1 Samuel 2 · Verse 13

1 Samuel 2:13

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;
1 Samuel 2:13, King James Version

1 Samuel 2:13 in other translations

BSBor for the custom of the priests with the people. When any man offered a sacrifice, the servant of the priest would come with a three-pronged meat fork while the meat was boiling
WEBThe custom of the priests with the people was that when anyone offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant came while the meat was boiling, with a fork of three teeth in his hand;
ASVAnd the custom of the priests with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant came, while the flesh was boiling, with a flesh-hook of three teeth in his hand;
YLTAnd the custom of the priests with the people is: any man sacrificing a sacrifice--then hath the servant of the priest come in when the flesh is boiling, and the hook of three teeth in his hand,
DARBYAnd the priests' custom with the people was, when any man sacrificed a sacrifice, the priest's servant came, when the flesh was cooked, with a flesh-hook of three prongs in his hand;
BBEAnd the priests' way with the people was this: when any man made an offering, the priest's servant came while the flesh was being cooked, having in his hand a meat-hook with three teeth;
WebsterAnd the priest's custom with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a flesh-hook of three teeth in his hand;

What does 1 Samuel 2:13 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Samuel 2:13-17
13-17. the priests' custom with the people--When persons wished to present a sacrifice of peace offering on the altar, the offering was brought in the first instance to the priest, and as the Lord's part was burnt, the parts appropriated respectively to the priests and offerers were to be sodden. But Eli's sons, unsatisfied with the breast and shoulder, which were the perquisites appointed to them by the divine law (Ex 29:27; Le 7:31, 32), not only claimed part of the offerer's share, but rapaciously seized them previous to the sacred ceremony of heaving or waving (see on Le 7:29); and moreover they committed the additional injustice of taking up with their fork those portions which they preferred, while still raw. Pious people revolted at such rapacious and profane encroachments on the dues of the altar, as well as what should have gone to constitute the family and social feast of the offerer. The truth is, the priests having become haughty and unwilling in many instances to accept invitations to those feasts, presents of meat were sent to them; and this, though done in courtesy at first, being, in course of time, established into a right, gave rise to all the rapacious keenness of Eli's sons. 1Sa 2:18-26. Samuel's Ministry.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 13 When any man offered sacrifice - That is, when a peace-offering was brought, the right shoulder and the breast belonged to the priest, the fat was burnt upon the altar, and the blood was poured at the bottom of the altar; the rest of the flesh belonged to the offerer. Under pretense of taking only their own part, they took the best of all they chose, and as much as they chose.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Samuel 2:11-26

Samuel, being devoted to the Lord in a special manner, was from a child employed about the sanctuary in the services he was capable of. As he did this with a pious disposition of mind, it was called ministering unto the Lord. He received a blessing from the Lord. Those young people who serve God as well as they can, he will enable to improve, that they may serve him better. Eli shunned trouble and exertion. This led…

Read the full comment on 1 Samuel 2:11-26 →

1 Samuel 2:13 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וּמִשְׁפַּ֥טu.mish.Patand [the] custom ofH4941
הַכֹּהֲנִ֖יםha.ko.ha.Nimthe priestsH3548
אֶת\־'et-withH854
הָעָ֑םha.'Amthe peopleH5971
כָּל\־kol-everyH3605
אִ֞ישׁ'ishpersonH376
זֹבֵ֣חַzo.Ve.ach[who] was sacrificingH2076
זֶ֗בַחZe.vacha sacrificeH2077
וּבָ֨אu.Va'and he cameH935
נַ֤עַרNa.'ar[the] servant ofH5288
הַכֹּהֵן֙ha.ko.Henthe priestH3548
כְּבַשֵּׁ֣לke.va.Shelwhen boiledH1310
הַבָּשָׂ֔רha.ba.Sarthe meatH1320
וְהַמַּזְלֵ֛גve.ha.maz.Legand the forkH4207
שְׁלֹ֥שׁ\־she.Losh-[the] threeH7969
הַשִּׁנַּ֖יִםha.shi.Na.yimthe prongsH8127
בְּיָדֽוֹ\׃be.ya.Do[was] in hand hisH3027

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 Samuel 2:13

  • Leviticus 7:29-34

    Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, He that offereth the sacrifice of his peace offerings unto the Lord shall bring his oblation unto the Lord of the sacrifice of his peace offerings. His own hands shall bring the offerings of the Lord made by fire, the fat with the breast, it shall he bring, that the breast may be waved for a wave offering before the Lord. And the priest shall burn the fat upon the altar: but the breast shall be Aaron’s and his sons’. And the right shoulder shall ye give unto the priest for an heave offering of the sacrifices of your peace offerings. …

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Context

  • 1 Samuel 2:12

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

  • 1 Samuel 2:13

    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;

  • 1 Samuel 2:14

    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.

Read all of 1 Samuel 2

1 Samuel 2:13 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y la costumbre de los sacerdotes con el pueblo era que, cuando alguno ofrecía sacrificio, venía el criado del sacerdote mientras la carne estaba á cocer, trayendo en su mano un garfio de tres ganchos;
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et la coutume des sacrificateurs à l’égard du peuple était celle-ci: quand quelqu’un sacrifiait un sacrifice, le serviteur du sacrificateur venait, lorsqu’on faisait bouillir la chair, ayant en sa main une fourchette à trois dents,
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und die Weise der Priester gegen das Volk war also: So oft jemand ein Schlachtopfer opferte, kam der Knabe des Priesters, wenn man das Fleisch kochte, und hatte eine Gabel mit drei Zinken in seiner Hand;
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		neque officium sacerdotum ad populum: sed quicumque immolasset victimam, veniebat puer sacerdotis, dum coquerentur carnes, et habebat fuscinulam tridentem in manu sua,