1 Samuel 2:25 - meaning, Hebrew and Greek word study, commentary
1 Samuel 2:25
If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the LORD, who shall intreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the LORD would slay them.
a man as an individual or a male person · noun, common masculine singular absolute
sin
יֶחֱטָ֨אye.che.Ta'
H2398
properly · verb, qal imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
another
לְאִישׁ֙le.'Ish
H376
a man as an individual or a male person · preposition + noun, common masculine singular absolute
judge
אֱלֹהִ֔ים'E.lo.Him
H430
gods in the ordinary sense · noun, common masculine plural absolute
judge
וּפִֽלְל֣וֹu.fi.Lo
H6419
to judge (officially or mentally) · conjunction + verb, piel sequential perfect, 3rd person masculine singular + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
man
אִ֔ישׁ'Ish
H376
a man as an individual or a male person · noun, common masculine singular absolute
sin
יֶֽחֱטָאye.che.ta'-
H2398
properly · verb, qal imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
LORD
לַֽיהוָה֙la.Yah.weh
H3068
Jehovah · preposition + proper noun, a title
intreat
יִתְפַּלֶּלyit.pa.lel-
H6419
to judge (officially or mentally) · verb, hithpael imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
hearkened
יִשְׁמְעוּ֙yish.me.'U
H8085
to hear intelligently (often with implication of attent… · verb, qal imperfect, 3rd person masculine plural
voice
לְק֣וֹלle.Kol
H6963
a voice or sound · preposition + noun, common masculine singular construct
father
אֲבִיהֶ֔ם'a.vi.Hem
H1
father · noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine plural
LORD
יְהוָ֖הYah.weh
H3068
Jehovah · proper noun, a title
would
חָפֵ֥ץcha.Fetz
H2654
properly · verb, qal perfect, 3rd person masculine singular
slay
לַהֲמִיתָֽםla.ha.mi.Tam
H4191
to die (literally or figuratively) · preposition + verb, hiphil infinitive construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine plural
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Numbers 15:30 But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously, whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth the LORD; and that soul sh…
Joshua 11:20 For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that he might destroy them utterly, and that…
1 Samuel 3:14 And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever.
Hebrews 10:26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
Proverbs 15:10 Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way: and he that hateth reproof shall die.
1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
Hebrews 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
Deuteronomy 1:17 Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for t…
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on 1 Samuel 2:11-26
In these verses we have the good character and posture of Elkanah's family, and the bad character and posture of Eli's family. The account of these two is observably interwoven throughout this whole paragraph, as if the historian intended to set the one over against the other, that they might set off one another. The devotion and good order of Elkanah's family aggravated the iniquity of Eli's house; while the wickedness of Eli's sons made Samuel's early piety appear the more bright and illustrious.
I. Let us see how well things went in Elkanah's family and how much better than formerly. 1. Eli dismissed them from the house of the Lord, when they had entered their little son there, with a ble…
they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because--it should be therefore.
the Lord would slay them--It was not God's preordination, but their own wilful and impenitent disobedience which was the cause of their destruction.
Adam Clarke on 1 Samuel 2:25
If one man sin against another - All differences between man and man may be settled by the proper judge; but if a man sin against the Supreme Judge, God himself, who shall reconcile him to his Maker? Your sin is immediately against God himself, and is the highest insult that can be offered, because it is in the matter of his own worship, therefore ye may expect his heaviest judgments.
But if a man sin against the Lord, who shall entreat for him? - This was a question of the most solemn importance under the old covenant, especially after the death of Moses, the mediator. The law had determined what sins should be punished with death; and it was supposed that there was not any appeal from the…
If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him, &c. When one man does an injury to another in his person and property, the case is brought before the judge, he hears it, examines into it, and determines upon it, and does justice, orders that the injured person have satisfaction made him, and so the matter is ended:
but if a man sin against the Lord, who shall entreat for him? all sin is in some sense against God, as it is contrary to his nature, and a breach of his law, and especially bold, daring, presumptuous sins; but there are some sins that are more immediately and particularly against God, as sins against the first table of the law, which relate to the worship of God, and s…
The Church Fathers
The sin of one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit is unpardonable. Compare with this judgment what is said in the book of Kings [Samuel]: "If one man shall sin against the Lord, who shall pray for him?" Thus, it is one and the same sin whether we blaspheme against the Holy Spirit or against God, and it is inexpiable. Hence, the nature of the Holy Spirit begins to dawn in our minds.
"Eli the priest," thou sayest, "speaketh, saying, If one man sin against another, they shall pray for him: but if a man sin against the Lord, who shall intreat for him? In like manner John, If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and He shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that thou shall pray for it." Thou seest that all this has reference to sins still remaining, not to those persons who have at any time sinned, and begun to repent before any one asketh for them. It were a long task to unfold the instances. Remark all the sins which God threatens, thou wilt at once see that they are present sins.
If a man sins against a man, etc. Both refer to the sons of Eli. For he sinned against a man when the priest violated the wife of another man under the pretext of religion; but this could be dismissed with appropriate penance by God. Not only this was done, but he sinned even worse against the Lord, when the same priest, contaminated by fornication, approached the holy mysteries of the altar not only unworthily, but completely unworthy. Indeed, the terrible sentence of Eli against such presumptuous persons resounds, but much more terrible is the word of the judge himself, who says: Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, neither in this age nor in the age to come (Matt. XII; Luke XII).
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Dictionary and topics
Eli — Ascent, the high priest when the ark was at Shiloh (1 Sam. 1:3, 9). He was the first of the line of Ithamar, Aaron’s fourth son (1 Chr. 24:3; comp. 2 Sam. 8:17), who held that office. The office…
Fast — The sole fast required by the law of Moses was that of the great Day of Atonement (q.v.), Lev. 23:26-32. It is called “the fast” (Acts 27:9). The only other mention of a periodical fast in the Old…
Hannah — Favour, grace, one of the wives of Elkanah the Levite, and the mother of Samuel (1 Sam. 1; 2). Her home was at Ramathaim-zophim, whence she was wont every year to go to Shiloh, where the tabernacle…
Poetry — Has been well defined as “the measured language of emotion.” Hebrew poetry deals almost exclusively with the great question of man’s relation to God. “Guilt, condemnation, punishment, pardon,…
Songs — Of Moses (Ex. 15; Num. 21:17; Deut. 32; Rev. 15:3), Deborah (Judg. 5), Hannah (1 Sam. 2), David (2 Sam. 22, and Psalms), Mary (Luke 1:46-55), Zacharias (Luke 1:68-79), the angels (Luke 2:13), Simeon…
Children, Wicked · With regard to parents: Hearken not to them — With regard to parents: Hearken not to them
Eli · Indulgent to his corrupt — Indulgent to his corrupt
Hophni · Sin of — Sin of
Intercession · OF MAN WITH MAN — OF MAN WITH MAN
Judge · CHARACTER OF, AND PRECEPTS RELATING TO — CHARACTER OF, AND PRECEPTS RELATING TO
"If man sins against man, God judges him; but if a man sins against Jehovah, who can interpose with entreaty for him?" In the use of פּללו and יתפּלּל־לו there is a paranomasia which cannot be reproduced in our language. פּלּל signifies to decide or pass sentence (Gen 48:11), then to arbitrate, to settle a dispute as arbitrator (Eze 16:52; Psa 106:30), and in the Hithpael to act as mediator, hence to entreat. And these meanings are applicable here. In the case of one man's sin against another, God settles the dispute as arbitrator through the proper authorities; whereas, when a man sins against God, no one can interpose as arbitrator. Such a sin cannot be disposed of by intercession. But Eli…
God (or the judges; Hebrew ’elohim): The Hebrew verb translated mediate is plural here, and when ’elohim means “God,” it often appears with a singular verb. In addition, some ancient translations render ’elohim as “judges” here. If that is the correct translation, then the judges would mediate for the guilty party in a common human court. However, many Hebrew scholars believe that ’elohim should never be translated “judges.” If this is the case, in what sense could God mediate for the guilty party? Possibly Eli considered the court verdict to come directly from God. God might work through his revealed law or other circumstances to either acquit or convict an individual charged with wrongdoin…
Tries him.וּפִלְלוֹ is an expression of judgment, as in, "and he shall pay by order of the judges ]פְלִילִים[."15Shemos 21:22.
Judge. The judge.
For it was Adonoy's will to kill them. For their verdict had already been sealed.16See Maseches Rosh Hashanah 18b. Before the verdict is sealed however, Scripture states, "for I do not desire the death of one who should die."17Yechezkeil 27:32.
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
