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Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD: for men abhorred the offering of the LORD.
1 Samuel 2:17 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB The sin of the young men was very great before Yahweh; for the men despised the offering of Yahweh.
  • BSB Thus the sin of these young men was severe in the sight of the LORD, for they were treating the LORD’s offering with contempt.
  • NKJV Therefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord, for men abhorred the offering of the Lord.
  • NASB And so the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord, for the men treated the offering of the Lord disrespectfully.
  • NLT So the sin of these young men was very serious in the Lord’s sight, for they treated the Lord’s offerings with contempt.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

The young men's sin was very great before the Lord, for they treated His offering with contempt. Their abuse provoked God's judgment.

Overview

The narrator's verdict is blunt: their sin was 'very great' in God's sight because they 'despised the offering of Yahweh.' To scorn the sacrifices was to scorn the God who gave them, and to turn people away from worship. This grave indictment prepares for the coming prophecy of judgment on Eli's house.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 9

  • Mal 2:7–9For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.
  • Gen 6:11The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.
  • Mal 2:13And this have ye done again, covering the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping, and with crying out, insomuch that he regardeth not the offering any more, or receiveth it with good will at your hand.
  • Gen 13:13But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.
  • Ps 51:4Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.
  • Gen 10:9He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD.
  • 2 Kgs 21:6And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.
  • Isa 3:8For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongue and their doings are against the LORD, to provoke the eyes of his glory.
  • Matt 18:7Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (5)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — 1 Samuel videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on 1 Samuel 2:17YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on 1 SamuelMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

The rise of the anointed king after Israel's failed first choice points to the true Anointed One (Messiah means 'anointed'), the shepherd-king after God's own heart from Bethlehem.

How 1 Samuel 2:17 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.