1 Samuel 3:13 (LSB)

Passage

And I have told him that I am about to judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knew because his sons have been bringing a curse on themselves, but he did not rebuke them.

Nearby Context

1 Samuel 3:11 And Yahweh said to Samuel, “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle.

1 Samuel 3:12 In that day I will establish against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end.

1 Samuel 3:13 And I have told him that I am about to judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knew because his sons have been bringing a curse on themselves, but he did not rebuke them.

1 Samuel 3:14 Now therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.”

1 Samuel 3:15 So Samuel lay down until morning. Then he opened the doors of the house of Yahweh. But Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "told", "judge", "house", "forever", "iniquity", "knew", "sons", and "been". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "told" and "judge", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 12's "In that day I will establish against..." into verse 14's "Now therefore I have sworn to the...", so "told" and "judge" 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 "told" and "judge" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.