Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
Now Eli was very old, and he heard about everything his sons were doing to the people of Israel, including how they were sleeping with the women who served at the entrance of the meeting tent.
This verse shows that the elderly priest Eli knew about his sons' serious misconduct, including their sexual immorality with women who served at God's tabernacle.
📚 Historical Context
Eli was the high priest at Shiloh where the tabernacle was located, and his sons Hophni and Phinehas were also priests who were supposed to serve God faithfully. Instead, they were corrupt, taking more than their share of sacrifices and engaging in sexual immorality with women who served at the tabernacle entrance. This corruption of the priesthood was happening during the period of the judges, when 'everyone did what was right in their own eyes.'
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