1 And Hannah prayed and said: “My heart rejoices in Yahweh; my horn is exalted in Yahweh. I smile at my enemies, because I rejoice in Your salvation. 2 No one is holy like Yahweh, for there is none besides You, nor is there any rock like our God. 3 Talk no more so very proudly; let no arrogance come from your mouth, for Yahweh is the God of knowledge; and by Him actions are weighed. 4 The bows of the mighty men are broken, and those who stumbled are girded with strength. 5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, and the hungry have ceased to hunger. Even the barren has borne seven, and she who has many children has become feeble. 6 Yahweh kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up. 7 Yahweh makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up. 8 He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the beggar from the ash heap, to set them among princes and make them inherit the throne of glory. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and He has set the world upon them. 9 He will guard the feet of His saints, but the wicked shall be silent in darkness. For by strength no man shall prevail. 10 The adversaries of Yahweh shall be broken in pieces; from heaven He will thunder against them. Yahweh will judge the ends of the earth. He will give strength to His king, and exalt the horn of His Anointed (Messiah).”
“Hannah, now so distinguished by her faith and prayer,... brought her devoted son, that she might pay her vows in Shiloh. The last time she bowed in the sanctuary of God, it was all weeping and tears, now it was all songs and rejoicing. Her horn being exalted above her enemy, she magnified the salvation of God, who has no equal in holiness and strength. She put to silence the tongue of the arrogant, and associated herself with the warriors and the princes…” (Jos. Sutcliffe) In contrast to her own condition, there is none holy as Yahweh God of Israel- "'Glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders.' [Exod. 15:11] This holy God is to be sanctified, [Isa. 5:16] and praised; [Matt. 6:9] yea, he 'will be sanctified in all that draw near unto him.' [Lev. 10:3]" (John Trapp)
To sanctify is to set apart. "And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. 'And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.' [Isa. 8:12] But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil." 1 Pet 3:13-17
“She had learned that God will humble people who view themselves as self-sufficient (1 Sam. 2:3-4), but He will help those who cast themselves on Him, asking Him to provide what they need (1 Sam.l 2:5-8).”
(Dr Thomas B. Constable) Yet: "Hannah was also a prophetess of the first class, besides predicting her own fruitfulness, 1 Samuel 2:5, (for she bore six children in all, 1 Sam. 2:21;), she foretold not only the more immediate judgments of God upon the Philistines during her son's administration, 1 Samuel 2:10, but his remoter judgments 'upon the ends of the earth,' 1 Samuel 2:10, in the true spirit of the prophecies of Jacob, Balaam, and Moses. Like them, she describes the promised Savior of the world as a King, before there was any king in Israel; and she first applied to him the remarkable epithet Messiah in Hebrew, Christ in Greek, and Anointed in English, which was adopted by David, Nathan, Ethan, Isaiah, Daniel, and the succeeding prophets of the Old Testament; and by the apostles and inspired writers of the New. And the allusion thereto by Zacharias, the father of the Baptist, in his hymn, Luke 1:69, where he calls Christ a 'horn of salvation,' and the beautiful imitation of it by the blessed Virgin throughout in her hymn, Luke 1:46-55, furnishing the finest commentary thereon, clearly prove that Hannah in her rejoicing had respect to something higher than Peninnah her rival, or to the triumphs of Samuel, or even of David himself; the expressions are too magnificent and sublime to be confined to such objects." (Dr. William Hales)
“He will guard the feet of His saints, but the wicked shall be silent in darkness. For by strength no man shall prevail. The adversaries of Yahweh shall be broken in pieces; from heaven He will thunder against them. Yahweh will judge the ends of the earth. He will give strength to His king, and exalt the horn of His Messiah.” (9-10) Herein is the Gospel. “Here for the first time, we meet with the title of the Lord Jesus, as the Anointed of the Father: one of the most lovely, and distinguishing characters of the Redeemer; the Messiah, that is, the sent, the Sealed, the Anointed. Reader! it is the peculiar joy, and triumph of the followers of the Lord Jesus, that He is the Christ of God. And what a sweet thought is it, that our Christ is God's Christ. Our chosen is God's chosen. Our Holy One, is God's Holy One. So that Jehovah, and the sinner here join issue, and meet together. Hannah certainly knew this, and under the full triumph of it, positively declares that the Lord will keep the feet of His saints. And if the feet, surely, the heart, the head. And well must they be kept, whom the Lord keeps. Oh! precious assurance, founded in a precious anointed Redeemer. But this is not all. While the Lord keeps His people, His, and their adversaries He will destroy. Jesus is our King, and all enemies shall he put under his feet. So that here is assurance, that the same Anointed Lord, will save His people, and utterly consume His foes. So let all thine enemies perish, O Lord! was the close of Deborah's song, as it is here prophesied in the close of Hannah's song: while them that love Him, shall be as the sun, when He goeth forth in His might. Judges 5:31.” (Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary)
"The learned rabbi, David Kimchi, was so struck with them [the expressions found herein] that he ingenuously confessed that 'the King of whom Hannah speaks is the Messiah,' of whom she spake either by prophecy or tradition; for, continues he, 'there was a tradition among the Israelites, that a great king should arise in Israel; and she seals up her song with celebrating this King who was to deliver them from all their enemies.' The tradition, as we have seen, was founded principally on Balaam's second and third prophecies, Numbers 24:7-17; and we cannot but admire that gracious dispensation of spiritual gifts to Hannah (whose name signifies grace) in ranking her among the prophets who should first unfold a leading title of the blessed Seed of the woman." (Dr. Wm. Hales)
11 Then Elkanah went to his house at Ramah. But the child ministered to Yahweh before Eli the priest. 12 Now the sons of Eli were corrupt; they did not know Yahweh.
Samuel was a Levite by birth, a Nazarite by the will of man, and a priest by the will of God. The priests were supposed to be replicating themselves and Samuel is a picture of this. “And Moses went up to God, and Yahweh called to him from the mountain, saying, ‘Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.” (Exodus19:3-6) But Peter explained to some who had trusted in Jesus, “they stumble, being disobedient to the Word, to which they also were appointed. But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. (1 Peter 2:8-10)
“The child did minister. Left by his parents at Shiloh, Samuel ministered unto the Lord; that is, certain duties were allotted him to perform suited to his age; but few at first, when he was but three years old, but increasing in importance as time went on; for the words refer to the whole period of his service, until Eli's death. At first Samuel would be but a scholar, for, as we have mentioned on 1 Samuel 1:21, there were, no doubt, regulations for the training of children devoted to the service of the sanctuary. The peculiarity about Samuel was that he was devoted for life, for possibly it was a not uncommon practice for young persons to receive some training at Shiloh; just as we find that Samuel himself subsequently gathered youths round him at Naioth in Ramah for educational purposes. Learning practically was confined to the priesthood, and we can scarcely imagine that the knowledge which Phinehas and the family of Aaron brought with them out of Egypt would be allowed to perish. Samuel certainly had himself received careful instruction (1 Sam. 10:25), and this could scarcely have happened if the training of young persons had not been part of the priests' duties at Shiloh. This then explains why Samuel was brought to Eli at so tender an age, and why the charge of so young a child was undertaken without a murmur.” (The Pulpit Commentaries)
The sons of Eli were of the priestly line and actually served as such, but they were sons of Belial; they knew not Jehovah. "They had no experimental and practical knowledge of His justice or mercy, of His holiness or grace, of His power, or love, or faithfulness; no saving acquaintance with His divine perfections, or with the relations in which He stands to His people; they neither honoured, loved, nor served him.” (Joseph Benson) Concerning their deeds— "They committed sacrilege; they committed adulteries on a notorious scale; they despised their father, and all judicial reproof; they filled up their measure, and sinned unto death." (Joseph Sutcliffe) Yet, "they ministered in the outward things of the sanctuary. It could result only in the worst corruption. They handled holy things and were wicked in heart and life. It has been well said 'a holiness that is but external is the worst unholiness.'" (Arno Gaebelein)
"And when a man stands up to minister in holy things, and by virtue of his office is supposed to know the Lord, yet really does not, he stands, not only in a position of the utmost guilt, but also in a position in which he is never likely to get a blessing. He seems to be beyond the reach of the ordinary agencies of mercy, because he has assumed a position to which he has no right." (C. H. Spurgeon) "What an awful account doth the Lord himself give of all such ministers, in the day of judgment? See Matthew 7:22-23.” (Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary)
Observe “how the piety of Samuel and the wickedness of Eli’s sons are mentioned in immediate connexion with each other, as if to call attention to the contrast, and to show how the saintliness of the one and the worthlessness of the others were developed in the midst of holy ministrations. To the one the sacred services were a savour of life unto life, to the others of death unto death. Hophni and Phinehas waxed great in wickedness, while Samuel grew in favour both with Jehovah and with men.” (Whedon’s Commentary)
13 And the priests’ custom with the people was that when any man offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged fleshhook in his hand while the meat was boiling. 14 Then he would thrust it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; and the priest would take for himself all that the fleshhook brought up. So they did in Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there. 15 Also, before they burned the fat, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who sacrificed,
“Give meat for roasting to the priest, for he will not take boiled meat from you, but raw.”
See Leviticus 7:29-34 for the Law of the peace offering, but the customs of perverted men prevailed in that day in which kings and prophet were about to rule in Israel. "And the priests' 'custom' with the people," "that is to say, the custom or practice introduced under these robber-priests, who were not content with the modest share of the offerings assigned to them by the Law of Moses." (Poole) — "was that when any man offered a sacrifice,”— “that is, when a peace-offering was brought..." (Clarke) etc.
According to the Law: “The fat with the breast he shall bring, that the breast may be waved as a wave offering before the Lord. And the priest shall burn the fat on the altar, but the breast shall be Aaron’s and his sons’. Also the right thigh you shall give to the priest as a heave offering from the sacrifices of your peace offerings.” (Leviticus 7:30b-32)
But these two physical sons of Eli took no notice of the Law. Instead of simply accepting their portions, “whenever a sacrifice was offered they sent their servant with a three pronged fork, and when the flesh that had been taken off the sacrifice was still boiling, in went the fork, and whatever came out was claimed by the priests... This was what Shiloh had come to under their priesthood. A place of daylight robbery." (Peter Pett) This was supposed to be a free-will offering by the worshipper. “‘His own hands shall bring.’ (Levi.7:30a)—This act the owner himself was to perform, and it was not to be deputed to any one else.” (C. J. Ellicott) These priests would come and take what they desired of the offering in the middle of a sacred act, thereby spoiling the moment. They ought to have been content to have been robbed of the people, being content with the ample portion provided by God for them. “Thee greed of these young men prostituted holy things.” (C. H. Spurgeon)
Moreover “before they burned the fat, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who sacrificed,
'Give meat for roasting to the priest, for he will not take boiled meat from you, but raw.'” So "here the priests got tired of boiled meat and so they devised another plan in order to satisfy themselves. This second breach of the Law was even more flagrant than the first. They actually demanded that they be given the raw flesh before the fat, which had to be given to Yahweh, had been [removed and] burnt." (Peter Pett)
The fat was to be burnt by the priest on the altar as an offering to Yahweh. And the priests were to receive their portion and the people theirs, according to the Law. "In all these strange rites and ceremonies there was a higher symbolism involved. [They ought to have been concerned with conveying that meaning to the offerer. But the fat tasted good to them and they wanted what they deemed to be the better portion, even robbing the Lord of His offering, even the teaching of the flock.] This was ruthlessly set at nought and trampled on by these reckless, covetous guardians of the worship of Israel."(Matthew Poole)
16 And if the man said to him, “They should really burn the fat first; then you may take as much as your heart desires,” he would then answer him, “No, but you must give it now; and if not, I will take it by force.” 17 Therefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord, for men abhorred the offering of the Lord.
They would not receive correction. "Thus the two priests and their servants blatantly insulted Yahweh by ignoring all His requirements, taking advantage of their privileged position... The whole sacrificial system was being brought into disrepute because of the scandalous behaviour of these two priests." (Peter Pett) "They not only grieved God, but they also grieved his people so much that they ceased to come where their consciences were wounded, and where their tenderest sensibilities were perpetually shocked." (C. H. Spurgeon)
The people were asked to give an offering but there was no teaching. “My people perish for lack of knowledge.” Is this not the condition of many mainstream churches!? “Thus the people stayed away from the churches, “which yet was a great sin in them so to do, [1 Sam. 2:24] like as it is in those now-a-days that separate from our churches because of the ill lives of some of our ministers. [Find a Bible teaching church and serve!] It is a true saying of a reverend divine, ‘The garden may be watered through a wooden gutter; the sun give comfortable light through a sluttish window; the field may be well sowed through a dirty hand; the bell call us to church, though it never enter itself but by the sound; the well may yield excellent water, though it have much mud: so may wicked ministers perform the true service of Christ,’ etc.” (John Trapp)
“Alas! alas! what a wretched mind must these young men have possessed, by which their sin was not only great before the Lord, but even the minds of the people were led away thereby to abhor the offering of the Lord. I would have the Reader observe, how the Lord speaks of such awful characters. —'But you have departed from the way; you have caused many to stumble at the law. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi,' days Yahweh of hosts. 'Therefore I also have made you contemptible and base before all the people, because you have not kept My ways but have shown partiality in the law.' (Malachi 2:8-9)— (Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary)
18 But Samuel ministered before the Lord, even as a child, wearing a linen ephod. 19 Moreover his mother used to make him a little robe, and bring it to him year by year when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.
"But Samuel ministered before the Lord, even as a child, girded with a linen ephod" etc. "A striking contrast is intended to be drawn here between the covetous, self-seeking ministrations of the worldly priests and the quiet service of the boy devoted by his pious mother and father to the sanctuary service... This ephod was an official garment, and consisted of two pieces, which rested on the shoulders in front and behind, and were joined at the top, and fastened about the body with a girdle." (Ellicott) "girded with a linen ephod,"— "a garment for the shoulders patterned after the ephod of the high priest, worn by all priests as a sign of their calling." (Kretzmann)
"From infancy the Lord apparently raised him to the rank of priest and prince. What other levite ever wore an ephod? David wore it, for the day, when he danced before the ark. 2 Samuel 6:14..." (Sutcliffe)— when he moved the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem, called the City of David.
"Moreover his mother used to make him 'a little robe,'" literally "a little coat" which "was, no doubt, closely resembling in shape the m’il, or robe worn apparently by the high priest, only the little m’il of Samuel was without the costly symbolical ornaments attached to the high priestly robe.
This strange, unusual dress was, no doubt, arranged for the boy by his protector and guardian, Eli, who looked on the child as destined for some great work in connection with the life of the chosen people. Not improbably the old man, too, well aware of the character of his own sons, hoped to train up the favoured child—whose connection with himself and the sanctuary had begun in so remarkable a manner—as his successor in the chief sacred and civil office in Israel." (C. J. Ellicott)
"The priestly clothing of the youthful Samuel was in harmony with the spiritual relation in which he stood to the high priest and to Jehovah." (Keil & Delitzsch Commentary) "What a charming picture he must have been in his little ephod and the little robe finished by his loving mother! Upon him a mere child, so innocent and simple, the white linen robe had been bestowed. Everything else in Shiloh was corrupted." (Gaebelein)
Samuel was preparing to speak the Word to the nation of Israel, as prophet, like unto Moses. His mother would make him a new coat during the year, thus kindling her love for him, and bring it to him yearly at Passover when they came to make the yearly sacrifice in remembrance of their ancestors' deliverance from captivity. The children of Israel were destined for deliverance by the hand of her son, as well as a Greater son of the tribe of Judah, of Whom the paschal lamb was but a type.
20 And Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and say, “The LORD give you descendants from this woman for the loan that was given to the LORD .” Then they would go to their own home. 21 And the LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile the child Samuel grew before the LORD.
“And Eli would blessed Elkanah and his wife,” etc. "not only the first time they brought Samuel to him, and left him with him; but every year they came to worship, as the Jewish commentators mostly interpret it: and say, 'the Lord give thee seed of this woman." (Gill) These blessings "like that which he had formerly pronounced, had a prophetic virtue, which ere long appeared in the increase..." (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown) "As their superior, and God’s high priest, Eli blessed them in God’s name, and they received His blessing by faith, which made it effectual." (Poole)
Literally “Yahweh give you seed," etc. "Hannah had not asked simply for a son, but for a son whom she might dedicate to God. And now Eli prays that Jehovah will give her children to be her own." (Pulpit Commentary) You get the sense that the child is no longer even reckoned unto them as seed, concerning the promise of seed for preserving their name. ”May Jehovah establish unto thee a seed from this woman in the place of the one asked for,' that is, Samuel, which was asked for of Jehovah, by both Elkanah and Hannah.” (Daniel Whedon) They "sowed a child to the Lord and reaped five-fold from the Lord in the same area." (Gary H. Everett) This is not about stewardship but rather about the consecrated life.
"Meanwhile the child Samuel grew" etc. "Not only in age and stature, but especially in wisdom and goodness. 'Before the Lord' — Not only before men, who might easily be deceived, but in the presence and judgment of the all-seeing God." (Joseph Benson) Samuel consecrated himself. The parents planted, Eli watered but God granted the increase (cp 1 Cor. 3:6-7). "Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor." (1 Cor. 3:8)
Where there is obedience to Law, there will be growth. "But be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect Law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does." (James 1:22-25)
"'A painted flower keepeth always at the same pitch and stature; the artist may bestow beauty upon it, but he cannot bestow life. A painted child will be as little ten years hence as it is now.' What need there is to observe the wide distinction between the picture and the living thing! Of painted likenesses of Christians we have more than enough; nor is the manufacture of portraits a difficult operation:
what we want is the real thing and not the artistic imitation. Manton saith well that growth is the test. Many professors must be forever beginning again: they stick where they were, or thought they were. They were anxious about their souls, and are so still." (C. H. Surgeon)
Let Jesus wash you! (John 13:8) Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus (Acts 2:38)— that “antitype which now saves us… the answer of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.” (1 Pet. 3:22)
22 Now Eli was very old; and he heard everything his sons did to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. 23 So he said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all the people. 24 No, my sons! For it is not a good report that I hear. You make the LORD’s’ people transgress. 25 If one man sins against another, God will judge him. But if a man sins against the LORD , who will intercede for him?” Nevertheless they did not heed the voice of their father, because the LORD desired to kill them.
"While Samuel was growing and developing, Eli’s sons were shrivelling and disintegrating [— perishing]. By this time Eli was an old man. His time as Priest was coming to an end. And while Samuel cheered his godly heart continually, the news that he heard about his two sons grieved him greatly. Indeed it had become so serious that he determined to give them a severe warning." (Peter Pett) Not only did they take what they desired of the holy sacrifices, we learn here that they sinned and caused the women who approached the doors of the tabernacle for reconciliation to sin. The charge is that they indulged their sexual desires with the "women that assembled"— those seeking Yahweh God of Israel. “The sin of these priests, therefore, was 'exceeding sinful': for that being of a sacred calling, and wearing white ephods, they should in so sacred a place commit such villany with religious [minded] women." (John Trapp)
They went to the door of the tabernacle seeking sexual relations for themselves rather than to administer their office of reconciliation of man with Yahweh. At the door, they were supposed to begin instructing those coming to God with the offerings, trying to help them understand the intended meaning of the particular sacrifice being offered.
“Now it should be recollected that sacrifices were the instituted means of reconciliation with God: there was no other way in which any offence, whether ceremonial or moral, could be purged, but by the offering of the appointed sacrifice before the door of the tabernacle: without shedding of blood there was to be no remission [Heb. 9:22.]
It should be remembered further, that these sacrifices were typical of the great sacrifice which Christ was in due time to offer upon the cross. The whole Epistle to the Hebrews was written to establish and illustrate this point. ‘The blood of bulls and of goats could never take away sin:’ they had no efficacy at all, but as they typified him who was to ‘appear in this last dispensation to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself [Heb. 9:25-26; 10:1, 4, 14].’” (Charles Simeon)
“‘If one man sin against another’— literally ‘if man sins against man' — the judge shall judge him" etc. In the Hebrew, it reads “‘God will judge him’; that is, by the properly constituted authorities, the priests, Levites, and judges. See Deuteronomy 17:8-13. Eli himself was such a judge, and intimates to his sons that in sins of man against man he might hear testimony and decide, and in rendering his judgment be partial and kind to the offender." (Daniel Whedon)
"But if a man sins against Yahweh, who will intercede for him?" All sin is against God but “there are some sins that are more immediately and particularly against God, as sins against the first table of the law, which relate to the worship of God..." (John Gill)
Who will intercede for these blasphemous priests who not only blatantly lead other down a dark path, but forsake the sacred office of teachers of and intercessors for the people? Surely they knew the truth, but would not walk in it. “What a sweet verse is this, abstracted from the family of Eli, and applied to the case of Christians in general.
Who shall entreat for the sinner? I answer, Jesus; for so saith John, 'If any man sin we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous, and he is the propitiation for our sins.' Precious Redeemer! thou art both our Advocate and Propitiation; our Judge and Saviour." (Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary) Lord, have mercy on me! I am the man!
"Nevertheless they did not heed the voice of their father, because Yahweh desired to kill them." "'They hearkened not,' etc., 'because the Lord would slay them' — Or, as the Hebrew may be rendered, 'Therefore the Lord would slay them.' The sense, however, according to the common translation, is Scriptural and good. They had disregarded many admonitions, which, no doubt, their father had given them; they had now hardened their hearts, and sinned away their day of grace, and therefore God had given them up to a reprobate mind, and determined to destroy them, 2 Chronicles 25:16- Then the prophet ceased, and said, ‘I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not heeded my advice.'" (Joseph Benson) These were appointed to be destroyed by hell-fire at the end of this age.
There seems to be a point “when the Spirit of the Eternal ceases to plead; then the man is left to himself, and he feels no longer any remorse for evil done; this is spoken of in Exodus 4:21 as 'hardening the heart.' This period in the life of Hophni and Phinehas apparently had been reached when the Lord resolved to slay them." (C. J. Ellicott) “Their contempt of reproof... filled up the measure of their iniquities, and exposed them to inevitable judgment. 'He that hateth reproof shall die' (Proverbs 15:10)." (The Pulpit Commentary)
It is highly likely that they had committed the unpardonable sin— blasphemy against the Holy Ghost (Mark 3:29). But it must be noted that there are “instances in which promised doom was averted by repentance...1) Jonah's prediction that Nineveh would be destroyed was not fulfilled (Jonah 3:4,10), even though his prophecy of doom was not qualified by any stated conditions. 2) God's prophecies of Jerusalem's destruction in the days of Hezekiah were not fulfilled when the people repented (Jer, 26:18,19). 3) Isaiah's prophecy that Hezekiah would soon die of his present sickness was not fulfilled (2 Kings 20:1-6).” (Conditionalism, Tim Cosby) Only God knows if this was possible.
26 And the child Samuel grew in stature, and in favor both with the LORD and men.
“While Eli’s sons have totally deteriorated, and have come under the condemnation of both YHWH and men. Samuel continues to ‘grow on’. He is doing the exact opposite. He is increasing in favour both with YHWH and with men. Happy the one of whom this can be said.” (Peter Pett)
Samuel grew in stature, in importance in the Jewish economy. And he grew in favor with Yahweh; He was with him in all that he did. And he also grew in favor with men — "This was a great mercy to him, [as it was before with father Abraham and] as it was afterwards to David, that ‘whatsoever he did pleased the people’” (John Trapp)— the remnant of Israel.
"The very expressions of the biographer of Samuel were adopted by St. Luke when, in the early chapters of his Gospel, he wishes to describe in a few striking words the boyhood and youth of Him who was far greater than the child-prophet of Israel.” (Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers)
“When one minister prevaricates, God presently raises up another, so that he never abandons his Church.” (Haydock's Catholic Commentary)
2:27 Then a man of God came to Eli and said to him, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Did I not clearly reveal Myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh’s house? 28 Did I not choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be My priest, to offer upon My altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod before Me? And did I not give to the house of your father all the offerings of the children of Israel made by fire? 29 Why do you kick at My sacrifice and My offering which I have commanded in My dwelling place, and honor your sons more than Me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel My people?’ 30 Therefore the LORD God of Israel says: ‘I said indeed that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever.’ But now the LORD says: ‘Far be it from Me; for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed. 31 Behold, the days are coming that I will cut off your arm and the arm of your father’s house, so that there will not be an old man in your house. 32 And you will see an enemy in My dwelling place, despite all the good which God does for Israel. And there shall not be an old man in your house forever. 33 But any of your men whom I do not cut off from My altar shall consume your eyes and grieve your heart. And all the descendants of your house shall die in the flower of their age. 34 Now this shall be a sign to you that will come upon your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they shall die, both of them. 35 Then I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who shall do according to what is in My heart and in My mind. I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before My anointed forever. 36 And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and say, “Please, put me in one of the priestly positions, that I may eat a piece of bread.”’”
Perhaps this man is of the mysterious Melchesedic line of whence Christ came. “Always at special times of need a ‘man of God’ appears. In this case there comes an anonymous ‘man of God’ to Eli. He may well, of course, have been known to Eli, but like a number of ‘men of God’ in Samuel and Kings he is not made known to us. He is one of God’s anonymous witnesses. He is, however, important nonetheless, and his message is even more important, for he has come to signal the demise of Eli’s house” (Peter Pett) “The specific criticism that the man of God (a prophet, cf. 1 Samuel 9:9-10) directed against Eli and his sons was two-fold. They had not appreciated God’s grace extended to them in the Exodus deliverance nor the opportunity to serve Him as priests (1 Samuel 2:27-29)…. It is a serious matter to undervalue the grace of God. God had initiated blessing, but they had not responded appropriately, namely, with gratitude, trust, and obedience.” (Dr. Thomas Constable)
“As a priest or interpreter of the holy is the noblest and highest of all men, so is a sham priest the falsest and basest;…” (T. Carlyle)
“Therefore Yahweh God of Israel says: ‘I said indeed that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever.’ But now Yahweh says: ‘Far be it from Me; for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.’” (30)
"See Exodus 29:9; 40:15; Numbers 25:10-13, where it is positively promised that the priesthood should be continued in the family of Aaron forever. But although this promise appears to be absolute, yet we plainly see that, like all other apparently absolute promises of God, it is conditional, i.e., a condition is implied though not expressed. 'But now the LORD says: ‘Far be it from Me- You have walked unworthily; I shall annul my promise, and reverse my ordinance. See Jeremiah 18:9-10— 'And the instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it, if it does evil in My sight so that it does not obey My voice, then I will relent concerning the good with which I said I would benefit it.' 'For them that honor Me will I honor’ etc. — This is a plan from which God will never depart; this can have no alteration; every promise is made in reference to it; 'they who honor God shall be honored; they who despise him shall be lightly esteemed.'" (Adam Clarke)
“Behold, the days are coming that I will cut off your arm,” perhaps his firstborn, as in Israel’s firstborn, the first sign of his “strength, excelling in honor, excelling in power” (Gen. 49:3) and subsequent seed in Israel. “The arm is the usual metaphor for strength. As Eli had preferred the exaltation of his sons to God's honour, he is condemned to see the strength of his house broken.— ‘and the arm of your father’s house’— Nay, more; there is not to be an ‘old man in his house.’ The young men full of energy and vigour perish by the sword; the survivors fade away by disease… The prophecy was amply fulfilled in the slaughter of Eli's house, first at Shiloh [by the Philistines], and then at Nob by Doeg the Edomite at the command of Saul.” (The Pulpit Commentary)
“Now this shall be a sign to you“ etc. "These are awful denunciations, and are accompanied both with an awful signs and commencement of the threatened visitation. To lose both sons in one day; and that Eli himself should be the witness of this visitation, is a proof that all the other threatened evils would in their season surely come. See 1 Samuel 4:17.” (Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary)
He saw the sign and: “Then it happened, when he made mention of the ark of God, that Eli fell off the seat backward by the side of the gate; and his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.” (1 Samuel 4:18) The ark of the covenant “had solemn significance as the container of God's ‘testimony’ and as the pledge of his presence. [He was withdrawing that pledged and He]… allowed it to be captured by the uncircumcised Philistines (1 Samuel 4:11) and inflicted defeat on Israel and death on the house of the high priest Eli (1 Samuel 4:13-22).” (William Tyndale)
Then followed the cutting off of the arm of his father’s house—> “Only Abiathar escaped when the priestly families at Nob were massacred at the instigation of King Saul. The priests of Nob had given food and Goliath's sword to David during his escape from the wrath of Saul, thus earning Saul's hatred (1 Sm 21-22). [These died justified.] When Abiathar joined David he brought the ephod, which David then used in determining the will of God (1 Samul 23:6, 9-11; 30:7-8). Abiathar was one of the first persons from Saul's administration to support David. His support was formidable because he represented the priesthood of the old tribal league of the line of Eli.
[BUT] During the last days of David's kingship, his sons struggled for the throne. The two major rivals were Adonijah and Solomon. Abiathar the high priest supported Adonijah's claim to the throne, probably because Adonijah was David's oldest living heir and because David's general Joab, one of the strongest men in the kingdom, supported Adonijah 1 Kgs 1:5-7).” (William Tyndale) Yet the election of the next king was not by ”the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:13)
Solomon was anointed as heir. “Then”— eventually—says Yahweh “I will raise up for Myself a faithful Priest who shall do according to what is in My heart and in My mind. I will build Him a sure house, and He shall walk before My anointed forever.” “Christ is that merciful and faithful High Priest, whom God raised up when the Levitical priesthood was thrown off [ in 70 AD]" (Matthew Henry) “And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left in your house will come and bow down to Him," “as Abiathar did, that officiperda, when banished to Anathoth, where he had not a maintenance [1 Kings 2:26]… saying 'Please, put me in one of the priestly positions, that I may eat...' (Trapp) Many such priest preach the gospel that they may make a living out of it, having never been called to the office. This is the remnant of the house of Eli.