1 Samuel 2:12

12 porro filii Heli filii Belial nescientes Dominum

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.

1 Samuel 2:12 In-Context

10 Dominum formidabunt adversarii eius super ipsos in caelis tonabit Dominus iudicabit fines terrae et dabit imperium regi suo et sublimabit cornu christi sui

11 et abiit Helcana Ramatha in domum suam puer autem erat minister in conspectu Domini ante faciem Heli sacerdotis

12 porro filii Heli filii Belial nescientes Dominum

13 neque officium sacerdotum ad populum sed quicumque immolasset victimam veniebat puer sacerdotis dum coquerentur carnes et habebat fuscinulam tridentem in manu sua

14 et mittebat eam in lebetem vel in caldariam aut in ollam sive in caccabum et omne quod levabat fuscinula tollebat sacerdos sibi sic faciebant universo Israheli venientium in Silo