1 Samuel 2 · Verse 22

1 Samuel 2:22

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 door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
1 Samuel 2:22, King James Version

1 Samuel 2:22 in other translations

BSBNow Eli was very old, and he heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they were sleeping with the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
WEBNow Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons did to all Israel, and how that they slept with the women who served at the door of the Tent of Meeting.
ASVNow Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons did unto all Israel, and how that they lay with the women that did service at the door of the tent of meeting.
YLTAnd Eli is very old, and hath heard all that his sons do to all Israel, and how that they lie with the women who are assembling at the opening of the tent of meeting,
DARBYAnd Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and that they lay with the women that served at the entrance of the tent of meeting.
BBENow Eli was very old; and he had news from time to time of what his sons were doing to all Israel.
WebsterNow Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did to all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

What does 1 Samuel 2:22 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Samuel 2:22-24
22-24. the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle--This was an institution of holy women of a strictly ascetic order, who had relinquished worldly cares and devoted themselves to the Lord; an institution which continued down to the time of Christ (Lu 2:37). Eli was, on the whole, a good man, but lacking in the moral and religious training of his family. He erred on the side of parental indulgence; and though he reprimanded them (see on De 21:18), yet, from fear or indolence, he shrank from laying on them the restraints, or subjecting them to the discipline, their gross delinquencies called for. In his judicial capacity, he winked at their flagrant acts of maladministration and suffered them to make reckless encroachments on the constitution, by which the most serious injuries were inflicted both on the rights of the people and the laws of God.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 22 They lay with the women that assembled - It is probable that these were persons who had some employment about the tabernacle. See the note on Exo 38:8, where the Hebrew text is similar to that in this place.

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 2:22 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.

וְעֵלִ֖יve.'e.Liand EliH5941
זָקֵ֣ןza.Kenhe was oldH2204
מְאֹ֑דme.'OdexceedinglyH3966
וְשָׁמַ֗עve.sha.Ma'and he heardH8085
אֵת֩'et<obj.>H853
כָּל\־kol-allH3605
אֲשֶׁ֨ר'a.SherthatH834
יַעֲשׂ֤וּןya.'a.Sunthey did !H6213
בָּנָיו֙ba.Navsons hisH1121
לְכָל\־le.kholto allH3605
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478
וְאֵ֤תve.'Etand <obj.>H853
אֲשֶֽׁר\־'a.Sher-[he heard] this:H834
יִשְׁכְּבוּן֙yish.ke.Vunthey were lying with !H7901
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הַנָּשִׁ֔יםha.na.Shimthe womenH802
הַצֹּ֣בְא֔וֹתha.Tzoe.'otwho were servingH6633
פֶּ֖תַחPe.tach[the] opening ofH6607
אֹ֥הֶל'O.hel[the] tent ofH168
מוֹעֵֽד\׃mo.'EdmeetingH4150

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

Cross references for 1 Samuel 2:22

  • Exodus 38:8

    And he made the laver of brass, and the foot of it of brass, of the lookingglasses of the women assembling, which assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

  • Jeremiah 7:9-10

    Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations?

  • 1 Samuel 2:13-17

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

  • Hosea 4:9-11

    And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings. For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to the Lord. Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.

  • Ezekiel 22:26

    Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.

  • 1 Samuel 8:1

    And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Now.
8:1
did unto.
13-17; Jer 7:9,10; Eze 22:26; Ho 4:9-11
women.It is probable that these were persons who had some employment about the tabernacle: see note on Ex 38:8.
assembled. assembled by troops.
Ex 38:8

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 1 Samuel 2:21

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

  • 1 Samuel 2:22

    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 door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

  • 1 Samuel 2:23

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

Read all of 1 Samuel 2

1 Samuel 2:22 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Eli empero era muy viejo, y oyó todo lo que sus hijos hacían á todo Israel, y como dormían con las mujeres que velaban á la puerta del tabernáculo del testimonio.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Éli était fort âgé, et il apprit tout ce que ses fils faisaient à l’égard de tout Israël, et qu’ils couchaient avec les femmes qui servaient à l’entrée de la tente d’assignation.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Eli war sehr alt; und er hörte alles, was seine Söhne dem ganzen Israel taten, und daß sie bei den Weibern lagen, die sich scharten am Eingang des Zeltes der Zusammenkunft.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Heli autem erat senex valde, et audivit omnia quæ faciebant filii sui universo Israëli, et quomodo dormiebant cum mulieribus quæ observabant ad ostium tabernaculi: