The Book of SamuelSýnishorn

Divine and Public Evaluations: 1 Samuel 2:12-26 

When Hannah dedicated Samuel to the worship of God at Shiloh, Eli and his sons were Israel’s most powerful Levitical authorities. But over the years, something quite unexpected happened. Humble Samuel replaced Eli and his sons. This transition was vital to the establishment of kingship in Israel. It was so vital, in fact, that our author felt the need to explain that God Himself brought these events about by implementing the curses and blessings of His covenant with Moses. Eli and his sons fell under God’s curses because they flagrantly violated Moses’ regulations for worship. And Samuel received God’s blessings because he faithfully upheld the directives for worship in the law of Moses. 

The author of Samuel explained this transition in leadership with a series of four contrasts between Eli’s family and Samuel. First, he contrasted divine evaluations of Eli’s sons’ worship and Samuel’s worship in 1 Samuel 2:12-21. Second, he contrasted both divine and public evaluations of Eli’s family and Samuel in 1 Samuel 2:22-26. Third, he contrasted God's responses to Eli with His responses to Samuel in 2:27-4:1. And fourth, we see a contrast between Eli’s family and Samuel in regard to Israel’s conflicts with the Philistines, beginning in 4:1-7:17. 

The comparison of divine evaluations turns first to Eli’s sons in verses 12-17 and begins with an abrupt, categorical condemnation. As we read in verse 12, “The sons of Eli were worthless men. They did not know the Lord.” Our author then illustrated why he arrived at this outlook. Rather than taking their portion of sacrificial meat in the way established by Moses’ law, Eli’s sons selected the best meat for themselves ahead of time. If anyone objected, they threatened to take the best portions by force. The author of Samuel then revealed God’s evaluation of these worship violations. In verse 17 he wrote, “The sin of the young men was very great in the sight of the Lord, for the men treated the offering of the Lord with contempt.”

But immediately following this account, our author turned to God’s strikingly different evaluation of Samuel in 2:18-21. He first reported how Hannah showed her devotion to God by returning year after year to bring Samuel a new ephod, a humble article of clothing. And God continued to bless Hannah, giving her three more sons and two daughters. 

Then, 2:21 closes this section with these words:

The boy Samuel grew in the presence of the Lord.

God’s ongoing approval of Samuel was just the opposite of His severe condemnation of Eli’s sons. 

Next, our author contrasted both divine and public evaluations of Eli’s family and Samuel in 1 Samuel 2:22-26. 

On the one side, in verses 22-25, we learn that Eli’s sons, influenced by Canaanite fertility rituals, were having sexual relations with the women who served at the Tabernacle entrance. And verse 24 notes that faithful Israelites, whom Eli called “the people of the Lord,” were complaining about his sons. Eli sternly warned his sons that if they continued, no one could help them. But they ignored their father’s rebuke. And verse 25 tells us why: “Eli’s sons would not listen to the voice of their father, for it was the will of the Lord to put them to death.”

After reporting these negative divine and public assessments of Eli’s sons, we find a brief note contrasting Samuel’s service. Our author expanded his earlier positive comment on Samuel from verse 21 by noting how both God and the people of Israel reacted to Samuel. 

In 1 Samuel 2:26 we read this:

Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the Lord and also with man.

As this verse tells us, both God and the faithful people of Israel approved of Samuel’s Levitical service.