1 Samuel 2:15 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Moreover, before the fat was burned, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give meat for the priest to roast, for he will not accept boiled meat from you but only raw.”

NIV: But even before the fat was burned, the priest's servant would come and say to the person who was sacrificing, 'Give the priest some meat to roast; he won't accept boiled meat from you, but only raw.'

NASB: Also, before they burned the fat, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, 'Give the priest meat for roasting, as he will not take cooked meat from you, only raw.'

CSB: Even before the fat was burned, the priest's servant would come and say to the one who was sacrificing, "Give the priest some meat to roast, because he won't accept boiled meat from you--only raw."

NLT: Sometimes the servant would come even before the animal’s fat had been burned on the altar. He would demand raw meat before it had been boiled so that it could be used for roasting.

KJV: Also 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.

NKJV: Also, before they burned the fat, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who sacrificed, “Give meat for roasting to the priest, for he will not take boiled meat from you, but raw.”

Eli's sons were priests who served in the temple of the Lord. They have been described as worthless men who did not know the Lord (1 Samuel 2:12). They were deeply involved in open corruption of God's sacrificial laws. The writer has described their custom of taking an extra serving of the meat from those who had come to make sacrifices (1 Samuel 2:13–14).

It gets worse. The priests would also send a servant to demand from those bringing sacrifices even more of the meat before it was sacrificed to the Lord or boiled for a meal. In other words, the priests didn't want the meat boiled. They wanted it roasted, and they were willing to violate God's commands for the sacrifice to get it.

The Lord's requirements for the sacrifice were for the fat to be burned first to create an aroma that would please God (Leviticus 3:3–5). The fat was specifically reserved for God. Leviticus 7:25 says, "For every person who eats of the fat of an animal of which a food offering may be made to the LORD shall be cut off from his people." After the fat was burned and the breast was waved as a wave offering, the priests were to be given the breast and the right thigh (Leviticus 7:29–36). Those bringing the sacrifice were to take their portion to be enjoyed as a meal (Leviticus 7:11–18), apparently boiled (Numbers 6:19–20). Eli's sons were demanding meat from those bringing sacrifices before the fat was offered to the Lord and before the meat was boiled so that they could roast it for themselves.

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.

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.