Behold, the days come that I will cut off your arm and the arm of your father’s house, that there will not be an old man in your house. You will see the affliction of my habitation, in all the wealth which I will give Israel. There shall not be an old man in your house forever. The man of yours whom I don’t cut off from my altar will consume your eyes and grieve your heart. All the increase of your house will die in the flower of their age. This will be the sign to you that will come on your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they will both die. I will raise up a faithful priest for myself who will do according to that which is in my heart and in my mind. I will build him a sure house. He will walk before my anointed forever.
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1 Samuel 2:31-35 sits inside this longer paragraph.
A man of God came to Eli and said to him, “Yahweh says, ‘Did I reveal myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt in bondage to Pharaoh’s house? Didn’t I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? Didn’t I give to the house of your father all the offerings of the children of Israel made by fire? Why do you kick at my sacrifice and at my offering, which I have commanded in my habitation, and honor your sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel my people?’ “Therefore Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, ‘I said indeed that your house and the house of your father should 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 will be cursed. Behold, the days come that I will cut off your arm and the arm of your father’s house, that there will not be an old man in your house. You will see the affliction of my habitation, in all the wealth which I will give Israel. There shall not be an old man in your house forever. The man of yours whom I don’t cut off from my altar will consume your eyes and grieve your heart. All the increase of your house will die in the flower of their age. This will be the sign to you that will come on your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they will both die. I will raise up a faithful priest for myself who will do according to that which is in my heart and in my mind. I will build him a sure house. He will walk before my anointed forever. It will happen that everyone who is left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread, and will say, “Please put me into one of the priests’ offices, that I may eat a morsel of bread.” ’ ”
Parallel Translations
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Behold, the days come that I will cut off your arm and the arm of your father’s house, that there will not be an old man in your house.
You will see the affliction of my habitation, in all the wealth which I will give Israel. There shall not be an old man in your house forever.
The man of yours whom I don’t cut off from my altar will consume your eyes and grieve your heart. All the increase of your house will die in the flower of their age.
This will be the sign to you that will come on your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they will both die.
I will raise up a faithful priest for myself who will do according to that which is in my heart and in my mind. I will build him a sure house. He will walk before my anointed forever.
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Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father’s house, that there shall not be an old man in thine house.
And thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel: and there shall not be an old man in thine house for ever.
And the man of thine, whom I shall not cut off from mine altar, shall be to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thine heart: and all the increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age.
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.
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.
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Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father's house, that there shall not be an old man in thy house.
And thou shalt behold a rival in My habitation, in all the good which shall be done to Israel; and there shall not be an old man in thy house for ever.
Yet will I not cut off every man of thine from Mine altar, to make thine eyes to fail, and thy heart to languish; and all the increase of thy house shall die young men.
And this shall be the sign unto thee, that which shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they shall die both of them.
And I will raise Me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in My heart and in My mind; and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before Mine anointed for ever.
Cross-references (45)
- 2 Samuel 7:27 (v35) For you, Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, have revealed to your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house.’ Therefore your servant has…
- 2 Samuel 7:11 (v35) and as from the day that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel. I will cause you to rest from all your enemies. Moreover Yahweh…
- 1 Kings 11:38 (v35) It shall be, if you will listen to all that I command you, and will walk in my ways, and do that which is right in my eyes, to keep my…
- 1 Samuel 4:11 (vv32, 34) God’s ark was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.
- 1 Samuel 25:28 (v35) Please forgive the trespass of your servant. For Yahweh will certainly make my lord a sure house, because my lord fights Yahweh’s battles.…
Show all 41 cross-references
- 1 Kings 13:3 (v34) He gave a sign the same day, saying, “This is the sign which Yahweh has spoken: Behold, the altar will be split apart, and the ashes that…
- Zechariah 8:4 (v32) Yahweh of Armies says: “Old men and old women will again dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, every man with his staff in his hand for very…
- 1 Samuel 4:17 (v34) He who brought the news answered, “Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has been also a great slaughter among the people. Your…
- 1 Samuel 22:17-20 (v31) The king said to the guard who stood about him, “Turn, and kill the priests of Yahweh; because their hand also is with David, and because…
- 1 Kings 2:26-27 (vv31–33) To Abiathar the priest the king said, “Go to Anathoth, to your own fields; for you are worthy of death. But I will not at this time put you…
- Psalms 18:50 (v35) He gives great deliverance to his king, and shows loving kindness to his anointed, to David and to his offspring, forever more.
- Psalms 78:59-64 (v32) When God heard this, he was angry, and greatly abhorred Israel, so that he abandoned the tent of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among…
- Hebrews 7:26-28 (v35) For such a high priest was fitting for us: holy, guiltless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; who…
- 1 Kings 2:35 (vv31, 35) The king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his place over the army; and the king put Zadok the priest in the place of Abiathar.
- 1 Samuel 3:12 (v34) In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from the beginning even to the end.
- 1 Samuel 4:2 (v31) The Philistines put themselves in array against Israel. When they joined battle, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about…
- 1 Samuel 4:4 (v32) So the people sent to Shiloh, and they brought from there the ark of the covenant of Yahweh of Armies, who sits above the cherubim; and the…
- 1 Samuel 4:11-20 (v31) God’s ark was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain. A man of Benjamin ran out of the army and came to Shiloh the…
- 1 Samuel 4:22 (v32) She said, “The glory has departed from Israel; for God’s ark has been taken.”
- 1 Samuel 12:3 (v35) Here I am. Witness against me before Yahweh, and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I…
- 1 Samuel 14:3 (v31) including Ahijah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the priest of Yahweh in Shiloh, wearing an…
- 1 Samuel 16:13 (v35) Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the middle of his brothers. Then Yahweh’s Spirit came mightily on David from that day…
- 1 Samuel 22:21-23 (v33) Abiathar told David that Saul had slain Yahweh’s priests. David said to Abiathar, “I knew on that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there,…
- 1 Kings 1:7 (v33) He conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest; and they followed Adonijah and helped him.
- 1 Kings 1:8 (v35) But Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and the mighty men who belonged to David, were not with…
- 1 Kings 1:19 (v33) He has slain cattle and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and has called all the sons of the king, Abiathar the priest, and Joab the captain…
- 1 Kings 1:45 (v35) Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon. They have come up from there rejoicing, so that the city rang…
- 1 Kings 14:12 (v34) Arise therefore, and go to your house. When your feet enter into the city, the child will die.
- 1 Chronicles 6:8-15 (v35) Ahitub became the father of Zadok. Zadok became the father of Ahimaaz. Ahimaaz became the father of Azariah. Azariah became the father of…
- 1 Chronicles 29:22 (v35) and ate and drank before Yahweh on that day with great gladness. They made Solomon the son of David king the second time, and anointed him…
- Nehemiah 12:10-11 (v35) Jeshua became the father of Joiakim, and Joiakim became the father of Eliashib, and Eliashib became the father of Joiada, and Joiada became…
- Job 22:9 (v31) You have sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
- Psalms 37:17 (v31) For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but Yahweh upholds the righteous.
- Ezekiel 30:21-24 (v31) “Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Behold, it has not been bound up, to apply medicines, to put a bandage to bind…
- Ezekiel 44:10 (v31) “ ‘ “But the Levites who went far from me, when Israel went astray, who went astray from me after their idols, they will bear their…
- Hebrews 2:17 (v35) Therefore he was obligated in all things to be made like his brothers, that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things…
- Numbers 25:13 (v35) It shall be to him, and to his offspring after him, the covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was jealous for his God, and made…
- Psalms 2:2 (v35) The kings of the earth take a stand, and the rulers take counsel together, against Yahweh, and against his Anointed, saying,
- Ezekiel 34:23 (v35) I will set up one shepherd over them, and he will feed them, even my servant David. He will feed them, and he will be their shepherd.
- Ezekiel 44:15-16 (v35) “ ‘ “But the Levitical priests, the sons of Zadok, who performed the duty of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me,…
- Matthew 2:16-18 (v33) Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked by the wise men, was exceedingly angry, and sent out, and killed all the male children who were…
41 distinct cross-references across this passage (45 total citations).
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this passage (17 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv31, 32, 33, 35 Thy power and authority.
Thy power and authority.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv31–35 1Sa 2:31 Behold, the days come, that I will…
1Sa 2:31 Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father’s house, that there shall not be an old man in thine house.
Ver. 31. I will cut off thine arm,] e.g., The ability and dignity of thy family. See Zec 11:17. {See Trapp on "Zec 11:17"}
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There shall not be an old man in thine house,] Because, being an old man, thou hast no better quitted thyself in thy place and station, This was not executed for many years after, that it might be considered, and course taken to prevent it. God therefore threateneth, that he may not be put to punish.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv31–35 I will cut off thine arm, i.e. I will…
I will cut off thine arm, i.e. I will take away thy strength, which is oft signified by the arm, as Job 22:8; Psa 37:17, or all that in which thou placest thy confidence and security; either,
1. The ark, which is called God’s strength, Psa 78:61, and was Eli’s strength, who therefore was not able to beat the very tidings of the loss of it, 1Sa 4:18. Or,
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2. His priestly dignity or employment, whence he had all his honour and substance. Or rather,
3. His children, to whom the words following here, and in the succeeding verses, seem to confine it, who are the strength of parents: see Gen 49:3; Deu 21:17; Psa 127:4,5.
The arm of thy father’s house, i.e. thy children’s children, and all thy family; which was in great measure accomplished, 1Sa 22:16, &c.
There shall not be an old man in thine house; they shall generally be cut off by an untimely death before they be old.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv31–35 And thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation,....…
And thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation,.... Either the Philistines in the land of Israel, where God chose to dwell, who quickly after made war against Israel, and pitched in Aphek, Sa1 4:1 or, as in the margin of our Bibles, and other versions (i), "thou shalt see the affliction of the tabernacle"; as he did when the ark of God was taken, at the news of which he died, Sa1 4:17 and so the Targum understands it of affliction and calamity, yet not of the house of God, but of his own house; paraphrasing the words thus,"and thou shall see the calamity that shall come upon the men of thine house, for the sins which they have committed before me in the house of my sanctuary:''but it seems best to interpret it of a rival, which not he in his own person should see, but whom his posterity should see high priest in the temple; as they did in Solomon's time, when Abiathar, of the family of Eli, was thrust out, and Zadok, of the family of Eleazar, was put in; for, as Kimchi observes, when a man has two wives, they are rivals or adversaries to one another, jealous and emulous of each other, as Elkanah's two wives were, and of one of them the same word is used as here, Sa1 1:6 so when one high priest was put out, and another taken in, the one was the rival or adversary of the other, as in the case referred to:
in all the wealth which God shall give Israel; which points exactly at the time when this should be, even men God did well to Israel, gave them great prosperity, wealth and riches, quietness and safety, a famous temple built for the worship of God, and everything in a flourishing condition, both with respect to temporals and spirituals, as was in the days of Solomon, see Kg1 4:20 and then it was amidst all that plenty and prosperity, and when the high priesthood was most honourable and profitable, that Eli's family was turned out of it, and another put into it:
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and there shall not be an old man in thine house for ever; See Gill on Sa1 2:31 this is repeated for confirmation, and with this addition, that this would be the case for ever.
(i) Symmachus; "angustiam tabernaculi", Junius & Tremellius. Piscator.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv31, 32, 33, 35 Arm - That is, I will take away thy…
Arm - That is, I will take away thy strength, or all that in which thou placest thy confidence, either,
1. the ark, which is called God's strength, Psalm lxxviii, 61, and was Eli's strength, who therefore was not able to bear the very tidings of the loss of it. Or,
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2. his priestly dignity or employment, whence he had all his honour and substance. Or rather,
3. his children, to whom the words following here, and in the succeeding verses, seem to confine it. Father's house - That is, thy children's children, and all thy family which was in great measure accomplished, chap. xxii, 16, &c.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv31–35 Verse 31. I will cut off thine arm] I…
Verse 31. I will cut off thine arm] I will destroy the strength, power, and influence of thy family.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv31, 32, 33, 35 1Sa 2:31. I will cut off thine arm —…
1Sa 2:31. I will cut off thine arm — I will take away thy strength, or all that in which thou placest thy confidence. This threatening was fulfilled, when the ark, which is called God’s strength, (Psa 78:61,) and was Eli’s strength, was delivered into the hands of the Philistines; and more especially when God took away all power and authority from him and his family, both as he was a priest and as he was a judge. Or, thine arm, may mean thy children, to whom the words following seem to confine the expression. Of thy father’s house — That is, thy children’s children, and all thy family; which was in a great measure accomplished, 1Sa 22:16.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv31, 32, 33, 35 I will cut off thine arm ... - A…
I will cut off thine arm ... - A strong phrase for breaking down the strength and power, of which the arm is the instrument in man (compare Zec 11:17). See 1Sa 2:33.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv31, 32, 33, 35 Arm, strength or children. I will slay some; others…
Arm, strength or children. I will slay some; others I will reduce to extreme want. Some explain it of the ark, which was the protection of Israel. (Calmet) --- Old man, to govern. (Du Hamel) --- It is often a title of dignity. But the four succeeding pontiffs did not live long. In the course of little more than 100 years, the last was deposed. (Calmet)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On vv31–32 I will cut off thine arm, and the arm…
I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father's house--By the withdrawal of the high priesthood from Eleazar, the elder of Aaron's two sons (after Nadab and Abihu were destroyed, [Num 3:4]), that dignity had been conferred on the family of Ithamar, to which Eli belonged, and now that his descendants had forfeited the honor, it was to be taken from them and restored to the elder branch.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv31–35 31. Cut off thine arm — To cut off…
31. Cut off thine arm — To cut off one’s arm is to deprive him of strength and render him helpless. Thus was Eli’s house disabled. Compare Job_22:9; Psa_37:17; Zec_11:17.
Not be an old man in thine house — Because the rest of his family should die in the flower of their age. 1Sa_2:33.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv31–35 31. I will cut off thine arm] = I…
31. I will cut off thine arm] = I will destroy thy strength. “The arm” is a common expression for “might,” “strength.” Cp. Psa_10:15; Zec_11:17. One signal fulfilment of this doom was the massacre of the priests at Nob (1Sa_22:18-19).
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv31–35 (31) I will cut off thine arm.—“The arm” signifies…
(31) I will cut off thine arm.—“The arm” signifies power and strength: “Thy power and strength, and that of thy house is doomed.” (See for the figure Job_22:9; Psa_37:17.)
And there shall not be an old man in thine house.—No one more in thy house, O High Priest, who hast so signally failed in thy solemn duty, shall attain to old age; sickness or the sword shall ever early consume its members. This strange denunciation of the “man of God” is emphasised by being repeated in the next (32) verse, and in different words again in 1Sa_2:33.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv31–35 I will cut off thine arm. The arm is…
I will cut off thine arm. 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. 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 Jews say that the house of Ithamar was peculiarly short-lived, but the prophecy was amply fulfilled in the slaughter of Eli"s house, first at Shiloh, and then at Nob by Doeg the Edomite at the command of Saul. There is nothing to warrant an abiding curse upon his family. The third or fourth generation is the limit of the visitation of the sins of the fathers upon the children.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain On vv31, 33, 35 I will cut off thine arm.
1Sa_2:31-34
I will cut off thine arm.
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Judgment upon a false priesthood
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; neither is it doubtful that his canonicals, were they the Popes tiaras, will be torn from him one day to make bandages for the wounds of mankind, or even to burn into tinder for honest scientific or culinary purposes. (T. Carlyle.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv31, 34 "Listen carefully to what I am about to say"…
See
"Listen carefully to what I am about to say" or "What I am about to say is very important"
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I will cut off your strength and the strength of your father's house
The words "cut off ... strength" are probably a euphemism for the death of strong, young men; the words "your father's house" are a metonym for "your family." AT: "I will kill you and all strong, young male descendants in your family" (See: Euphemism and Metonymy)
be any old man
"be any old men" or "be any men who grow old"
cause your eyes to fail
"cause you to lose your eyesight" or "cause you to go blind"
translationWords
cut off
die
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv32, 35 2:32-33 live out their days: In the Old Testament,…
2:32-33 live out their days: In the Old Testament, a short life often expresses God’s disfavor, while long life represents God’s blessing (cp. Gen 15:15; 1 Kgs 3:14; Ps 91:16).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.