response to God: her emotions, her dependence on God, and her joy at knowing Him as her Savior. She appreciates that she, the one who was mocked (1 Samuel 1:6), now has a response for her enemies (1 Samuel 2:1).

After this, Hannah focuses completely on the Lord. She extols Him as unique, the ultimate refuge for all people. All must humble themselves because He knows and judges every action. He reverses human fortunes, becoming strength for the weak, providing abundance for the hungry, and giving children to the barren (1 Samuel 2:3–5).

The Lord has the power of life and death. He has control over wealth and status. He raises up the poor and puts them in places of honor. The entire world rests on His foundation. The Lord guards those faithful to Him, but human might and power are no protection from Him for those who are wicked. He judges all people everywhere. He gives strength—typified by the symbol of a horn—to His anointed one (1 Samuel 2:6–10).

The rest of the chapter reports on the wickedness of Eli's sons, and the Lord's judgment on their family for abusing their power as priests over Israel. Eli's boys, Hophni and Phinehas, are sinfully corrupt men who don't know the Lord (1 Samuel 2:12). Contrary to the law of Moses, Eli's sons demand the choicest cuts of meat for themselves from those bringing animals to sacrifice at the sanctuary. If the people will not give it, they threaten to take the meat they want by force. They do all of this before the animal is offered to the Lord. This abuse of their power, especially, is said to be a very great sin in the Lord's eyes because it treats the offering meant for the Lord with such contempt (1 Samuel 2:13–17).

Meanwhile, young Samuel is carrying out his duties in ministering before the Lord as a growing boy. Every year, Hannah makes a new priestly robe for him and brings it when they come for the annual family sacrifice. Each year, Eli blesses Hannah and Elkanah with a prayer that the Lord will give them more children. Hannah eventually gives birth to three more sons and two daughters while Samuel continues to grow up with God's presence in the sanctuary (1 Samuel 2:11, 18–21).

The chapter returns to Eli's sons, perhaps many years later. Eli is very old but continues to receive reports of Hophni's and Phinehas's wickedness. In addition to taking the best parts of the offerings to the Lord for themselves, they have also been having sex with the women who came to serve at the Lord's sanctuary (1 Samuel 2:22).

Eli questions why they are doing these evil things. Whether this is a single moment of rebuke, or a summary of many such criticisms, Scripture does not say. The Lord's people are spreading the news of Eli's corrupt sons everywhere. He tells them they are sinning willfully and directly against the Lord, pointing out that no one can intercede for someone who does that. The pair refuses to listen or change their ways because the Lord has already marked them for death for their sins (1 Samuel 2:23–25).

In contrast, Samuel continues to grow up physically and to grow in favor with God and with other people (1 Samuel 2:26).

Finally, the Lord sends an unnamed prophet to speak to Eli. Through that prophet, the Lord reminds Eli that He communicated with Eli's ancestors, starting with Aaron and his sons when Israel was still Egypt. God chose Aaron to be His priest for the nation, to go up to the altar and to burn incense and to wear the official ephod vest? The Lord also gave explicit instructions about specific portions of the offerings, and expected Aaron and the other priests to obey those? These are framed in the form of a question to highlight their obvious nature (1 Samuel 2:27–28).

Since the Lord did all these things for Aaron and his descendants down through to Eli, God is justified in saying there is no excuse for Eli to act as he has done. Eli's indifference, and his sons' overt sin, have insulted the worship God commanded His people to perform at the sanctuary. Eli has, in effect, given more respect to his sons than to God! As well, he has benefitted from their sin, getting some of the choicest cuts of meat they wrongly took from the people (1 Samuel 2:29).

Because Eli and his sons have done this, the Lord will drain the strength from Eli and his descendants. Even while the rest of Israel prospers, Eli's successors will die young. His family line will forever be cursed with premature death—yet Eli will live to old age simply so he can mourn the imminent deaths of his family (1 Samuel 2:30–33).

The sign from the Lord proving these long-term predictions will happen is that Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will die on the same day. Then, God will appoint a faithful priest who will do what the Lord wants. Instead of Eli's descendants, that priest and his family after him will serve under His anointed one. Eli's descendants will be left to beg for food and money and some priestly work that might allow them to share in the offerings to the Lord once more (1 Samuel 2:34–36).

First Samuel chapter 3 records God calling to Samuel, giving a similar message about His judgment against Eli and Eli's sons. As Samuel continues to grow, the Lord is so clearly with him that all Israel recognizes him as a prophet of the Lord. In 1 Samuel 4, the fulfillment of God's words of judgment is seen when Hophni and Phinehas die in a battle against the Philistines, who also capture the ark of the covenant. Eli hears the report and dies. His pregnant daughter-in-law goes into labor, gives birth to a son whose name means "the glory has departed," and dies. The stage is set for God to show His power over false gods and for Samuel to become the last judge of Israel, and the first prophet of her era of kings (1 Samuel 5—7).

First Samuel 2:1–11 contains Hannah's poetic prayer of praise to the Lord in response to His gift of a son, Samuel. She offers the prayer after delivering Samuel into Eli's care at the sanctuary in keeping with her vow to the Lord (1 Samuel 1:11, 24–28). The main emphasis of the prayer is that God is holy and sovereign. He can reverse life situations, bringing the rich and powerful down and lifting the poor, hungry, and barren. The one who controls life and death guards those faithful to Him.

First Samuel 2:12–21 contrasts Eli's sons with Hannah's son Samuel. Eli's sons are worthless men who don't know the Lord. They abuse their power as priests to take the best cuts of animals offered for themselves, treating the sacrifice to the Lord with contempt. Samuel, just a boy, ministers to the Lord at the sanctuary. Hannah brings him a new robe each year and Eli blesses her with a prayer for more children. She has three more sons and two daughters with her husband Elkanah. Samuel grows up in God's presence at the sanctuary.

First Samuel 2:22–26 describes Eli's rebuke of his sons Hophni and Phinehas for their abuse of their power as priests over Israel. In addition to taking the best cuts of meat for themselves, the pair have been sleeping with the female servants at the sanctuary. The news of their corruption is spreading everywhere. Eli asks who will intercede for them when they sin directly against the Lord. Still, they refuse to repent because the Lord has already marked them for death. Samuel, meanwhile, continues to grow in favor with the Lord and with other people.

First Samuel 2:27–36 describes a meeting between Eli and an unnamed prophet of the Lord. The anonymous messenger confronts the old priest, as the Lord asks Eli why he has insulted the Lord's sacrifices and honored his own sons over God. For this sin, God will afflict Eli's descendants, causing all who come after him to die young. Eli's own two sons will die on the same day as a sign this is true. The Lord will raise up a faithful priest from another branch of the family line of priests.

Chapter Summary:

After delivering Samuel to the Lord, Hannah offers a poetic prayer of praise. The sons of Eli the priest are evil, depraved men who abuse their power as priests. They coerce worshippers to give them additional meat. They sleep with women who serve at the sanctuary. In contrast, Samuel grows in favor with God and others as he grows up physically. Hannah and Elkanah continue to go to Shiloh yearly; they also have more children. Eli rebukes his sons, but they don't repent. The Lord tells Eli that all his descendants will die young and his two rebellious sons will die on the same day. The Lord will raise up a faithful priest to do His will.

Chapter Context:

The prior chapter explained how Hannah cried out to God for a son, and that her request was granted. First Samuel 2 begins with Hannah's praise to the Lord in response. Samuel remains in Shiloh where he ministers and matures. By contrast, Eli's sons are wicked and abuse their power as priests. A prophet reveals that God will cause all Eli's descendants to die young and his two sons to die on the same day. The Lord will raise up a faithful priest from another part of the family line. This provides background for Samuel's call from God in chapter 3.

First Samuel introduces the key figures who led Israel after the era of the judges. The books of 1 and 2 Samuel were originally part of a single text, split in certain translations shortly before the birth of Christ. Some of the Bible’s most famous characters are depicted in this book. These including the prophet Samuel, Israel’s first king, Saul, her greatest king, David, and other famous names such as Goliath and Jonathan. By the end of this book, Saul has fallen; the book of 2 Samuel begins with David’s ascension to the throne.

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