1 Samuel 2:23-24
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
Eli's question, "Why do you do such things?" isn't just a curious inquiry; it's a frustrated plea born from hearing the people's complaints. This shows his deep disconnect, as he's hearing about his sons' terrible actions from everyone else before confronting them directly, highlighting how far his leadership had slipped.
And he said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all these people. No, my sons; it is no good report that I hear the people of the LORD spreading abroad.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Eli, the aging priest of Shiloh, is confronting his two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, about their deeply corrupt behavior at the sanctuary. They've been taking the best parts of sacrifices for themselves and engaging in sexual immorality, actions that are enraging God and alienating the people. Eli's gentle questioning here is the prelude to God's severe judgment against his entire household, a judgment that will come because of his sons' sin and his own failure to discipline them more firmly.
Eli's sons weren't just messing up; they were corrupting something sacred. What does that mean for us today?
The Ripple Effect of Sin
Eli confronts his sons, Hophni and Phinehas, not just for personal offenses, but for their actions that brought shame upon the Lord's name and ministry. Their sin wasn't contained; it was broadcast "from all these people." This highlights a crucial truth: our actions, especially those in positions of influence or service, have a wider impact than we might think.
Eli was a father, a priest, and a leader. How did his role as a father complicate his response to his sons' sin?
Ask a follow-up
The Challenge of Correction
This passage reveals a heartbreaking tension in Eli's life. He is the spiritual leader of Israel, but he is also the father of two deeply flawed sons. His question, 'Why do you do such things?' is a plea for understanding, but it also carries the weight of his parental duty.
Understand the original words
ra'ah · Hebrew Noun
Moral wickedness or corruption. It signifies conduct that is contrary to God’s holy standard and destructive to the community.
This verse captures the moment Eli confronts his sons about their terrible behavior, which had become widely known and was a direct cause of God's impending judgment on their family and the entire nation.
c. 1100 BC - 1050 BC— this verse
Eli's sons' wickedness
Hophni and Phinehas, the sons of High Priest Eli, engaged in corrupt practices at the sanctuary, including taking meat by force and sleeping with women who served at the entrance.
c. 1075 BC
Samuel's ministry begins
While still a child, Samuel served the Lord before Eli in Shiloh, anointing him as a prophet.
c. 1070 BC
God's judgment on Eli's house
The Lord sends a prophet to Eli to pronounce judgment on his household due to the sins of his sons, foretelling their early deaths and the end of their priestly line.
c. 1050 BC
Battle of Ebenezer
The Philistines defeat Israel soundly, capturing the Ark of the Covenant. Both of Eli's sons are killed in this battle.
c. 1050 BC
Eli's death
Upon hearing that the Ark of God was captured and his sons were dead, Eli falls backward, breaks his neck, and dies.
This passage shows Moses appointing capable men to judge lesser matters, a wise decision contrasting with Eli's failure to discipline his sons, thus highlighting the consequences of poor leadership.
Proverbs 29:15This proverb speaks directly to the danger of unchecked rebellion and the need for parental discipline, underscoring the destructive path Eli's sons were on and the failings of Eli himself.
Jeremiah 7:9-10The prophet Jeremiah condemns similar corrupt practices and abuses of power by religious leaders, showing that the sin of Eli's sons was part of a recurring pattern of spiritual decay that grieved God.
1 Samuel 3:11-14This passage describes God's judgment on Eli's household, directly linking the severe consequences to the sin of his sons and his own failure to restrain them, reinforcing the gravity of the situation in 1 Samuel 2:23.
Eli's question, "Why do you do such things?" isn't just a curious inquiry; it's a frustrated plea born from hearing the people's complaints. This shows his deep disconnect, as he's hearing about his sons' terrible actions from everyone else before confronting them directly, highlighting how far his leadership had slipped.
Eli, the aging priest of Shiloh, is confronting his two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, about their deeply corrupt behavior at the sanctuary. They've been taking the best parts of sacrifices for themselves and engaging in sexual immorality, actions that are enraging God and alienating the people. Eli's gentle questioning here is the prelude to God's severe judgment against his entire household, a judgment that will come because of his sons' sin and his own failure to discipline them more firmly.
Eli, the aging priest of Shiloh, is confronting his two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, about their deeply corrupt behavior at the sanctuary. They've been taking the best parts of sacrifices for themselves and engaging in sexual immorality, actions that are enraging God and alienating the people. Eli's gentle questioning here is the prelude to God's severe judgment against his entire household, a judgment that will come because of his sons' sin and his own failure to discipline them more firmly.
"And he said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all these people. No, my sons; it is no good report that I hear the people of the LORD spreading abroad." — Eli's question, "Why do you do such things?" isn't just a curious inquiry; it's a frustrated plea born from hearing the people's complaints. This shows his deep disconnect, as he's hearing about hi…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
