And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them.
Parallel translations
- WEB “‘This will be the sign to you, that will come on your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they will both die.
- BSB And this sign shall come to you concerning your two sons Hophni and Phinehas: They will both die on the same day.
- NKJV Now this shall be a sign to you that will come upon your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they shall die, both of them.
- NASB And this will be the sign to you which will come in regard to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas: on the same day both of them will die.
- NLT And to prove that what I have said will come true, I will cause your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, to die on the same day!
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
As a sign, both Hophni and Phinehas would die on the same day. Their simultaneous death would confirm the prophecy.
Overview
God gives a specific, verifiable sign: the death of both sons in a single day, fulfilled in chapter four. Such a sign authenticates the prophetic word as truly from the Lord. The certainty of this sign underscores that God's pronounced judgments come to pass exactly as spoken.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- 1 Sam 4:11And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.
- 1 Kgs 13:3And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the LORD hath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out.
- 1 Sam 4:17And the messenger answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken.
- 1 Sam 3:12In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end.
- 1 Kgs 14:12Arise thou therefore, get thee to thine own house: and when thy feet enter into the city, the child shall die.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 2:34 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.