1 Samuel 2:15
in 1 Samuel 2Even before the fat was burned, the servant of the priest would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give the priest some meat to roast, because he will not accept boiled meat from you, but only raw.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Yea, before they burnt the fat, the priest’s servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have boiled flesh of thee, but raw.
KJV
Also before they burnt the fat, the priest’s servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have sodden flesh of thee, but raw.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 2
Commentary
10 notes on this verseBefore they burnt the fat - They would serve themselves before God was served! This was iniquity and arrogance of the first magnitude. He will not have sodden flesh - He chooses roast meat, not boiled; and if they had it in the pot before the servant came, he took it out that it might be roasted.
This site's exposition
the servant of the priest would come
on 1 Samuel 2:15-17
The priest's servant demands raw meat before the fat is burned, taking for the priest's table what belonged to the altar first. Verse 17 names it: “the sin of these young men was severe in the sight of the LORD, for they were treating the LORD’s offering with contempt”.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church4 voices
Even before they burned the fat, etc. The wickedness of Pharisaic deception progressed so far that even before they taught that the rich offering of love, most pleasing to God, should be made, which should be offered singularly on the altar of the heart before …
A commentator
Gregory the DialogistCommentary on 1 Kings, Book 2, Chapter 2 · Written before 604.
proposed
5. Fat indeed is the internal richness, in which that devotion of mind is expressed by which the minds of the elect are joined to their Creator in more perfect charity. They rightly offer sacrifice with meat already cooked, because no one will be able to rise to the sublimity of charity unless he first loves the mysteries of the incarnate divinity which he believes. For to believe through the Holy Spirit that the humanity of the Lord Jesus was assumed into divinity is to cook the flesh that is to be offered to God.
A commentator
Gregory the DialogistCommentary on 1 Kings, Book 2, Chapter 2 · Written before 604.
proposed
6. He would give raw meat to the boy, who before the persecutors would assert the pure humanity of Christ, and the boy would cook it for the priest, because through the fire of malice the Jewish people would think this: that their leaders would willingly receive it in the refreshment of their mind. Therefore the priest's boy came and demanded raw meat, when the Jewish people, serving the letter of the law, urged the faithful to deny the divinity of the Redeemer. Coming therefore he says: "I will not accept cooked meat from you, but raw."
But whoever had sacrificed a victim, the priest's boy would come, etc. Whoever at that time had decided to consecrate his life to the Lord, the disciples of the scribes, Pharisees, and chief priests would come, as his carnal customs began to be boiled away …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
He was a fat heavy man ( ch. iv. 18 ), and therefore it is charged upon the whole family (though Hophni and Phinehas were principally guilty), You make yourselves fat with the chief of all the offerings. God gave them sufficient to feed them, but that would not suffice; they made themselves fat, and served their lusts with that which God was to be served with.
3 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
) according as his capacity was. He learned his catechism and was constant to his devotions, soon learned to read, and took a pleasure in the book of the law, and thus he ministered to the Lord. He ministered before Eli, that is, under his inspection, and as he ordered him, not before Eli's sons; all parties were agreed that they were unfit to be his tutors.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
Also before they burnt the fat,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
the priests' custom with the people--When persons wished to present a sacrifice of peace offering on the altar, the offering was brought in the first instance to the priest, and as the Lord's part was burnt, the parts appropriated respectively to the priests and offerers were to be sodden.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The words behind it
23 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| גַּם֮ | gam | also | H1571 → | 769 times |
| בְּטֶרֶם֮ | beterem | <in> before | H2962 → | 56 times |
| יַקְטִר֣וּן | yaktirun | they made smoke ! | H6999 → | 116 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַחֵלֶב֒ | hachelev | the fat | H2459 → | 92 times |
| וּבָ֣א׀ | uva' | and he came | H935 → | 2568 times |
| נַ֣עַר | naar | [the] servant of | H5288 → | 239 times |
| הַכֹּהֵ֗ן | hakohen | the priest | H3548 → | 750 times |
| וְאָמַר֙ | veamar | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לָאִ֣ישׁ | laish | to the man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| הַזֹּבֵ֔חַ | hazoveach | who was sacrificing | H2076 → | 134 times |
| תְּנָ֣ה | tenah | give ! | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| בָשָׂ֔ר | vasar | meat | H1320 → | 270 times |
| לִצְל֖וֹת | litzlot | to roast | H6740 → | |
| לַכֹּהֵ֑ן | lakohen | to the priest | H3548 → | 750 times |
| וְלֹֽא־ | velo'- | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִקַּ֧ח | yikach | he will accept | H3947 → | 966 times |
| מִמְּךָ֛ | mimekha | from you | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| בָּשָׂ֥ר | basar | meat | H1320 → | 270 times |
| מְבֻשָּׁ֖ל | mevushal | boiled | H1310 → | |
| כִּ֥י | ki | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | except | H518 → | 1069 times |
| חָֽי׃ | chai | raw | H2416 → | 498 times |
גַּם֮also
gamH1571 →769 times
בְּטֶרֶם֮<in> before
beteremH2962 →56 times
יַקְטִר֣וּןthey made smoke !
yaktirunH6999 →116 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַחֵלֶב֒the fat
hachelevH2459 →92 times
וּבָ֣א׀and he came
uva'H935 →2568 times
נַ֣עַר[the] servant of
naarH5288 →239 times
הַכֹּהֵ֗ןthe priest
hakohenH3548 →750 times
וְאָמַר֙and he said
veamarH559 →5305 times
לָאִ֣ישׁto the man
laishH376 →1663 times
הַזֹּבֵ֔חַwho was sacrificing
hazoveachH2076 →134 times
תְּנָ֣הgive !
tenahH5414 →2011 times
בָשָׂ֔רmeat
vasarH1320 →270 times
לִצְל֖וֹתto roast
litzlotH6740 →
לַכֹּהֵ֑ןto the priest
lakohenH3548 →750 times
וְלֹֽא־and not
velo'-H3808 →5168 times
יִקַּ֧חhe will accept
yikachH3947 →966 times
מִמְּךָ֛from you
mimekhaH4480 →1188 times
בָּשָׂ֥רmeat
basarH1320 →270 times
מְבֻשָּׁ֖לboiled
mevushalH1310 →
כִּ֥יthat
kiH3588 →4482 times
אִם־except
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
חָֽי׃raw
chaiH2416 →498 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Philippians 3:19Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and their glory is in their shame. Their minds are set on earthly things.
it leads to
- 2 Peter 2:3
In their greed, these false teachers will exploit you with deceptive words. The longstanding verdict against them remains in force, and their destruction does not sleep.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Romans 16:18
For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.
- Romans 8:5–7
Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh; but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.
- Colossians 3:2
Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
- 2 Peter 2:3
Through
Romans 16:18For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.
it leads to
- Colossians 2:4
I say this so that no one will deceive you by smooth rhetoric.
- Matthew 7:15
Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
- 1 Timothy 6:5
and constant friction between men of depraved mind who are devoid of the truth. These men regard godliness as a means of gain.
- Colossians 2:4
Through
Jude 1:12These men are hidden reefs in your love feasts, shamelessly feasting with you but shepherding only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried along by the wind; fruitless trees in autumn, twice dead after…
it leads to
- Matthew 15:13
But Jesus replied, “Every plant that My heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by its roots.
- Matthew 15:13
Where this verse is studied
About 1 Samuel
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Bede, Commentary on Samuel; Gregory the Dialogist, Commentary on 1 Kings, Book 2, Chapter 2; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.