1 Samuel 3:14 (KJV)

Passage

And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever.

Nearby Context

1 Samuel 3:12 In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end.

1 Samuel 3:13 For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.

1 Samuel 3:14 And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever.

1 Samuel 3:15 And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision.

1 Samuel 3:16 Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here am I.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "therefore", "sworn", "house", "iniquity", "shall", "purged", and "sacrifice". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "therefore" and "sworn", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 13's "For I have told him that I..." into verse 15's "And Samuel lay until the morning and...", so "therefore" and "sworn" belong inside that flow. In 1 Samuel context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "therefore" and "sworn" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.