1 Samuel 2:36

And everyone left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver or a morsel of bread, pleading, “Please appoint me to some priestly office so that I can eat a piece of bread.”’”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — God pronounces this judgment to Eli through a prophet, forecasting the collapse of Eli’s priestly lineage immediately after promising to establish a faithful successor.

The words — The Hebrew `הַנּוֹתָר` (ha-no.Tar) means "the remaining one," and `אֲגֹרַת` (a-Gorat) translates literally as "a payment" or "wages," framing the survivors' desperate bargaining.

The thread — This prophecy of priestly degradation unfolds in 1 Kings 2:27 when Solomon removes Abiathar, echoes 1 Samuel 2:29’s charge against dishonoring God’s prescribed offerings, and parallels Ezekiel 44:10’s condemnation of wandering Levites.

Why it lands — The text demands recognition that sacred office cannot be reduced to survival bargaining, requiring readers to reject the commodification of spiritual authority.

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

וְהָיָ֗הve./ha.Yahand/ it will be כָּל־kol-every הַנּוֹתָר֙ha./no.Tar<the>/ [one who] remains בְּבֵ֣יתְךָ֔be./Vei.te./khain/ house/ your יָבוֹא֙ya.Vo'he will come לְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֹ֣תle./hish.ta.cha.Votto/ bow downל֔וֹl/oto <the>/ himלַאֲג֥וֹרַתla./'a.Go.ratfor/ a payment of כֶּ֖סֶףKe.sefsilver וְכִכַּר־ve./khi.kar-and/ a round loaf of לָ֑חֶםLa.chembread וְאָמַ֗רve./'a.Marand/ he will say סְפָחֵ֥נִיse.fa.Che./niattach/ me נָ֛אna'please אֶל־'el-to אַחַ֥ת'a.Chatone of הַכְּהֻנּ֖וֹתha./ke.hu.Notthe/ priesthoods לֶאֱכֹ֥לle./'e.Kholto/ eat פַּת־pat-a piece of לָֽחֶם׃ סLa.chembread

King James Version

And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in thine house shall come and crouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priests’ offices, that I may eat a piece of bread.

Cross-references

1 Kings 2:27 So Solomon banished Abiathar from the priesthood of the LORD and thus fulfilled the word that the LORD had spoken at Shiloh against the house of Eli.
1 Samuel 2:29 Why then do you kick at My sacrifice and offering that I have prescribed for My dwelling place? You have honored your sons more than Me by fattening yourselves with the best of all the offerings of My people Israel.’
Ezekiel 44:10 Surely the Levites who wandered away from Me when Israel went astray, and who wandered away from Me after their idols, will bear the consequences of their iniquity.
Malachi 1:13 You also say: ‘Oh, what a nuisance!’ And you turn up your nose at it,” says the LORD of Hosts. “You bring offerings that are stolen, lame, or sick! Should I accept these from your hands?” asks the LORD.