1 Samuel 1:3

There were, however, there, the two sons of Eli, etc. Eli, my God: Ophni, meaning barefoot: Phinehas, meaning mute mouth. There were thus, in the time of the imminent Incarnation of the Lord, priests consecrated to the Lord in the law of good priesthood, and sons of rightly believing priests: but they were devoid of the grace due to action and preaching; having neither the open duty of instruction with the mouth nor the adorned steps for walking in the way of the immaculate.

And that man ascended from his city on appointed days, etc. The Lord ascended from the common life of the faithful; for this is the city of our God on his holy mountain (Psalm XXVII): in his saints progressing and ascending from strength to strength, so that on appointed days, that is, through each increase in divine knowledge, he enkindled their heart to offer libations of adoration and good works; and this in the keeping of divine law, in which alone all sins can be forgiven for the humble and their feet can be freed from the snare, who always keep their eyes on the Lord; where only he should be sought, and he who says "I am who I am" can be found. Hence, Silo is well interpreted as separation, or remission, or where he is; signifying the law itself, which instructs those making good progress in its justice: Seek his face always (Psalm CIV).

Now there were there the two sons of Eli. Eli is interpreted 'Arab,' or 'outsider.' For he is an outsider from God who does not maintain discipline, who does not chastise the offending son, does not reprove him that he may amend, who is indulgent to vices, who does not punish faults, as the Apostle also says: "But if ye are without discipline, of which all are made partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons." This, then, is Eli, who on account of these things is punished by God. But let us see who his sons also are. Hophni, it says, and Phinehas. Now Hophni is interpreted 'excess of conversion.' Of Peninnah we said a little before that she was conversion: but this one, who exceeds, and is made far from amendment, and will not be converted to the Lord, therefore remains impious. But also, whoever he be, whom we see after sin not converted to the Lord, and not doing penance, nor receiving the desert of the future judgment, and of the divine word that commands: "Doth not he who falls add to rise again? Or he who is turned away, shall he not return?"—of him too we rightly say that he is Hophni, and exceeding beyond conversion. But the other son of his is called Phinehas. We know two in the Scriptures called by this name, that Phinehas the righteous, the son of Aaron, and this unrighteous one, the son of Eli. Whence fittingly too we find two interpretations of this name. For Phinehas signifies in our tongue 'obturation of the mouth,' or 'sparing the mouth.' The sinner, therefore, and he who has not firmness, has his mouth obstructed for speaking: but the righteous man spares his mouth. Today too among the priests of the Lord there is found either Phinehas; there is found also Eleazar, who in the Scriptures is the first named bishop, as it is written in Numbers. There are, then, today too among the priests those who spare their mouth, and no evil word by any means proceeds from their mouth. There are priests from whose mouth no scandal, no lie, no guile, nor any falsehood is uttered, and these are deservedly compared to that Phinehas the son of Aaron. But there are also some priests according to that Phinehas the son of Eli, who have their mouth obstructed, whether by the vice of ignorance, or by the conscience of sins. But this is what I entreat, that if there is anyone who sees himself admitted into the priestly order, let him take pains to give heed to…