Eli

Biblical Account

Eli is a priest who appears in 1 Samuel 1–4. He served in the house of the LORD at Shiloh, and 1 Samuel 4:18 records that he judged (led) Israel for forty years.

• Hannah and Samuel: When Hannah prayed silently, Eli at first mistook her for a drunken woman. After hearing her explanation, he sent her away with a blessing (1 Samuel 1:9-18). Hannah later entrusted the weaned Samuel to Eli (1:24-28).
• The sins of his sons: His sons Hophni and Phinehas wantonly seized the sacrificial offerings. They also lay with the women who served at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. Eli rebuked them, but his sons would not listen (2:12-17, 22-25).
• Announcement of judgment: A man of God came and reproached Eli for honoring "thy sons above me," and he foretold the downfall of Eli's house (2:27-36). The same message was later revealed to Samuel (3:11-14).
• The call of Samuel: It was Eli who recognized that the voice calling Samuel in the night was the LORD's. He instructed Samuel to answer, "Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth" (3:8-10). When Samuel reported the word of judgment, Eli replied, "It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good" (3:18).
• Death: In a battle against the Philistines, the ark of the covenant was captured and both of his sons were killed. On hearing this news, Eli, then ninety-eight years old, fell backward from his seat, broke his neck, and died (4:12-18). Phinehas's wife, giving birth, named her son Ichabod, meaning "The glory is departed from Israel" (4:19-22).

Significance in Scripture

The downfall of Eli's house forms the backdrop for Samuel's rise as a leader. 1 Kings 2:27 presents Solomon's removal of Abiathar from the priesthood as the fulfillment of "the word of the LORD, which he spake concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh."

Eli is not mentioned in the New Testament. In Matthew 27:46, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani," the word "Eli" means "my God" and has no connection to this figure. The "Heli" in the genealogy of Luke 3:23 is also a different person.

Interpretation and Debate

• Eli's fault is commonly identified as his failure to discipline his children firmly. First Samuel 3:13 states that although his sons brought a curse upon themselves, Eli "restrained them not." On the basis of the rebuke in 2:29, "to make yourselves fat," some interpreters hold that Eli himself shared in the illicit gain.
• His response in 3:18 is read by some as humble submission and by others as resignation without repentance.
• Eli's lineage is not stated directly in the text. A widely held view, based on reading 1 Samuel 14:3, 22:20, and 1 Chronicles 24:3 together, places him in the line of Ithamar, son of Aaron.
• The text does not give Samuel's age at the time of his call. The common statement that he was "about twelve years old" is understood to derive from later tradition, including the account of the Jewish historian Josephus.

In the Korean Church

In Korean church sermons, the account of Eli serves chiefly as a text on the faith formation of children and the responsibility of parents. Eli is also cited as a cautionary example concerning the responsibility of spiritual leaders.

The call narrative of 1 Samuel 3 is frequently treated in Sunday school lessons and children's sermons. The words "Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth" are widely quoted in sermons and prayers on the theme of calling. The name "Ichabod" also appears in sermons warning against spiritual decline in the church.