1 Samuel 2:17

17 Therefore the sin of the young men was full grievous before the Lord; for they withdrew men from the sacrifice of the Lord (for they drew people away, or discouraged them, from sacrificing to the Lord).

1 Samuel 2:17 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 2:17

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, ( 1 Samuel 2:24 ) .

1 Samuel 2:17 In-Context

15 Yea, before that they burnt the inner fatness, the priest's servant came, and said to the offerer, Give thou flesh to me/Give to me the flesh, that I seethe it to the priest; for I shall not take of thee sodden flesh, but raw. (Yea, before that they burned the inner fatness, the priest's servant came, and said to the offerer, Give thou to me the flesh, so that I can roast it for the priest; for I shall not take boiled flesh from thee, but only raw meat.)

16 And he that offered said to him, Be first the inner fatness burnt today after the custom, and take thou then to thee how much ever thy soul desireth. The which answered, and said to him, Nay, but thou shalt give it now; for else I shall take it by violence. (And if he who offered said to him, First let the inner fatness be burned today, after the custom, and then take thou for thyself however much thy soul desireth, the servant would answer, and say, No, thou shalt give it to me now; or else I shall take it by force.)

17 Therefore the sin of the young men was full grievous before the Lord; for they withdrew men from the sacrifice of the Lord (for they drew people away, or discouraged them, from sacrificing to the Lord).

18 Forsooth Samuel, a child girded with a linen cloth (a boy wearing a linen cloak), ministered before the face of the Lord.

19 And his mother made to him a little coat, the which (s)he brought to him in the days ordained to offer, and she went up with her husband, that he would offer a solemn offering, and his avow. (And his mother made a little coat for him, which she brought to him in the days ordained for offering, when she went up each year with her husband, when he offered a solemn sacrifice, and renewed his vow.)