Their corrupt handling of worship vividly illustrates how unrepentant sin disrupts fellowship with God and dishonors His holiness.
When the Scripture tells us that “Thus the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD, for the men despised the offering of the LORD” (v.17), it is describing the severe corruption of Eli’s sons, Hophni and Phinehas. These two men, who lived during the era of the judges around the late 11th century BC, were supposed to serve as priests and ministers of God’s tabernacle at Shiloh. Shiloh, located in the hill country of Ephraim in ancient Israel, was the central place of worship before the Temple was built in Jerusalem. By seizing offerings for themselves and treating sacred temple sacrifices carelessly, they directly violated God’s instructions regarding holy worship (see Leviticus 3 for the rightful process of sacrifice), making their sin significant in the eyes of the LORD.
The verse underscores the seriousness of their actions: “the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD” (v.17). This tells us that their behavior was not simply rude or greedy; it was truly offensive to the covenant relationship that God established with Israel. Their actions showed contempt for the system of sacrifices, which God set up to reconcile the people to Himself, prefiguring the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 10:10). Hophni and Phinehas failed to honor the holiness of the sacrificial system, putting their own desires above obedience to the divine law.
Furthermore, when the text says “for the men despised the offering of the LORD” (v.17), it emphasizes that their disregard for worship was not a minor misstep, but a deep-rooted disrespect toward their calling as priests. Historically, Eli as high priest oversaw the worship practices, but his sons’ wrongdoing had become pervasive. This failure in leadership and reverence reflects the larger spiritual condition of Israel at that time, one which would eventually lead the nation to yearn for a righteous king to guide them. Jesus later emphasized in the New Testament that true worship must be humble and sincere before God (John 4:24), contrasting sharply with the arrogant disdain shown by Eli’s sons.
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1 Samuel 2:17 meaning
When the Scripture tells us that “Thus the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD, for the men despised the offering of the LORD” (v.17), it is describing the severe corruption of Eli’s sons, Hophni and Phinehas. These two men, who lived during the era of the judges around the late 11th century BC, were supposed to serve as priests and ministers of God’s tabernacle at Shiloh. Shiloh, located in the hill country of Ephraim in ancient Israel, was the central place of worship before the Temple was built in Jerusalem. By seizing offerings for themselves and treating sacred temple sacrifices carelessly, they directly violated God’s instructions regarding holy worship (see Leviticus 3 for the rightful process of sacrifice), making their sin significant in the eyes of the LORD.
The verse underscores the seriousness of their actions: “the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD” (v.17). This tells us that their behavior was not simply rude or greedy; it was truly offensive to the covenant relationship that God established with Israel. Their actions showed contempt for the system of sacrifices, which God set up to reconcile the people to Himself, prefiguring the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 10:10). Hophni and Phinehas failed to honor the holiness of the sacrificial system, putting their own desires above obedience to the divine law.
Furthermore, when the text says “for the men despised the offering of the LORD” (v.17), it emphasizes that their disregard for worship was not a minor misstep, but a deep-rooted disrespect toward their calling as priests. Historically, Eli as high priest oversaw the worship practices, but his sons’ wrongdoing had become pervasive. This failure in leadership and reverence reflects the larger spiritual condition of Israel at that time, one which would eventually lead the nation to yearn for a righteous king to guide them. Jesus later emphasized in the New Testament that true worship must be humble and sincere before God (John 4:24), contrasting sharply with the arrogant disdain shown by Eli’s sons.