1 Samuel 3:14 (LSB)

Passage

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.”

Nearby Context

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.

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

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "therefore", "sworn", "house", "iniquity", "shall", "atoned", 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 "And I have told him that I..." into verse 15's "So Samuel lay down until morning Then...", 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.