And the priests’ custom with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand;
The priests had a custom with the people: whenever someone offered a sacrifice, the priest's servant would come while the meat was still boiling, carrying a three-pronged fork in his hand.
This verse describes how the corrupt priests had established a greedy custom of taking meat from people's sacrifices while it was still cooking.
📚 Historical Context
This passage describes the corrupt practices of Eli's sons, Hophni and Phinehas, who were priests at the tabernacle in Shiloh. According to God's law, priests were only supposed to receive specific portions of sacrifices after they were properly offered to God, but these priests were greedily taking choice portions for themselves before the sacrifice was even complete.
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