1 Samuel 2:22–25
Eli rebukes his sons, but they do not listen to his voice
Study it word by word22Now Eli was very old, and he heard all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and that they were lying with the women who served at the entrance of the tent of meeting.
23And he said to them, “Why do you do things like these? For I hear of your evil deeds from all these people.
24No, my sons; for the report that I hear the people of YHWH spreading is not good.
25If a man sins against a man, Elohim will arbitrate for him; but if a man sins against YHWH, who will pray for him?” But they did not listen to the voice of their father, for YHWH wanted to put them to death.
In its context
20And Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, “May YHWH give you offspring from this woman in place of the petition that was asked for YHWH.” Then they would go to his home.
21Indeed, YHWH attended to Hannah, and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew up with YHWH.
…
26And the boy Samuel went on growing and being good both with YHWH and with men.
27A man of Elohim came to Eli and said to him, “Thus says YHWH: Did I not clearly reveal myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt, in the house of Pharaoh?
Its words in the original
- עֵלִיeli· Eli
Eli, priest at Shiloh who judged Israel forty years (1 Samuel 4:18); Samuel grew up with him.
- זָקֵןzaken· grow old
Grow old, be old.
- מְאֹדmeod· very, much
Very, greatly, exceedingly; a word that strengthens what goes with it. As a noun, strength, might.
- שָׁמַעshama· hear, listen, obey
Hear, listen. In the Bible listening truly includes paying heed; so it often means "obey". In the causative form, make heard, proclaim.
- יַעֲשׂוּyaasu· do, make
Do, make, in the widest sense: build, produce, carry out, keep (a command), prepare.
- בָּנָיbanay· son
Son. In the plural it can include sons and daughters, and also grandsons and descendants. "Son of..." also says what group someone belongs to ("sons of Israel" = Israelites).
- יִשְׂרָאֵלyisrael· Israel
Israel, the new name Jacob received from God, explained as "you have striven with God" (Genesis 32:28); then the name of the people that came from him and, after the division, of the northern kingdom.
- יִשְׁכְּבוּyishkvu· lie down
Lie down: to sleep, or for sexual relations ("lie with"). "Lie down with one's fathers" is to die.
- נָּשִׁיםnashim· woman, wife
Woman; with a possessive ("his woman"), wife. In Hebrew it is "ishah", which sounds like "ish", man.
- צֹּבְאוֹתtsovot· serve; wage war
Serve in a body and by turns; also go out to war.
- פֶּתַחpetach· entrance, door
Entrance, doorway, door, opening.
- אֹהֶלohel· tent
Tent: the dwelling of shepherds who move from place to place; also a home.
- מוֹעֵדmoed· appointed time, meeting
Time fixed in advance: an appointed date, a season of the year, a feast. Also the meeting held at that time and the place for it; hence "tent of meeting".
- יֹּאמֶרyomer· say
Say, speak. The most common verb for bringing in what someone says; sometimes "think" (say to oneself) or "command".
- דְּבָרִיםdevarim· word, matter, thing
Word; what is said. Also "matter" or "thing": what is spoken about, an affair, an event.
- רָעִיםraim· evil, bad, harm
Bad; evil. It includes what is morally wrong and also what does harm: misfortune, disaster, distress.
- עָםam· people
People: a human group joined by kinship, history and destiny. "My people", said by God, is Israel. Also the people as a crowd, or troops.
- טוֹבָהtova· good
Good in the widest sense: pleasant, beautiful, useful, right, of good quality. As a noun, "good", "good things", "well-being".
- שְּׁמֻעָהshemua· report, news
Report, news: what one hears said.
- מַעֲבִרִיםmaavirim· pass, cross over
Pass by, pass through, cross over; also go beyond, transgress (a command). In the causative form, make pass, bring across, take away.
- יְהוָהyehva· YHWH
The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.
- יֶחֱטָאyecheta· sin
Sin: miss the mark of what God asks, do wrong. In another form of the verb, "purify" from sin; also bear the loss.
- אִישׁish· man, husband, each
Man, male; with a possessive, husband. Also "each one", "anyone". It is "ish", distinct from "adam" (human being); it is used for the man in contrast with the woman ("ishah").
- פִלְלfill· pray
Pray, intercede: speak with God, often asking on behalf of another; also judge.
- אֱלֹהִיםelohim· Elohim, God, gods
The Hebrew word usually translated "God". This translation keeps "Elohim" when it speaks of the one true God, the Creator, the God of Israel. The word ends like a plural, but it does not mean several: for him the verb is singular ("Elohim created"); the plural form expresses greatness. The same word as a common noun names the "gods" of other peoples, and there it is a true plural, translated "gods". It is also used of mighty ones or judges.
- קוֹלkol· voice, sound
Voice or sound: what is heard, from a person, an animal or a thing (thunder, steps).
- אֲבִיavi· father
Father; also ancestor ("our fathers"), and the founder or head of a family or group.
- חָפֵץchafets· desire, delight in
Want, desire; be pleased with someone, delight in.
- הֲמִיתָhamita· die
Die. In the causative form, kill, put to death. Hebrew can repeat the verb for emphasis ("dying you will die" = "you will surely die").