1 Samuel 3:14 (DRB)

Passage

Therefore have I sworn to the house of Heli, that the iniquity of his house shall not be expiated with victims nor offerings for ever.

Nearby Context

1 Samuel 3:12 In that day I will raise up against Heli all the things I have spoken concerning his house: I will begin, and I will make an end.

1 Samuel 3:13 For I have foretold unto him, that I will judge his house for ever, for iniquity, because he knew that his sons did wickedly, and did not chastise them.

1 Samuel 3:14 Therefore have I sworn to the house of Heli, that the iniquity of his house shall not be expiated with victims nor offerings for ever.

1 Samuel 3:15 And Samuel slept till morning, and opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel feared to tell the vision to Heli.

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

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "therefore", "sworn", "house", "heli", "iniquity", "shall", and "expiated". 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 foretold unto him that..." into verse 15's "And Samuel slept till morning and opened...", 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.