1 Samuel 2:23
New International Version
So he said to them, “Why do you do such things? I hear from all the people about these wicked deeds of yours.

New Living Translation
Eli said to them, “I have been hearing reports from all the people about the wicked things you are doing. Why do you keep sinning?

English Standard Version
And he said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all these people.

Berean Standard Bible
“Why are you doing these things?” Eli said to his sons. “I hear about your wicked deeds from all these people.

King James Bible
And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people.

New King James Version
So he said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all the people.

New American Standard Bible
So he said to them, “Why are you doing such things as these, the evil things that I hear from all these people?

NASB 1995
He said to them, “Why do you do such things, the evil things that I hear from all these people?

NASB 1977
And he said to them, “Why do you do such things, the evil things that I hear from all these people?

Legacy Standard Bible
So he said to them, “Why do you do such things, the evil things that I hear from all these people?

Amplified Bible
Eli said to them, “Why do you do such things, the evil things that I hear from all these people?

Christian Standard Bible
He said to them, “Why are you doing these things? I have heard about your evil actions from all these people.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He said to them, “Why are you doing these things? I have heard about your evil actions from all these people.

American Standard Version
And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings from all this people.

English Revised Version
And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings from all this people.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So he asked them, "Why are you doing such things? I hear about your wicked ways from all these people.

Good News Translation
So he said to them, "Why are you doing these things? Everybody tells me about the evil you are doing.

International Standard Version
"Why are you doing these things that I'm hearing about?" he asked his sons, "These reports about your evil deeds are coming from all these people!

Majority Standard Bible
“Why are you doing these things?” Eli said to his sons. “I hear about your wicked deeds from all these people.

NET Bible
He said to them, "Why do you behave in this way? For I hear about these evil things from all these people.

New Heart English Bible
And he said to them, "Why do you do such things as these that I hear being said of you from the mouth of the people of the LORD?

Webster's Bible Translation
And he said to them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people.

World English Bible
He said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all these people.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and he says to them, “Why do you do things like these? For I am hearing of your evil words from all the people—these!

Young's Literal Translation
and he saith to them, 'Why do ye things like these? for I am hearing of your evil words from all the people -- these!

Smith's Literal Translation
And he will say to them, Wherefore will ye do according to these words? which I heard very evil words of all this people.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he said to them: Why do ye these kinds of things, which I hear, very wicked things, from all the people?

Catholic Public Domain Version
And he said to them: “Why are you doing these kinds of things, very wicked things, that I have heard from all the people?

New American Bible
So he said to them: “Why are you doing such things? I hear from everyone that your behavior is depraved.

New Revised Standard Version
He said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all these people.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And he said to them, Why do you do such things? For I hear evil reports about you from all this people.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And he said to them: “Why are you doing according to these words that I hear, your evil reports from all this people?
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And he said unto them: 'Why do ye such things? for I hear evil reports concerning you from all this people.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he said to them, Why do ye according to this thing, which I hear from the mouth of all the people of the Lord?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Eli's Wicked Sons
22Now Eli was very old, and he heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they were sleeping with the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. 23“Why are you doing these things?” Eli said to his sons. “I hear about your wicked deeds from all these people. 24No, my sons; it is not a good report I hear circulating among the LORD’s people.…

Cross References
Proverbs 15:5
A fool rejects his father’s discipline, but whoever heeds correction is prudent.

Proverbs 29:15
A rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to himself disgraces his mother.

Proverbs 10:17
Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life, but he who ignores reproof goes astray.

Proverbs 13:1
A wise son heeds his father’s discipline, but a mocker does not listen to rebuke.

Proverbs 19:18
Discipline your son, for in that there is hope; do not be party to his death.

Proverbs 22:15
Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.

Proverbs 23:13-14
Do not withhold discipline from a child; although you strike him with a rod, he will not die. / Strike him with a rod, and you will deliver his soul from Sheol.

Deuteronomy 21:18-21
If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother and does not listen to them when disciplined, / his father and mother are to lay hold of him and bring him to the elders of his city, to the gate of his hometown, / and say to the elders, “This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious; he does not obey us. He is a glutton and a drunkard.” ...

Leviticus 19:17
You must not harbor hatred against your brother in your heart. Directly rebuke your neighbor, so that you will not incur guilt on account of him.

Ezekiel 3:18-19
If I say to the wicked man, ‘You will surely die,’ but you do not warn him or speak out to warn him from his wicked way to save his life, that wicked man will die in his iniquity, and I will hold you responsible for his blood. / But if you warn a wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness and his wicked way, he will die in his iniquity, but you will have saved yourself.

Ezekiel 33:8-9
If I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you will surely die,’ but you do not speak out to dissuade him from his way, then that wicked man will die in his iniquity, yet I will hold you accountable for his blood. / But if you warn the wicked man to turn from his way, and he does not turn from it, he will die in his iniquity, but you will have saved your life.

Matthew 18:15
If your brother sins against you, go and confront him privately. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.

Matthew 18:17
If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, regard him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

Luke 17:3
Watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.

1 Corinthians 5:1-2
It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is intolerable even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife. / And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have been stricken with grief and have removed from your fellowship the man who did this?


Treasury of Scripture

And he said to them, Why do you such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people.

Why

1 Kings 1:6
And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so? and he also was a very goodly man; and his mother bare him after Absalom.

Acts 9:4
And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

Acts 14:15
And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:

I hear, etc.

Isaiah 3:9
The shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have rewarded evil unto themselves.

Jeremiah 3:3
Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; and thou hadst a whore's forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed.

Jeremiah 8:12
Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore shall they fall among them that fall: in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.

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1 Samuel 2
1. Hannah's song in thankfulness
12. The sin of Eli's sons
18. Samuel's ministry
20. by Eli's blessing Hannah is more fruitful
22. Eli reproves his sons
27. A prophecy against Eli's house














So he said to them
This phrase introduces Eli's direct confrontation with his sons, Hophni and Phinehas. The Hebrew root for "said" is "אָמַר" (amar), which is often used in the Old Testament to denote not just speaking, but a declaration or proclamation. Eli, as the high priest, holds a position of authority and responsibility, and his words carry weight. This moment is significant as it reflects Eli's attempt to address the moral and spiritual decay within his own family, which is a microcosm of the larger spiritual decline in Israel at the time.

Why are you doing these things?
Eli's question is rhetorical, expressing his dismay and disappointment. The Hebrew word for "why" is "לָמָּה" (lammah), which can also imply a sense of urgency or desperation. Eli is not merely seeking information; he is expressing a deep concern for the actions of his sons, which are contrary to the covenantal laws and the duties of the priesthood. This question highlights the moral accountability expected of those in spiritual leadership.

I hear about your wicked deeds
The phrase "wicked deeds" is translated from the Hebrew "מַעֲשֵׂיכֶם הָרָעִים" (ma'aseikhem hara'im), which denotes actions that are evil or morally wrong. The use of "hear" (שָׁמַע, shama) indicates that Eli is receiving reports from the community, underscoring the public nature of his sons' transgressions. This public knowledge of their sins brings shame not only to Eli's family but also to the priesthood and the nation of Israel, which is called to be holy and set apart.

from all these people
The phrase "all these people" refers to the Israelites who are witnessing the corruption of the priesthood. The Hebrew word for "people" is "עָם" (am), which often denotes a collective group bound by covenant with God. The widespread knowledge of Hophni and Phinehas's actions suggests a breakdown in the spiritual leadership of Israel, as the priests were meant to be mediators between God and His people. This situation foreshadows the need for righteous leadership, which will later be fulfilled in the rise of Samuel and ultimately in the kingship of David.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
“Why
לָ֥מָּה (lām·māh)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

are you doing
תַעֲשׂ֖וּן (ṯa·‘ă·śūn)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural | Paragogic nun
Strong's 6213: To do, make

these
הָאֵ֑לֶּה (hā·’êl·leh)
Article | Pronoun - common plural
Strong's 428: These, those

things?”
כַּדְּבָרִ֣ים (kad·də·ḇā·rîm)
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

[Eli] said to [his sons].
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“I
אָנֹכִ֤י (’ā·nō·ḵî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 595: I

hear
שֹׁמֵ֙עַ֙ (šō·mê·a‘)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

about
אֶת־ (’eṯ-)
Direct object marker
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

your wicked
רָעִ֔ים (rā·‘îm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 7451: Bad, evil

deeds
דִּבְרֵיכֶ֣ם (diḇ·rê·ḵem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

from
מֵאֵ֖ת (mê·’êṯ)
Preposition-m | Direct object marker
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

all
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

these
אֵֽלֶּה׃ (’êl·leh)
Pronoun - common plural
Strong's 428: These, those

people.
הָעָ֥ם (hā·‘ām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock


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OT History: 1 Samuel 2:23 He said to them Why do you (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)
1 Samuel 2:22
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