1 Samuel 2:35

35 And I shall raise to me a faithful priest, that shall do by mine heart and my soul; and I shall build to him a faithful house, and he shall go before my Christ in all days. (And I shall raise up a faithful priest for me, one who shall do according to my heart and my soul; and I shall build him a faithful family, and he shall go before my anointed king in all his days.)

1 Samuel 2:35 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 2:35

And I will raise up a faithful priest
Not Samuel, as some, for he was not of the seed of Aaron, and of the priestly race; nor had he a sure house, for his sons declined from the ways of truth and justice; but Zadok, as it is commonly interpreted, who was put into the office of the high priest by Solomon when he came to the throne, in the room of Abiathar, of the line of Eli; who was an upright man, and faithfully discharged his office, and answered to his name, which signifies righteous, see ( Ezekiel 44:15 ) that shall do according to that which is in my heart, and in my mind: according to the secret will and pleasure of God, as revealed in his word; do everything relating to the office of an high priest, according to the laws of God respecting it; so the Targum,

``that shall do according to my word, and according to my will:''

and I will build him a sure house;
which some understand of a numerous family and posterity he should have to succeed him, so that there should never be wanting one of his seed to fill up that high office; or rather it may design the establishment of the high priesthood in his family, which was an everlasting one, as promised to Phinehas his ancestor, and which continued unto the times of the Messiah, who put an end to it, by fulfilling it; unless it can be thought that this may refer to the temple built by Solomon, which was a firm house, in comparison of the tabernacle, which was a movable one; it was built for Zadok and his posterity, who was the first that officiated in it as a legal priest. There is one writer, who says ^F13,

``this agrees with no man, only with our Lord Jesus, who is called our high priest, that offered up a sacrifice to the Father for us therefore to Christ properly this prophecy belongs; but, according to the history; to Zadok:''

and Christ is said indeed to be a faithful, as well as a merciful high priest, faithful to him that appointed him, and faithful to those for whom he officiated; he always did the things which pleased his Father, was obedient to his will and commands in all respects; and a sure house is built by him, his church, against which the gates of hell can never prevail: however, the next clause is by others interpreted of him,

and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever;
or "before my Messiah", as the high priests did; they were types of Christ, and represented him, and acted under him, and in his stead, and prefigured and pointed at what he was to do, when he came in the flesh, and now does in the most holy place in heaven. Though it is more commonly understood of Zadok and his posterity, walking or ministering, as the Targum, before Solomon the Lord's anointed, and before the kings of the house of David, as they did until the Babylonish captivity.

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FOOTNOTES:

F13 Procopius Gazaeus in loc.

1 Samuel 2:35 In-Context

33 Nevertheless I shall not utterly take away of thee a man from mine altar, but that thine eyes fail, and thy soul fail/and thy life languish; and a great part of thine house shall die, when it shall come to man's age. (And I shall not utterly take away all of thy men from my altar, but he who is left, his eyes shall fail, and his soul shall fail/and his life shall languish; and a great part of thy family shall die, when they come to a man's age.)

34 Forsooth this shall be [the] sign, that shall come to thy two sons, Hophni and Phinehas; both they shall die in one day (they shall both die on the same day).

35 And I shall raise to me a faithful priest, that shall do by mine heart and my soul; and I shall build to him a faithful house, and he shall go before my Christ in all days. (And I shall raise up a faithful priest for me, one who shall do according to my heart and my soul; and I shall build him a faithful family, and he shall go before my anointed king in all his days.)

36 Forsooth it shall come, that whoever [still] dwelleth in thine house, that he come to bow for himself, in an half-penny of silver, and a cake of bread, and say, I beseech, suffer thou me to one part of the priest(s?) (offices), that I eat a morsel of bread. (And it shall come, that whoever still remaineth in thy family, he shall come to beg for himself, for a half-penny of silver, and for a cake of bread, and he shall say, I beseech thee, allow me to hold one of the priests? offices, so that I can get a morsel of bread to eat.)