1 Samuel 2:30

Therefore, 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.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Yahweh addresses Eli the high priest, pronouncing the formal reversal of a prior covenant promise after Eli's sons have defiled the sacrificial system.

The words — The emphatic infinitive אָמ֣וֹר ('a.Mor, "certainly <to say>") intensifies the prior declaration, making the promise that follows its negation all the more weighty.

The thread — The honor/disgrace principle recurs in Proverbs 3:9 and John 12:26, while Jeremiah 18:9 shows that God's announced word can be rescinded when circumstances change.

Why it lands — The verse removes any middleman: honor owed to God cannot be redirected to a priest, a son, or a tradition without incurring the same disdain the verse pronounces.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

לָכֵ֗ןla./Khen<to>/ therefore נְאֻם־ne.'um-[the] utterance of יְהוָה֮Yah.wehYahweh אֱלֹהֵ֣י'e.lo.Hei[the] God of יִשְׂרָאֵל֒Yis.ra.'ElIsrael אָמ֣וֹר'a.Morcertainly <to say>אָמַ֔רְתִּי'a.Mar.tiI said בֵּֽיתְךָ֙bei.te./Khahouse/ your וּבֵ֣יתu./Veitand/ [the] house of אָבִ֔יךָ'a.Vi./khaancestor/ your יִתְהַלְּכ֥וּyit.ha.le.Khuthey will walk about לְפָנַ֖יle./fa.Na/i<to>/ before/ me עַד־'ad-until עוֹלָ֑םo.Lamperpetuity וְעַתָּ֤הve./'a.Tahand/ now נְאֻם־ne.'um-[the] utterance of יְהוָה֙Yah.wehYahweh חָלִ֣ילָהcha.Li.lahfar be itלִּ֔יL/ito <the>/ meכִּֽי־ki-for מְכַבְּדַ֥יme.kha.be.Da/i[those who] honor/ me אֲכַבֵּ֖ד'a.kha.BedI will honor וּבֹזַ֥יu./vo.Za/iand/ [those who] despise/ me יֵקָֽלּוּ׃ye.Ka.luthey will be insignificant

King James Version

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.

Cross-references

John 12:26 If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, My servant will be as well. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.
Jeremiah 18:9 And if at another time I announce that I will build up and establish a nation or kingdom,
Proverbs 3:9 Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your crops;
Malachi 1:6 “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. But if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is your fear of Me?” says the LORD of Hosts to you priests who despise My name. “But you ask, ‘How have we despised Your name?’
2 Chronicles 15:2 So he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you when you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.
Psalms 91:14 “Because he loves Me, I will deliver him; because he knows My name, I will protect him.
Isaiah 29:13 Therefore the Lord said: “These people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship of Me is but rules taught by men.
Psalms 50:23 He who sacrifices a thank offering honors Me, and to him who rightly orders his way, I will show the salvation of God.”
Psalms 18:20 The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness; He has repaid me according to the cleanness of my hands.
Exodus 29:9 Wrap the sashes around Aaron and his sons and tie headbands on them. The priesthood shall be theirs by a permanent statute. In this way you are to ordain Aaron and his sons.