The Sons of Eli

Eli in the Bible

Christianity Oasis provides this Eli Bible Study on the Sons of Eli in the Bible story. We'll be looking into that and all aspects of the Christian Walk. This SON-derful study reveals truth as to bring forth understanding and peace within.


Daily Bread Devotional Bible Study
The First Book of Samuel
Chapter 4


Eli Bible Study

The Sons of Eli in the Bible

Welcome to our Christianity Oasis Daily Bread study program. This is our Eli Bible Study taking a look into the Sons of Eli in the Bible story of the death of Eli and how the thought provoking Eli Bible Study message affects your be-YOU-tiful Christian walk.

Eli Bible Study on Eli Death
The Sons of Eli in the Bible Story

Great to have you back at Daily Bread for another great episode of the history of Israel from the book of 1 Samuel. When our last study time ended, Eli was told by the Lord through Samuel, that the future was grim for he and his family.

Now at that time, there were still battles between the heathen people who were never dispossessed of their land in Canaan, and Israel who inherited the land from God. Just as He had warned ... They would always be thorns in their sides.

In the days when Samuel had begun to prophecy, the Philistines again made war against Israel and at first, Israel was being defeated, losing about 4,000 men. So they decided it was a good idea to take the Ark of the Covenant out to the battlefield, in hopes that it would save them.

Eli Bible Study Concern
The Sons of Eli in the Bible Explanation

Now, who do you think went with the Ark? You guessed it ... Hophni and Phinehas, Eli's sons. When the Ark came into the camp, all of Israel shouted so loudly that the Earth rang, like it did in Jericho.

Joshua 6:20

So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.

When the Philistines heard it, they knew that the Ark of the Lord was in the camp, and they were afraid, recalling all the great wonders that the Lord had worked on behalf of Israel since He brought them out of the land of Egypt.

Eli Bible Study Warning
The Sons of Eli in the Bible Message

But the Philistines then encouraged one another to be courageous and fight like men so that they wouldn't end up as slaves to the Hebrews, as the Hebrews were to the Philistines aforetime. They then defeated Israel sorely and stole the Ark of God, killing Hophni and Phinehas.

One man from the tribe of Benjamin escaped the disaster and ran to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes torn and dirt on his head, as was customary when a person was in mourning or devastation.

Now Eli, being ninety-eight years old, and blind, sat waiting for the Ark of God to return, and the man of Benjamin told Eli that there was a great slaughter of Israel, including Hophni and Phinehas, and that the Ark of God was stolen.

Eli Bible Study Danger
The Sons of Eli in the Bible Story Fear

If you read your text in your Bible, you'll notice that it wasn't when Eli heard of the demise of his sons, that he was greatly affected, but when he heard the news of the Ark of God being stolen, he fell backward in grief off his seat and died, being an old and fat man.

Eli judged Israel for forty years. (Though this story is not in the book of Judges, Eli was still considered a judge, even though he was also a high priest of Israel.)

When Phinehas' wife heard that her husband and her father-in-law were both dead, and that the Ark had been taken, she went into labor and gave birth to a son, naming him Ichabod (which means "no glory"), saying, The glory is departed from Israel, for the Ark of God is taken. She died after giving birth.

Eli Bible Study Conclusion
The Sons of Eli in the Bible Summary

To find out what happened next with the Ark of God, come on back soon and we'll look at that story together right here at Daily Bread.