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1. And now upon the ill state of the affairs of the Hebrews, they
made war again upon the Philistines. The occasion was this: Eli,
the high priest, had two sons, Hophni and Phineas. These sons of
Eli were guilty of injustice towards men, and of impiety towards
God, and abstained from no sort of wickedness. Some of their
gifts they carried off, as belonging to the honorable employment
they had; others of them they took away by violence. They also
were guilty of impurity with the women that came to worship God
at the tabernacle, obliging some to submit to their lust by
force, and enticing others by bribes; nay, the whole course of
their lives was no better than tyranny. Their father therefore
was angry at them for such their wickedness, and expected that
God would suddenly inflict his punishments upon them for what
they had done. The multitude took it heinously also. And as soon
as God had foretold what calamity would befall Eli's sons, which
he did both to Eli himself and to Samuel the prophet, who was yet
but a child, he openly showed his sorrow for his sons'
destruction.
2. I will first despatch what I have to say about the prophet
Samuel, and after that will proceed to speak of the sons of Eli,
and the miseries they brought on the whole people of the Hebrews.
Elcanah, a Levite, one of a middle condition among his fellow
citizens, and one that dwelt at Ramathaim, a city of the tribe of
Ephraim, married two wives, Hannah and Peninnah. He had children
by the latter; but he loved the other best, although she was
barren. Now Elcanah came with his wives to the city Shiloh to
sacrifice, for there it was that the tabernacle of God was fixed,
as we have formerly said. Now when, after he had sacrificed, he
distributed at that festival portions of the flesh to his wives
and children, and when Hannah saw the other wife's children
sitting round about their mother, she fell into tears, and
lamented herself on account of her barrenness and lonesomeness;
and suffering her grief to prevail over her husband's
consolations to her, she went to the tabernacle to beseech God to
give her seed, and to make her a mother; and to vow to consecrate
the first son she should bear to the service of God, and this in
such a way, that his manner of living should not be like that of
ordinary men. And as she continued at her prayers a long time,
Eli, the high priest, for he sat there before the tabernacle, bid
her go away, thinking she had been disordered with wine; but when
she said she had drank water, but was in sorrow for want of
children, and was beseeching God for them, he bid her be of good
cheer, and told her that God would send her children.
3. So she came to her husband full of hope, and ate her meal with
gladness. And when they had returned to their own country she
found herself with child, and they had a son born to them, to
whom they gave the name of Samuel, which may be styled one that
was asked of God. They therefore came to the tabernacle to offer
sacrifice for the birth of the child, and brought their tithes
with them; but the woman remembered the vows she had made
concerning her son, and delivered him to Eli, dedicating him to
God, that he might become a prophet. Accordingly his hair was
suffered to grow long, and his drink was water. So Samuel dwelt
and was brought up in the temple. But Elcanah had other sons by
Hannah, and three daughters.
4. Now when Samuel was twelve years old, he began to prophesy:
and once when he was asleep, God called to him by his name; and
he, supposing he had been called by the high priest, came to him:
but when the high priest said he did not call him, God did so
thrice. Eli was then so far illuminated, that he said to him,
"Indeed, Samuel, I was silent now as well as before: it is God
that calls thee; do thou therefore signify it to him, and say, I
am here ready." So when he heard God speak again, he desired him
to speak, and to deliver what oracles he pleased to him, for he
would not fail to perform any ministration whatsoever he should
make use of him in; - to which God replied, "Since thou art here
ready, learn what miseries are coming upon the Israelites, - such
indeed as words cannot declare, nor faith believe; for the sons
of Eli shall die on one day, and the priesthood shall be
transferred into the family of Eleazar; for Eli hath loved his
sons more than he hath loved my worship, and to such a degree as
is not for their advantage." Which message Eli obliged the
prophet by oath to tell him, for otherwise he had no inclination
to afflict him by telling it. And now Eli had a far more sure
expectation of the perdition of his sons; but the glory of Samuel
increased more and more, it being found by experience that
whatsoever he prophesied came to pass accordingly.
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