1 Samuel 2 · Verse 30

1 Samuel 2:30

Wherefore the Lord God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the Lord saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.
1 Samuel 2:30, King James Version

1 Samuel 2:30 in other translations

BSBTherefore, the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I did indeed say that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever. But now the LORD declares: Far be it from Me! For I will honor those who honor Me, but those who despise Me will be disdained.
WEB“Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, says, ‘I said indeed that your house and the house of your father should walk before me forever.’ But now the LORD says, ‘Far be it from me; for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me will be cursed.
ASVTherefore Jehovah, the God of Israel, saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now Jehovah saith, Be it far from me; for them that honor me I will honor, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.
YLT‘Therefore--the affirmation of Jehovah, God of Israel--I certainly said, Thy house and the house of thy father, do walk up and down before Me to the age; and now--the affirmation of Jehovah--Far be it from Me! for he who is honouring Me, I honour, and those despising Me, are lightly esteemed.
DARBYWherefore Jehovah the God of Israel saith, I said indeed, Thy house and the house of thy father should walk before me for ever. But now Jehovah saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.
BBEFor this reason the Lord God of Israel has said, Truly I did say that your family and your father's people would have their place before me for ever: but now the Lord says, Let it not be so; I will give honour to those by whom I am honoured, and those who have no respect for me will be of small value in my eyes.
WebsterWherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honor me I will honor, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.

What does 1 Samuel 2:30 mean?

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 30 Should walk before me for ever - See Exo 29:9; Exo 40:15; Num 25:10-13, where it is positively promised that the priesthood should be continued in the family of Aaron For Ever. But although this promise appears to be absolute, yet we plainly see that, like all other apparently absolute promises of God, it is conditional, i.e., a condition is implied though not expressed. But now - be it far from me - You have walked unworthily; I shall annul my promise, and reverse my ordinance. See Jer 18:9, Jer 18:10. For them that honor me - This is a plan from which God will never depart; this can have no alteration; every promise is made in reference to it; "they who honor God shall be honored; they who despise him shall be lightly esteemed."

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Samuel 2:27-36

Those who allow their children in any evil way, and do not use their authority to restrain and punish them, in effect honour them more than God. Let Eli's example excite parents earnestly to strive against the beginnings of wickedness, and to train up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. In the midst of the sentence against the house of Eli, mercy is promised to Israel. God's work shall never…

Read the full comment on 1 Samuel 2:27-36 →

1 Samuel 2:30 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.

לָכֵ֗ןla.Khen<to> thereforeH3651
נְאֻם\־ne.'um-[the] utterance ofH5002
יְהוָה֮Yah.wehYahwehH3068
אֱלֹהֵ֣י'e.lo.Hei[the] God ofH430
יִשְׂרָאֵל֒Yis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478
אָמ֣וֹר'a.Morcertainly <to say>H559
אָמַ֔רְתִּי'a.Mar.tiI saidH559
בֵּֽיתְךָ֙bei.te.Khahouse yourH1004
וּבֵ֣יתu.Veitand [the] house ofH1004
אָבִ֔יךָ'a.Vi.khaancestor yourH1
יִתְהַלְּכ֥וּyit.ha.le.Khuthey will walk aboutH1980
לְפָנַ֖יle.fa.Nai<to> before meH6440
עַד\־'ad-untilH5704
עוֹלָ֑םo.LamperpetuityH5769
וְעַתָּ֤הve.'a.Tahand nowH6258
נְאֻם\־ne.'um-[the] utterance ofH5002
יְהוָה֙Yah.wehYahwehH3068
חָלִ֣ילָהcha.Li.lahfar be itH2486
לִּ֔יLito <the> me
כִּֽי\־ki-forH3588
מְכַבְּדַ֥יme.kha.be.Dai[those who] honor meH3513
אֲכַבֵּ֖ד'a.kha.BedI will honorH3513
וּבֹזַ֥יu.vo.Zaiand [those who] despise meH959
יֵקָֽלּוּ\׃ye.Ka.luthey will be insignificantH7043

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

Cross references for 1 Samuel 2:30

  • John 12:26

    If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

  • Jeremiah 18:9-10

    And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.

  • Proverbs 3:9-10

    Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

  • Malachi 1:6

    A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?

  • Psalms 91:14

    Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.

  • 2 Chronicles 15:2

    And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.

  • Isaiah 29:13

    Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

  • Psalms 50:23

    Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.

  • Psalms 18:20

    The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.

  • Exodus 29:9

    And thou shalt gird them with girdles, Aaron and his sons, and put the bonnets on them: and the priest’s office shall be theirs for a perpetual statute: and thou shalt consecrate Aaron and his sons.

  • Malachi 2:8-9

    But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the Lord of hosts. Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial in the law.

  • 1 Peter 1:7

    That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
I said.
Ex 28:43; 29:9; Nu 25:11-13
Be it far.
Nu 35:34; *marg
2Ch 15:2; Jer 18:9,10
them.
Jud 9:10; Ps 50:23; Pr 3:9,10; Isa 29:13; Da 4:34; Mal 1:6
Joh 5:23; 8:49; 13:31,32; 17:4,5
I will honour.
Ps 18:20; 91:14; Joh 5:44; 12:26; 1Co 4:5; 1Pe 1:7
that despise.
Nu 11:20; 2Sa 12:9,10; Mal 2:8,9

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

Context

  • 1 Samuel 2:29

    Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people?

  • 1 Samuel 2:30

    Wherefore the Lord God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the Lord saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.

  • 1 Samuel 2:31

    Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father’s house, that there shall not be an old man in thine house.

Read all of 1 Samuel 2

1 Samuel 2:30 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Por tanto, Jehová el Dios de Israel dice: Yo había dicho que tu casa y la casa de tu padre andarían delante de mí perpetuamente; mas ahora ha dicho Jehová: Nunca yo tal haga, porque yo honraré á los que me honran, y los que me tuvieren en poco, serán viles.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
C’est pourquoi l’ Éternel, le Dieu d’Israël, dit: J’avais bien dit: Ta maison et la maison de ton père marcheront devant moi à toujours; mais maintenant l’ Éternel dit: Que cela soit loin de moi; car ceux qui m’honorent, je les honorerai; et ceux qui me méprisent seront en petite estime.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Darum spricht Jehova, der Gott Israels: Ich habe allerdings gesagt: Dein Haus und das Haus deines Vaters sollen vor mir wandeln ewiglich; aber nun spricht Jehova: Fern sei es von mir! Denn die mich ehren, werde ich ehren, und die mich verachten, werden gering geachtet werden.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Propterea ait Dominus Deus Israël: Loquens locutus sum, ut domus tua, et domus patris tui, ministraret in conspectu meo usque in sempiternum. Nunc autem dicit Dominus: Absit hoc a me: sed quicumque glorificaverit me, glorificabo eum: qui autem contemnunt me, erunt ignobiles.