Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Samuel 2:17
Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD: for men abhorred the offering of the LORD.
17. the young men ] Hophni and Phinehas.
men abhorred ] Rather, the men despised, or, brought into contempt the offering of Jehovah. The Sept. omits the men. Corruption in the priesthood begets profanity in the people. Cp. Mal 2:8-9. “They made it vile in the eyes of the people by shewing how vile it was in their eyes.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The offering of the Lord – Minchah, here in the general sense of gift or offering to God (compare Mal 1:10-11; Mal 3:3). In its restricted sense, it is used of the meat offerings, the unbloody sacrifices, and is then coupled with bloody sacrifices, sacrifices of slain beasts. (See 1Sa 2:29.)
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 17. Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great] That is, Hophni and Phinehas, the sons of Eli.
Men abhorred the offering] As the people saw that the priests had no piety, and that they acted as if there was no God; they despised God’s service, and became infidels.
A national priesthood, when the foundation is right, may be a great blessing; but if the priesthood becomes corrupt, though the foundation itself stand sure, the corruption of the national manners will be the unavoidable consequence.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The sin of the young men was very great; because they violently took away both mans and Gods dues, and this before their time, and that with manifest contempt of God and men; and all this merely for the gratifying of their sensual appetite.
Before the Lord, i.e. even in the place of Gods special presence, where he saw and observed all their miscarriages; which argues the height of impiety and imprudence.
Men abhorred the offering of the Lord; they neglected and abhorred the practice of carrying up sacrifices to be offered, which they knew would be so grossly abused; and which, as they might think, would be rejected and abhorred by God himself; and therefore they would not contribute to the priests sin, and the corruption of Gods worship, but judged it better to neglect the thing, than to expose it to the priests depravation; wherein yet they erred, as we see, 1Sa 2:21.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord,…. That is, the sons of Eli; for they were the ringleaders who set these bad examples, which other priests followed, and therefore the sin is ascribed to them; and which was sadly aggravated by taking what was not their own, and by taking it in a forcible manner, and before the Lord had his part in the offering, and all this done in the tabernacle, in the presence of God; which plainly showed that they had not the fear of God before their eyes, nor any sense of his omniscience and omnipresence, any more than of his holiness and justice:
for men abhorred the offering of the Lord; it was irksome and disagreeable to them to bring their sacrifices, when they saw the law of God was not attended to, and the rules of sacrificing were not observed; such contempt of God, such abuse of sacrifices, such injury done to the sacrificers, and such covetousness and sensuality in the priests, that it even set the people against sacrifices, and made them loath them, and neglect to bring them. And this aggravated the sin of the young men, though the sacrificers were not excused hereby, 1Sa 2:24.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(17) The sin of the young men was very great.Grave peccatum sacerdotum ob scandalurn datum laicis (the sin of the priests was a great one, because it put a stumbling-block in the way of the people).A. Lapide, quoted by Wordsworth. Religion was being brought into general disrepute through the conduct of its leading ministers; was it likely that piety, justice, and purity would be honoured and loved in the land of Israel when the whole ritual of the sacrifices was openly scoffed at in the great sanctuary of the people by the chief priests of their faith?
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
17. The young men Eli’s sons, Hophni and Phinehas.
Men abhorred the offering of the Lord The conduct of these young men brought reproach upon the whole sacred service; and, indeed, there is nothing that tends more directly to bring religion itself into contempt, and to multiply infidels and scoffers, than open wickedness in the ministers of the altar.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“… men abhorred the offering of the Lord.” 1Sa 2:17 .
This is the natural consequence of the character of those who ministered that offering. The sons of Eli, being themselves sons of Belial, brought the whole work into contempt. Hophni and Phinehas were more than mere individuals; they were priests in the sanctuary, and, acting in their priestly capacity, they brought the whole work of the sanctuary into disdain. It is easy to say to men that they should take heed of the work, and not of the workers, but to most men it is impossible to make the distinction. If the work has had so poor an effect upon the workers, what effect can it have upon those who merely look on? In this respect the worker has a high responsibility; though his thoughts, his argument, or his eloquence may not be understood, his character can be perused by all who are frankminded, and who earnestly desire to know the results of communion with God. God himself takes notice of those who bring his work into derision: “I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the Lord saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed…. And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them.” God has not issued his commandment and defined his work, and left both to take care of themselves: he watches from on high how the commandment is received, how the work is done, how priests and ministers and agents of all kinds conduct themselves, and he comes with blessing or judgment, according to their specific action. God is not dependent upon one priest, or one family of priests; though all who now bear his name may abandon his altar, yet that altar shall be well served: “I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind; and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever.” Thus the Lord conducts a retributive providence. The Lord never allows himself to be insulted with impunity. They who have repulsed his approach, or dishonoured his robes, or cast disrepute upon his altar, shall be thrown out of their houses, and they who once had great opportunities shall come and crouch to the faithful priest for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, “Put me I pray thee, into one of the priest’s offices, that I may eat a piece of bread.” Men shall one day come to know what privileges they have enjoyed, and what opportunities they have lost. Let us be faithful now, and watchful ever, for we know not how near we may be to the exhaustion of our function, if so be we have not administered it with faithfulness.
Fuente: The People’s Bible by Joseph Parker
1Sa 2:17 Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD: for men abhorred the offering of the LORD.
Ver. 17. Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great. ] The greater because they were uncounsellable, ac ne moniti quidem ab ista perversitate desistebant; but became evil examples to God’s people, who might have desired the like of them, that one did once of a bad living preacher – viz., to point him out a nearer way to heaven than that he had taught in his sermons: for he went not that way himself.
For men abhorred the offering of the Lord.
a Abbot.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
sin. Hebrew. chata’. App-44.
men. Hebrew. ‘enosh. App-14.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
before: Gen 6:11, Gen 10:9, Gen 13:13, 2Ki 21:6, Psa 51:4, Isa 3:8
abhorred: Mal 2:8, Mal 2:13, Mat 18:7
Reciprocal: Exo 32:30 – Ye have Lev 21:9 – the daughter 1Sa 2:24 – ye make 1Sa 3:13 – his sons 2Ki 17:21 – a great sin Neh 13:11 – Why is the house Eze 13:19 – for handfuls
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2:17 Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD: for men {o} abhorred the offering of the LORD.
(o) Seeing the horrible abuse of it.