1 Samuel 2:27

27 Soothly a man of God came to Eli, and said to him, The Lord saith these things, Whether I was not showed apertly to the house of thy father, when he was in Egypt, in the house of Pharaoh? (And a man of God came to Eli, and said to him, The Lord saith these things, Was I not openly showed to thy father's family, when they were in Egypt, in Pharaoh's house?)

1 Samuel 2:27 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 2:27

And there came a man of God unto Eli
A prophet, as the Targum; he had gifts and graces bestowed on him by the Lord, qualifying him for that office; he came from God, and spoke in his name, as prophets used to do: who this was is not said, nor can it be known with certainty; many conjectures are made; some think he might he Phinehas, as Ben Gersom and Abarbinel ^F1, which is not at all likely; it is not probable that he was living, for if he had been alive, Eli would not have been high priest; the more ancient Jews say ^F2 he was Elkanah, the father of Samuel; and so Jarchi; and he is said in the Targum on ( 1 Samuel 1:1 ) , to be one of the disciples of the prophets, and was reckoned by them among the two hundred prophets that prophesied in Israel ^F3; but of his prophecy we nowhere read in Scripture, or that he was one: other's ^F4 think he was Samuel himself, who through modesty conceals his name; but he was now a child, as in the preceding verse; indeed, some are of opinion that what follows is recorded in this chapter by way of anticipation, and properly belongs to, and is a part of the message sent from the Lord by Samuel to Eli, in the following chapter:

and said unto him, thus saith the Lord;
using the language prophets in later times did, who spake not of themselves, but in the name of the Lord; and from whence it appears that this was not a divine Person, the Son of God in human form, since he never used to speak in this manner when he appeared:

did I plainly appear to the house of thy father, when they were in
Egypt in Pharaoh's house?
he did; this was evident and certain, and a wonderful instance of condescending goodness: the house of his father is the house of Aaron, who, and all his sons, were born in Egypt, from whose youngest son, Ithamar, Eli descended; and to whom the Lord appeared when in Egypt, and sent him to meet Moses, whose spokesman he appointed him to be; and who prophesied in Egypt, and reproved the Israelites, which is recorded in ( Ezekiel 20:1-49 ) as say the Jews ^F5.

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FOOTNOTES:

F1 Judaei apud Hieron. Trad. Heb. in lib. Reg. fol. 75. A.
F2 Seder Olam Rabba, c. 20. p. 53.
F3 T. Bab. Megillah, fol. 14. 1.
F4 See Weemse's Christ. Synagog. l. 2. c. 3. p. 250.
F5 Jarchi & Ben Gersom in loc.

1 Samuel 2:27 In-Context

25 If a man sinneth against a man, God may be pleased to him by prayers and sacrifices; but if a man sinneth against the Lord, who shall pray for him? And they heard not the voice of their father, for God would slay them. (If a man sinneth against another man, God may make him appeased by prayers and sacrifices; but if a man sinneth against the Lord, who shall pray for him? But they would not listen to their father, for God had decided to kill them.)

26 Forsooth the child Samuel profited, and increased, and pleased both God and men. (And the boy Samuel grew, and learned, and pleased both God and men.)

27 Soothly a man of God came to Eli, and said to him, The Lord saith these things, Whether I was not showed apertly to the house of thy father, when he was in Egypt, in the house of Pharaoh? (And a man of God came to Eli, and said to him, The Lord saith these things, Was I not openly showed to thy father's family, when they were in Egypt, in Pharaoh's house?)

28 And I chose him of all the lineages of Israel to be a priest to me, that he should go up to mine altar, and should burn incense to me, and that he should bear before me a priest's cloak; and I gave to the house of thy father all things of the sacrifices of the sons of Israel. (And I chose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, so that he could go up to my altar, and burn incense to me, and that he would wear the ephod; and I gave to thy father's family all of the sacrifices of the Israelites.)

29 Why hast thou cast away with the heel my sacrifice, and my gifts, which I [have] commanded to be offered in the temple; and thou honouredest more thy sons than me, that ye eat the principal parts of each sacrifice of Israel my people? (Why hast thou kicked away my sacrifice, and my gifts, which I commanded to be offered in the Temple; and why hast thou honoured thy sons more than me, so that ye eat the principal, or the choicest, parts of each offering from my people Israel?)