1 Samuel 2:28

28 1Did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, 2to wear an ephod before me? 3I gave to the house of your father all my offerings by fire from the people of Israel.

1 Samuel 2:28 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 2:28

And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my
priest
He did; of all the tribes of Israel the Lord chose the tribe of Levi to place the priesthood in, and of all the families of that tribe he chose the house of Aaron, Eli's ancestor, to minister in the priest's office, see ( Exodus 28:1 )

to offer upon mine altar;
burnt offerings, sin offerings, and peace offerings; this is the altar of burnt offering, which stood in the court of the tabernacle:

to burn incense;
on the altar of incense, which was in the holy place, and on which incense was burnt morning and evening:

to wear an ephod before me?
in which was the breastplate, with the Urim and Thummim, with which the high priest went into the most holy place, where was the ark, the symbol of the divine Presence, and where he inquired of the Lord by the above things:

and did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by
fire of the children of Israel?
he did; the priests who were of the house of Aaron had not only the sin offerings, and part of the peace offerings, but even of the offerings made by fire, the burnt offerings; the skin of them was the priest's, and the meat offerings that went along with them, see ( Leviticus 6:25 Leviticus 6:26 ) and ( Leviticus 8:8-10 Leviticus 8:33-35 ) ( Numbers 18:8-10 ) which were given them for their maintenance. Now these instances of God's goodness to the family of Aaron are mentioned to aggravate the sins of Eli and his sons.

1 Samuel 2:28 In-Context

26 Now the young man Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the LORD and also with man.
27 And there came a man of God to Eli and said to him, "Thus the LORD has said, 'Did I indeed reveal myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt subject to the house of Pharaoh?
28 Did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? I gave to the house of your father all my offerings by fire from the people of Israel.
29 Why then do you scorn my sacrifices and my offerings that I commanded, and honor your sons above me by fattening yourselves on the choicest parts of every offering of my people Israel?'
30 Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: 'I promised that your house and the house of your father should go in and out before me forever,'but now the LORD declares: 'Far be it from me, for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed.

Cross References 3

  • 1. Exodus 28:1; Numbers 18:1, 7
  • 2. [1 Samuel 14:3; 1 Samuel 22:18]
  • 3. Leviticus 2:3, 10; Leviticus 6:16; Leviticus 7:7, 8, 34; Leviticus 10:14, 15; Numbers 5:9, 10; See Numbers 18:8-19
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.