1 Samuel 2:11-25 – Who Can Intercede For Sins Against God?

Translation & Sermon by Nate Wilson for Christ The Redeemer Church, Manhattan, KS, 5 July 2020

Introduction

v.11 Samuel begins ministry at the tabernacle

v.12 The worthless “ministry” of Eli’s sons introduced

vs.13-14 Exhibit 1: The sons of Eli steal from God’s people

vs.15-16 Exhibit 2: The sons of Eli take for themselves before giving to God

v.17 Exhibit 3: The Sons of Eli Desecrated the grain offering

v.22 Exhibit 4: The adultery of Eli’s sons

v.23 Eli’s Exhortation to His sons: a) “Why are you doing these evil things?”

v.24 b) “You’ve earned a bad reputation with our people!”

v.23 c) “If a man sins against a man, then they may appeal to Yahweh, but if a man sins against Yahweh, who will intercede for him?”

Conclusion

1 Samuel 2:11-25 - Side-by side comparison of versionsA

LXX

Brenton (LXX)

DRB (Vulgate)

KJV

NAW

Masoretic Txt

11 [Καὶ κατέλιπον αὐτὸν ἐκεῖ ἐνώπιον κυρίου] καὶ ἀπῆλθον X εἰς Αρμαθαιμ X X, καὶ τὸ παιδ­άριον ἦν λειτουργῶν τῷ [προσώπῳB] κυρίου ἐνώπιον Ηλι τοῦ ἱερέως

[Then she left him X X X] 11 and X departed to X X Armathaim: and the child ministered [in the presence] of the Lord before Heli the priest.

11 And Elcana went to Ramatha, to his house: but the child ministered [in the sight] of the Lord before the face of Heli the priest.

11 And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister unto the LORD beforeC Eli the priest.

11 So Elqanah went to his house on The Heights, and the boy became a minister of Yahweh in the presence of Eli the Priest.

(יא) וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶלְקָנָה הָרָמָתָה עַל בֵּיתוֹ וְהַנַּעַר הָיָה מְשָׁרֵת אֶת יְהוָה אֶת פְּנֵי עֵלִי הַכֹּהֵן.

12 Καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ Ηλι τοῦ ἱερέως υἱοὶ λοιμοὶD οὐκ εἰδότες τὸν κύριον.

12 And the sons of Heli the priest were evil sons, not knowing the Lord.

12 Now the sons of Heli were children of Belial, not knowing the Lord,

12 Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD.

12 The sons of Eli, however, were un­god­ly characters; they did not know Yahweh.

(יב) וּבְנֵי עֵלִי בְּנֵי בְלִיָּעַלE לֹא יָדְעוּ אֶת יְהוָה.

13 καὶ τὸ δικαίωμα τοῦ ἱερέως παρὰ τοῦ λαοῦ, παντὸς X τοῦ θύοντος· X καὶ ἤρχετο τὸ παιδάριον τοῦ ἱερέως, ὡς ἂν ἡψήθη τὸ κρέας, καὶ κρεάγρα τριόδους ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ,

13 And the priest's claim from every one of the people that sacrificed was this: the servant of the priest came when the flesh was in seething, and a flesh-hook of three teeth was in his hand.

13 Nor the office of the priests to the people: but whosoever had offered a sacrifice, the servant of the priest came, while the flesh was in boiling, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand,

13 And the priests' custom with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand;

13 Now, the priests’ regulation for the people – every man sacrificing an animal-sacrifice – was that, while the meat was boiling, the priest’s serving-boy would go with the trident meatfork in his hand,

(יג) וּמִשְׁפַּט הַכֹּהֲנִים אֶת הָעָם כָּל אִישׁ זֹבֵחַ זֶבַח וּבָא נַעַר הַכֹּהֵן כְּבַשֵּׁל הַבָּשָׂר וְהַמַּזְלֵג שְׁלֹשׁ הַשִּׁנַּיִם בְּיָדוֹ.

14 καὶ ἐπάταξενF αὐτὴν εἰς τὸν λέβητα τὸν μέγαν ἢ εἰς τὸ χαλκίον ἢ εἰς τὴν κύθραν· πᾶν, ὃ ἐὰν ἀνέβη ἐν τῇ κρεάγρᾳ, ἐλάμβανεν ἑαυτῷ ὁ ἱερεύς· κατὰ τάδε ἐποίουν παντὶ Ισραηλ τοῖς ἐρχομένοις θῦσαιG κυρίῳ ἐν Σηλωμ.

14 And he struck it into the great caldron, or into the brazen vessel, or into the pot, and whatever came up with the flesh-hook, the priest took for himself: so they did to all Israel that came to sacrifice to the Lord in Selom.

14 And thrust it into the kettle, or into the cauldron, or into the pot, or into the pan: and all that the fleshhook brought up, the priest took to himself. Thus did they to all Israel that came X to Silo.

14 And he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that came thither.

14 and he would stick it into the basin or into the kettle or into the stockpot or into the dutch-oven. Everything that the meatfork brought up the priest would take to himself. They acted like this toward all the Israelites who came there to Shiloh.

(יד) וְהִכָּה בַכִּיּוֹרH אוֹ בַדּוּדI אוֹ בַקַּלַּחַתJ אוֹ בַפָּרוּרK כֹּל אֲשֶׁר יַעֲלֶה הַמַּזְלֵג יִקַּח הַכֹּהֵן בּוֹ כָּכָה יַעֲשׂוּ לְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל הַבָּאִים שָׁם בְּשִׁלֹה.

15 καὶ πρὶν θυμιαθῆναι τὸ στέαρ ἤρχετο τὸ παιδάριον τοῦ ἱερέως καὶ ἔλεγεν τῷ ἀνδρὶ τῷ θύοντι Δὸς κρέας ὀπτῆσαι τῷ ἱερεῖ, καὶ οὐ μὴ λάβωL παρὰ σοῦ ἑφθὸν ἐκ τοῦ λέβητος.

15 And before the fat was burnt for a sweet savour, the servant of the priest would come, and say to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest, and I will by no means take of thee sodden flesh out of the caldron.

15 Also before they burnt the fat, the servant of the priest came, and said to the man that sacrificed: Give me flesh to boil for the priest: for I will not take of thee sodden flesh, but raw.

15 Also before they burnt the fat, the priest's servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have sodden flesh of thee, but raw.

15 Moreover, before they sent the fat up in smoke, the priest’s serving-boy would also go and say to the man who was doing an animal-sacrifice, “Give meat to the priest for a roast. I will not accept boiled meat from you, only raw.

(טו) גַּם בְּטֶרֶם יַקְטִרוּן אֶת הַחֵלֶב וּבָא נַעַר הַכֹּהֵן וְאָמַר לָאִישׁ הַזֹּבֵחַ תְּנָה בָשָׂר לִצְלוֹת לַכֹּהֵן וְלֹא יִקַּח מִמְּךָ בָּשָׂר מְבֻשָּׁל כִּי אִם חָי.

16 καὶ ἔλεγεν ὁ ἀνὴρ ὁ θύων Θυμιαθήτω πρῶτον, ὡς καθήκει, τὸ στέαρ, καὶ λαβὲ σεαυτῷ ἐκ πάντων, ὧν ἐπιθυμεῖ ἡ ψυχή σου. καὶ εἶπεν Οὐχί, ὅτι νῦν δώσεις, καὶ ἐὰν μή, λήμψομαι κραταιῶς.

16 And [if] the man that sacrificed said, First let the fat be burned, as it is fit, and take for thyself of all things which thy soul desires: then he would say, Nay, for thou shalt give it me now; and if not I will take it by force.

16 And he that sacri­ficed said to him: Let the fat first be burnt to day, accord­ing to the custom, and then take to thee as much as thy soul desireth. But he answered, and said to him: Not so: but thou shalt give it me now, or else I will take it by force.

16 And if any man said unto him, Let them not fail to burn the fat presently, and then take X X as much as thy soul desirethM; then he would answer him, Nay; but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force.

16 And should the man say to him, “The fat should really be sent up in smoke, as it is day, and then you should take {every­thing} for your­self – as much as your soul desires,” then he would say, “No, be­cause you’re going to give it now, and if not, I take it by force.”

(טז) וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו הָאִישׁN קַטֵּרO יַקְטִירוּןP כַּיּוֹם הַחֵלֶב וְקַח לְךָ Q כַּאֲשֶׁר תְּאַוֶּה נַפְשֶׁךָ וְאָמַר לוR כִּי עַתָּה תִתֵּן וְאִם לֹא לָקַחְתִּי בְחָזְקָה.

17 καὶ ἦν ἡ ἁμαρτία τῶν παιδαρίων ἐνώπιον κυρίου μεγάλη σφόδρα, ὅτι ἠθέτουνS τὴν θυσίαν κυρίου. --

17 So the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord, for they set at nought the offering of the Lord.

17 Wherefore the sin of the young men was exceeding great before the Lord: because they with­drew men from the sacrifice of the Lord.

17 Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD: for menT abhorredU the offering of the LORD.

17 So the sin of the serving-boys became very great before the face of Yahweh. They even desecrated Yahweh’s grain-offering.

(יז) וַתְּהִי חַטַּאת הַנְּעָרִים גְּדוֹלָה מְאֹד אֶת פְּנֵי יְהוָה כִּי נִאֲצוּ הָאֲנָשִׁיםV אֵת מִנְחַת יְהוָה.

18 καὶ Σαμουηλ ἦν λειτουργῶν ἐνώπιον κυρίου παιδάριον περιεζωσμένον εφουδ βαρW,

18 And Samuel ministered before the Lord, a child girt with a linen ephod.

18 But Samuel ministered before the face of the Lord: being a child girded with a linen ephod.

18 But Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child, girdedX with a linen ephod.

18 But as for Samuel, he was ministering before the face of Yahweh as a servant-boy with linen shoul­der-gear strapped-on.

(יח) וּשְׁמוּאֵל מְשָׁרֵת אֶת פְּנֵי יְהוָה נַעַר חָגוּרY אֵפוֹד בָּד.

19 καὶ διπλοίδαZ μικ­ρὰν ἐποίησεν αὐτῷ ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀνέφερεν αὐτῷ ἐξ ἡμερῶν εἰς ἡμέρας ἐν τῷ ἀναβαίνειν αὐτὴν μετὰ τοῦ ἀνδ­ρὸς αὐτῆς θῦσαι τὴν θυσίαν τῶν ἡμερῶν.

19 And his mother made him a little doublet, and brought it to him from year to year, in her going up in company with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.

19 And his mother made him a little coat, which she brought to him on the appointed days, when she went up with her husband, to offer the solemn sacrifice.

19 Moreover his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.

19 And his mother made for him a little me’iyl and brought it up to him from holidays to holidays when she went up with her husband to sacrifice the holiday animal-sacrifice

(יט) וּמְעִיל קָטֹן תַּעֲשֶׂה לּוֹ אִמּוֹ וְהַעַלְתָה לוֹ מִיָּמִים יָמִימָה בַּעֲלוֹתָהּ אֶת אִישָׁהּ לִזְבֹּחַ אֶת זֶבַח הַיָּמִים.

20 καὶ εὐλόγησεν Ηλι τὸν Ελκανα καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ λέγων Ἀποτείσαι σοι κύριος σπέρμα ἐκ τῆς γυναικὸς ταύτης ἀντὶ τοῦ χρέους, οὗ ἔχρησας τῷ κυρίῳ. καὶ ἀπῆλθεν ὁ ἄνθρωπος εἰς τὸν τόπον αὐτοῦ,

20 And Heli blessed Helcana and his wife, saying The Lord recompense to thee seed of this woman, in return for the loan which thou hast lent to the Lord: and the man returned to his place.

20 And Heli blessed Elcana and his wife: and he said to him: The Lord give thee seed of this woman, for the loan thou hast lent to the Lord. And they went to their own home.

20 And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, The LORD give thee seed of this woman for the loan which is lentAA to the LORD. And they wentBB unto their own home.

20 Then Eli would bless Elqanah and his wife and say, “May Yahweh set up for you offspring from this woman in place of the requested one which you requested for Yahweh.” And then {the man} would go to his home.

(כ) וּבֵרַךְ עֵלִי אֶת אֶלְקָנָה וְאֶת אִשְׁתּוֹ וְאָמַר יָשֵׂםCC יְהוָה לְךָ זֶרַע מִן הָאִשָּׁה הַזֹּאת תַּחַת הַשְּׁאֵלָה אֲשֶׁר שָׁאַלDD לַיהוָה וְהָלְכוּEE לִמְקֹמוֹ.

21 καὶ ἐπεσκέψατο κύριος τὴν Ανναν, καὶ ἔτεκεν ἔτι τρεῖς υἱοὺς καὶ δύο θυγατέρας. καὶ ἐμεγαλύνθηFF τὸ παιδάριον Σαμουηλ ἐνώπιον κυρίου.

21 And the Lord visited Anna, and she bore yet three sons, and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the Lord.

21 And the Lord visited Anna, and she conceived, and bore three sons, and two daughters: and the child Samuel became great before the Lord.

21 And the LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samu­el grew before the LORD.

21 Well, Yahweh visited Hannah again, and she gave birth to three sons and two daughters! Mean­while, the boy Sam­uel grew up with Yahweh.

(כא) כִּיGG פָקַד יְהוָה אֶת חַנָּה וַתַּהַרHH וַתֵּלֶדII שְׁלֹשָׁה בָנִים וּשְׁתֵּי בָנוֹת וַיִּגְדַּל הַנַּעַרJJ שְׁמוּאֵל עִם יְהוָה.

22 Καὶ Ηλι πρεσβύτης σφόδρα· καὶ ἤκουσεν X ἃ ἐποίουν οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ τοῖς υἱοῖς Ισραηλ,

22 And Heli was very old, and he heard what X his sons did to the children of Israel.

22 Now Heli was very old, and he heard all that his sons did to all Israel: and how they lay with the women that waited at the door of the tabernacle:

22 Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the doorKK of the taber­nacle of the congregation.

22 Now, Eli was very old, and he heard all that his sons were doing to the children of Israel [- particular­ly that they were ly­ing with the women in the ladies’ auxili-ary at the entrance of the tent of meeting -],

(כב) וְעֵלִי זָקֵן מְאֹדLL וְשָׁמַע אֵת כָּל אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשׂוּן בָּנָיו לְכָלMM יִשְׂרָאֵל [וְאֵת אֲשֶׁר יִשְׁכְּבוּן אֶת הַנָּשִׁים הַצֹּבְאוֹת פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד.]NN

23 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς Ἵνα τί ποιεῖτε κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο, ὃ ἐγὼ ἀκούω X X X ἐκ [στόματος] παντὸς τοῦ λαοῦ κυρίουOO;

23 And he said to them, Why do ye according to this thing, which I hear X X X from the [mouth] of all the people of the Lord?

23 And he said to them: Why do ye these kinds of things, which I hear, very wicked things, from all the people?

23 And he said unto them, Why do ye X such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people.

23 and he said to them, “Why are y’all conducting affairs like these? Indeed, I am hearing of y’all’s affairs being evil from this people!

(כג) וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם לָמָּה תַעֲשׂוּן כַּדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי שֹׁמֵעַ אֶתPP דִּבְרֵיכֶם רָעִים מֵאֵת כָּל הָעָם אֵלֶּה.

24 μή, τέκνα, ὅτι οὐκ ἀγαθὴ ἡ ἀκοή, ἣν ἐγὼ ἀκούω· μὴ ποιεῖτε οὕτως, ὅτι οὐκ ἀγαθαὶ αἱ ἀκοαί, ἃς ἐγὼ ἀκούω, τοῦ μὴ δουλεύειν λαὸν θεῷ.

24 Nay my sons, for the report which I hear is not good; do not so, for the reports which I hear are not good, so that the peo­ple do not serve God.

24 Do not so, my sons: for it is no good report that I hear, that you make the people of the Lord to transgress.

24 Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the LORD'S people to transgressQQ.

24 No, my sons, for the report is not good which I am hearing. {Stop doing thus, for the reports are not good which I am hear­ing} passed among the people of Yahweh.

(כד) אַל בָּנָי כִּי לוֹא טוֹבָה הַשְּׁמֻעָה אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי שֹׁמֵעַ מַעֲבִרִיםRR עַם יְהוָה.

25 ἐὰν [ἁμαρτάνων] ἁμάρτῃ ἀνὴρ εἰς ἄνδρα, καὶ προσεύξ­ονται ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ πρὸς κύριον· καὶ ἐὰν τῷ κυρίῳ ἁμάρτῃ τίς προσεύ­ξεται ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ; καὶ οὐκ ἤκουον τῆς φωνῆς τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτῶν, ὅτι [βουλ­όμενος] ἐβούλετο κύριος διαφθεῖραι αὐτούς. --

25 If a man should [at all] sin against an­other, then shall they pray for him to the Lord; but if a man sin against the Lord, who shall in­treat for him? But they hearkened not to the voice of their fa­ther, because the Lord would [by all means] destroy them.

25 If [one] man shall sin against another, God may be ap­peased in his behalf: but if a man shall sin against the Lord, who shall pray for him? And they heark­ened not to the voice of their father, because the Lord would slay them.

25 If [one] manSS sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the LORD, who shall intreatTT for him? Notwith­standing they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the LORD would slay them.

25 If a man sins against a man, then they may appeal to Yahweh, but if a man sins against Yahweh, who will intercede for him?” However, they would not listen to the voice of their father because Yahweh desired to put them to death.

(כה) אִם יֶחֱטָא אִישׁ לְאִישׁ וּפִלְלוֹ אֱלֹהִיםUU וְאִם לַיהוָה יֶחֱטָא אִישׁ מִי יִתְפַּלֶּל לוֹ וְלֹא יִשְׁמְעוּ לְקוֹל אֲבִיהֶםVV כִּי חָפֵץ יְהוָה לַהֲמִיתָם.



1cf. Deut. ?:5-8, Ezekiel 46:19, Zech. 14:21

2JFB’s commentary suggested it was an “ascetic order.” Jewish tradition is that these were not Levites but rather lay women. Tsumura asserted in his NICOT commentary that they were Levites.

3Willett also gives good coverage of the interplay between God’s sovereignty and man’s will in Questions 9-10.

AMy original chart includes the NASB and NIV, but their copyright restrictions have forced me to remove them from the publicly-available edition of this chart. I have included the ESV in footnotes when it employs a word not already used by the KJV, NASB, or NIV. (NAW is my translation.) When a translation adds words not in the Hebrew text, but does not indicate it has done so by the use of italics (or greyed-out text), I put the added words in [square brackets]. When one version chooses a wording which is different from all the other translations, I underline it. When a version chooses a translation which, in my opinion, either departs too far from the root meaning of the Hebrew word or departs too far from the grammar form of the original text, I use strikeout. And when a version omits a word which is in the original text, I insert an X. (I also place an X at the end of a word if the original word is plural but the English translation is singular.) I occasionally use colors to help the reader see correlations between the various editions and versions when there are more than two different translations of a given word. The only known Dead Sea Scroll containing any part of 1 Samuel 2 is 4Q51Samuela, which contains fragments of vs. 1-10 and 16-36 (highlighted in purple), and which has been dated between 50-25 B.C. Where the DSS supports the LXX with text not in the MT, I have highlighted with yellow the LXX and its translation into English.

BThe LXX, Vulgate, and NIV share this duplication of the single peni in the Masoretic text. Perhaps it was original. Unfortunately, the DSS is obliterated at this point.

C“Under” (NIV)/ “in the presence of” (ESV)

Dcf. synonyms from Aquila=αποστασιας (apostate) and Symmachus=ανυποτακτοι (insubordinate)

ESee note on 1:16 where Hannah is concerned not to be called a daughter of Belial

FCf. Aquila επλησσεν “he filled it up”

GSyriac & Targum supports the Septuagint with an infinitive here rather than the word “there”

HThe only other references to this utensil in the Pentateuch were to the bronze washbasin beside the altar.

IThe common denominator in all uses of this word (except perhaps Job) are that this utensil is used to carry other stuff (2Ki. 10:7; 2Ch. 35:13; Job 41:20; Psa. 81:6; Jer. 24:1,2)

JOnly here and Micah 3:3

KOnly found here, Numbers 11:8 (cooking manna cakes), and Judges 6:19 (broth in a contained utensil).

LSyriac & Vulgate support the LXX’s first person verb over the MT’s third person verb.

M“want” NIV / “wish” (ESV)

NThe Dead Sea scroll reads up to this point /hwkh run la rmaw vyah hnuw ( the m in rmaw is not visible in the scroll)

ODead Sea scroll has y at the beginning of this word which could match the passive form chosen by the LXX

PDead Sea scroll does not have this word but has instead /hwkh

QDSS & LXX insert “all”

RLXX, DSS, and Vulgate (followed by the NASB and NIV) read with the Qere “No” (לֹא) rather than the MT “to him.” To the ear both words sound the same.

SCf. Aq.=διεσuρον (drag across)

TNASB reads definite “the men” like the MT; NIV omits “men” like the LXX & DSS

U“Despised” (NASB) / “treat… with contempt” (NIV/ESV)

VThis word is not in the DSS or the LXX. It’s in the Vulgate, however.

WThis is a transliteration of the Hebrew; some manuscripts read “bar” others read “bad” as the resh and daleth are easy to confuse visually. Symmachus translated it “linen” and Aquila oddly επενδυμα εξαιρετον “outer garment removed”

XNASB & NIV “wearing” which is actually a different verb, but no practical difference to the American mind.

YDSS switches the order of the two middle letters of this word changing the root from “gird about” to “encircle around,” with no practical change in meaning. For other instances of the MT word, see Lev. 8:7Then he [Moses] put on him [Aaron] the tunic and girded him with the belt and dressed him with the cloak and put the shoulder-gear on him and strapped the band of the shoulder-gear on him and invested him with it,” and Lev. 16:4He must wear the holy linen tunic, and the linen underwear shall be over his body, and he shall be girded with the linen belt, and he shall wrap up with the linen priest-cap. They are the clothes of holiness, so he must bathe his body with water and then wear them.” (NAW) The only other person mentioned as wearing a linen ephod was David when he danced before the Lord in 2 Sam. 6:14 and 1 Chron 15:27 (the latter of which distinguishes the ephod from the robe). The ephod is never described in detail in the Bible as to what it is, but it was apparently strapped on over a robe, and it was a symbol of priesthood.

ZCf. Σ=εφεστριδα (“wrapover?) θ=επενδυτην (outer or middle-layer cloak)

AAplacededicated” (NASB) / “prayed… gave(NIV) / “petition… asked” (ESV)

BBESV reads “return,” following the LXX instead of the MT’s “go.”

CCDSS adds one letter to this word which changes the meaning from “may he place” to “may he give peace”. The LXX and Vulgate support the MT here.

DDDSS renders this word in the Hiphil stem (as it appeared in chapter 1) rather than the Qal stem used here in the MT. The LXX supports the DSS in terms of the meaning of “giving the use of” rather than “asking for”.

EEDSS reads “the man went” (matching the LXX) rather than the MT’s “they went”

FFcf. synonym in Symmachus (Σ=ηυξησεν=augmented)

GGDSS (-’ו) & LXX read “and,” and the Syriac also seems to support this. The ESV reflects the MT with “indeed”

HHIn the DSS, this word is different: עוד "again,” and the LXX supports the DSS over the MT.

IIWhat is lent to the Lord will certainly be repaid with interest, to our unspeakable advantage, and oftentimes in kind. Hannah resigns one child to God, and is recompensed with five... There is nothing lost by lending to God or losing for him; it shall be repaid a hundred-fold, Mat_19:29.” ~Matthew Henry

JJThe DSS reads “there” instead of the MT and LXX “boy-child”.

KK“doorway” (NASB) / “entrance” (NIV/ESV)

LLDSS adds that he was “90 years old”

MMDSS matches LXX with “the sons of” rather than “all of,” but the meaning is not different.

NNThis bracketed text is not in the DSS or the LXX, so it is suspect of being a later addition. These door-women are mentioned in Ex. 38:8, though.

OOField cites LXX editions which read θεω, which would be a more understandable variant, since the three-letter word in Hebrew (without vowel pointing) is the same as the first three letters of the Hebrew word for “God.”

PPDSS reads מ- “From” instead of “with”

QQThe KJV follows the LXX rather than the MT here. The translations of the NASB (“people are circulating”) and NIV/ESV (report spreading among/abroad”) are problematic because this Hebrew participle is plural, so it would not match the singular Hebrew word for report” or the singular Hebrew word for “people.” The extra text in the DSS (and the LXX) provide the plural subject: “reports.”

RRThe DSS supports the LXX with the longer reading. This would appear to be a haplography where part of Eli’s quote was omitted by the MT because of its repetitiveness. The two readings re-converge with the word מעב/ים , with the LXX (plus Cod. X, 19, 82, 93, and 108, and two Hebrew manuscripts) reading a ד in place of the “ / ” (“from serving”) and the DSS & MT reading a ר in the place of the / (“passing over”). I don’t think that the spelling with daleth would be a natural way in Hebrew to express the idea of “preventing people from serving God,” although עבד is used in Exodus to denote worshipping God.

SSESV=someone

TTContemporary versions read “intercede”

UUInstead of elohim (“God/judge”) the DSS reads “to Yahweh” and the LXX matches the DSS!

VVDSS omits “their father” but this does not change the meaning.