Hophni And Phinehas

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

"Sons of Belial," who, though knowing externally and professionally, "knew not the Lord" experimentally and practically ( 1 Samuel 2:12, compare  Jeremiah 22:16;  Titus 1:16). Greediness, violent rapacity, wherewith they made themselves fat with the chiefest of the offerings of God's people, (and this in the sanctuary itself, so that "men abhorred the offering of the Lord,") and even lust indulged with the women assembling at the door of the tabernacle, were their crying sins. These in accordance with the prophecies of a man of God, and of Samuel, brought on both a violent death in one day. In vain Israel relied on the ark of God when Hophni and Phinehas were its escort. If Eli had "restrained them" firmly when "they made themselves vile," and had Israel thoroughly amended their ways, the ark, so far from falling into the foe's hands, would have been the pledge of victory over the foe ( Jeremiah 7:4;  Isaiah 48:2). (See Eli .) (1 Samuel 2; 3; 4).

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

Hophni And Phinehas . The two sons of Eli; they were priests in the sanctuary at Shiloh, where, in spite of the presence of their father, they carried on their evil practices. In consequence of their deeds a curse is twice pronounced upon the house of Eli, first by a ‘man of God’ (  1 Samuel 2:27 ) who is not named, and again by the mouth of Samuel (ch. 3). The curse was accomplished when Hophni and Phinehas were slain at the battle of Aphek, and the ark of God was lost an incident which was the cause of the death of Eli (ch. 4). The malpractices of these two consisted in their claiming and appropriating more than their due of the sacrifices (  1 Samuel 2:13-17 ), and in their immoral actions in the Tabernacle (  1 Samuel 2:22; cf.   Amos 2:7-8 ).

W. O. E. Oesterley.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The guilty and wretched sons of Eli the high priest. They grossly and continuously abused the influence of their position and sacred office; and their cupidity, violence, and impious profligacy, overbearing the feeble remonstrances of their father, brought disgrace and ruin on their family. The ark, which they had carried to the camp in spire of divine prohibitions, was taken, and they were slain in battle,  1 Samuel 2:1-4:22 . See Eli . The ark of God protects only those who love and obey him. Men in all ages are prone to rely on a form of religion, while the heart and life are not right with God; and all who thus sin, like the sons of Eli, must perish likewise.

Holman Bible Dictionary

 1 Samuel 1:3 1 Samuel 4:4 1 Samuel 4:18EliSamuel

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

hof´nı̄ , fin´ē̇ - as , - az ( חפני , ḥophnı̄ , "pugilist" (?), פינחס , pı̄neḥāṣ , probably "face of brass"): Sons of Eli, priests of the sanctuary at Shiloh. Their character was wicked enough to merit the double designation "sons of Eli" and (the King James Version) "sons of Belial" (the Revised Version, margin "base men,"   1 Samuel 2:12 ). Their evil practices are described ( 1 Samuel 2:12-17 ). Twice is Eli warned concerning them, once by an unknown prophet ( 1 Samuel 2:27 ) and again by the lips of the young Samuel ( 1 Samuel 3:11-18 ). The curse fell at the battle of Aphek (1 Sam 4:1-18) at which the brothers were slain, the ark was taken and the disaster occurred which caused Eli's death. Phinehas was father of the posthumous Ichabod, whose name marks the calamity (see Ichabod ). A remoter sequel to the prophetic warnings is seen in the deposition of Abiathar, of the house of Eli, from the priestly office ( 1 Kings 2:26 ,  1 Kings 2:27 ,  1 Kings 2:35 ).

Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature

Hoph´ni and Phin´ehas, the sons of Eli, whose misconduct in the priesthood (as described in ) brought down that doom of ruin and degradation upon the house of Eli which formed the first divine communication through the young Samuel (1 Samuel 3). Hophni and Phinehas were slain in the battle in which the ark of God was taken by the Philistines, B.C. 1141 [ELI].