1 Samuel 2:22 (KJV)

What does 1 Samuel 2:22 mean?

1 Samuel 2:22 describes an elderly Eli learning that his sons were mistreating people throughout Israel and having sexual relations with women at the entrance to the place of worship. Their conduct was especially serious because Eli’s sons served as priests there, and the report placed their behavior at the very site where people came to meet God.

The narrator tells the reader what Eli heard before describing his response. The “tabernacle of the congregation” was a sacred tent where Israelites gathered for worship. The women were assembled at its entrance, placing the reported acts at a recognizable public setting.

The Hebrew behind 1 Samuel 2:22

• “assembled” — צָבָא (tsavaʾ): This word can describe serving in an organized group. Here it suggests that the women had a regular role at the entrance, rather than merely happening to gather there.
• “tabernacle” — אֹהֶל (ohel): The word means “tent.” It helps picture the place of worship as a tent rather than a permanent stone building.
• “congregation” — מוֹעֵד (moʿed): This word can mean an appointed time or meeting. In the phrase “tabernacle of the congregation,” it points to the tent as a place of meeting.

Why 1 Samuel 2:22 matters

• The report reached Eli from beyond his own household. “All that his sons did unto all Israel” presents their conduct as affecting people across the community.
• Eli’s response begins with what he has heard from others. In the following verses, he questions his sons about the reports, connecting this verse directly to his warning to them.