1 Samuel 2:26 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Now the boy Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the Lord and also with man.

NIV: And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the Lord and with people.

NASB: Now the boy Samuel was continuing to grow and to be in favor both with the Lord and with people.

CSB: By contrast, the boy Samuel grew in stature and in favor with the Lord and with people.

NLT: Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew taller and grew in favor with the Lord and with the people.

KJV: And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the Lord, and also with men.

NKJV: And the child Samuel grew in stature, and in favor both with the Lord and men.

This chapter continues to compare the sons of Eli with Samuel, the son of Hannah and Elkanah. All three served the Lord at the sanctuary in Shiloh under the authority of Eli the priest of Israel. Eli's sons, though, were famous for wickedly abusing their authority as priests to serve themselves (1 Samuel 2:22). They were worthless men who did not know the Lord despite their role as mediators between God and His people (1 Samuel 2:12).

Samuel, on the other hand, served faithfully before the Lord. While Hophni and Phinehas were earning God's death sentence for their sinfulness (1 Samuel 2:25), Samuel was quietly growing up. This included physical growth and becoming increasingly pleasing to the Lord and other people. A similar phrase was used to describe Jesus' younger years before He stepped into His official ministry: "And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man" (Luke 2:52).

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.

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.

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.

Accessed 11/21/2024 12:02:06 PM