1 Samuel 2:12

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1 Samuel

1 Samuel 2

1 Samuel 2:12

Eli’s Wicked Sons

12 Eli’s sons were scoundrels; they had no regard for the LORD.

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1 Samuel 2:12 in Other Translations

KJV

12 Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD.

ESV

12 Now the sons of Eli were worthless men. They did not know the LORD.

NLT

12 Now the sons of Eli were scoundrels who had no respect for the LORD

MSG

12 Eli's own sons were a bad lot. They didn't know God and could not have cared less

CSB

12 Eli's sons were wicked men; they had no regard for the Lord

1 Samuel 2:12 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 2:12

Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial
Not that Eli their father was Belial, a wicked man; but though they had so good a father, they were very wicked men, unprofitable abandoned wretches, that cast off the yoke of the law of God, and gave themselves up to all manner of wickedness:

they knew not the Lord;
not that they had no knowledge of God in theory, or were real atheists, but they were so practically; they denied him in works, they had no love to him, nor fear of him, and departed from his ways and worship, as much as if they were entirely ignorant of him; so the Targum,

``they did not know to fear before the Lord,''

or serve him; or, as Kimchi,

``they did not know the way of the Lord,''

that is, practically.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

1 Samuel 2:12 In-Context

10 those who oppose the LORD will be broken. The Most High will thunder from heaven; the LORD will judge the ends of the earth. “He will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.”

11 Then Elkanah went home to Ramah, but the boy ministered before the LORD under Eli the priest.

12 Eli’s sons were scoundrels; they had no regard for the LORD.

13 Now it was the practice of the priests that, whenever any of the people offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged fork in his hand while the meat was being boiled

14 and would plunge the fork into the pan or kettle or caldron or pot. Whatever the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is how they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh.