The Skeptics Annotated Bible (259 page)

34 And
this shall be a sign unto thee, that
shall come upon
thy two sons
, on
Hophni and Phinehas
; in one day they
shall die
both of them.

(2.34)
“This shall be a sign unto thee, that … thy two sons … Hophni and Phinehas … shall die.”
God says he’ll kill Eli’s two sons as a sign to him. (Just to remind him of the nasty things he plans to do to him and his descendants to punish him for what his sons did.)

35 And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever.

36 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in thine house shall come and crouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priests’ offices, that I may eat a piece of bread.

3
And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision.

2 And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see;

3 And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep;

(3.4-10) A disembodied voice calls to the child Samuel three times. The first two times, Samuel thought it was Eli that called him. But Eli figured that the voice must be God’s. So the third time that God called, he was able to deliver his message to Samuel.

4 That
the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.

(3.4)
“The Lord called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.”

5 And
he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down.

(3.5)
“He ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down.”

6 And
the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again.

(3.6)
“The LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again.”

7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him.

8 And
the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child.

(3.8)
“The LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child.”

9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

10 And
the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.

(3.10)
“The LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.”

11 And
the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle.

(3.11)
“The LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle.”

12 In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end.

13 For I have told him that
I will judge his house for ever
for the iniquity which he knoweth;
because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.

(3.13)
“I will judge his
[Eli’s]
house for ever … because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.”
God will punish Eli’s descendants forever for the sins of Eli’s sons.
41 Are we punished for the sins of others?

14 And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever.

15 And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision.

16 Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here am I.

17 And he said, What is the thing that the LORD hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that he said unto thee.

18 And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said,
It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good.

(3.18)
“It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good.”
Samuel tells Eli that God will punish his descendants forever (3.13) and Eli says, “Okay, whatever God wants is fine with me.”