• Eleazar
    Aid to Bible Understanding

    • BECOMES HIGH PRIEST

      In the fortieth year of the wilderness journey, upon Aaron’s death at the age of 123 years, Eleazar, then about 70 years of age, became high priest. (Num. 33:37-39) Eleazar, therefore, was the first high priest of Israel to officiate in the Promised Land when they entered about eight months later. (Num. 20:25-28; Deut. 10:6; Josh. 4:19) It was before Eleazar that Joshua was to stand to be appointed as Moses’ successor, and Eleazar was to continue to give support to Joshua in the appointment and to transmit to him Jehovah’s decisions on questions of importance according to the judgment of the Urim and the Thummim. (Num. 27:18-23) Eleazar also worked together with Joshua in the distribution of the Promised Land after the conquest of Canaan.—Josh. 14:1; 21:1-3.

      HEAD OF MAJOR PRIESTLY HOUSE

      The time of Eleazar’s death is not stated in the Scriptures with exactness, but it seems to have been near the time of Judge Joshua’s death. Eleazar was succeeded by his son Phinehas. (Josh. 24:29, 30, 33; Judg. 20:27, 28) Eleazar manifested the trait of zeal for Jehovah’s true worship and conducted the priesthood with honor all his days. Jewish tradition holds that during the time the tabernacle was in Shiloh there were sixteen courses of priests, eight in the family of Eleazar and eight in that of his brother Ithamar. However, in David’s time there were more chief men in the family of Eleazar than of Ithamar. Therefore David made sixteen priestly divisions of the house of Eleazar and eight of the house of Ithamar, making a total of twenty-four divisions that served in turn later at the temple.—1 Chron. 24:1-4.

      2. The son of Abinadab who was sanctified to guard the sacred Ark that was brought to the house of his father in the city of Kiriath-jearim, after its return by the Philistines.—1 Sam. 7:1, 2.

      3. Son of Dodo the Ahohite; one of David’s three outstanding mighty men. At Pas-dammim, during a military campaign with David, Eleazar distinguished himself by taking his stand in a field full of barley and single-handedly striking down the Philistines, “so that Jehovah saved with a great salvation.”—1 Chron. 11:12-14; 2 Sam. 23:9, 10.

      4. Son of Mahli the Merarite of the tribe of Levi. Eleazar did not have any sons but only daughters. Therefore, the sons of Kish, their cousins, took them as wives.—1 Chron. 23:21, 22.

      5. Son of a certain Phinehas, mentioned as assisting Meremoth the priest when, on the fourth day of Ezra’s arrival in Jerusalem, the silver and the gold and the utensils for temple use were weighed out.—Ezra 8:29, 32, 33.

      6. A Levite priest in the procession arranged by Nehemiah at the inauguration of the rebuilt wall of Jerusalem.—Neh. 12:42.

      7. An ancestor of Jesus’ foster father Joseph.—Matt. 1:15.

  • Eli,I
    Aid to Bible Understanding

    • ELI, I

      (Eʹli) [Jah is high, ascent or high-placed].

      A high priest of Israel; evidently a descendant of Aaron’s fourth-named son Ithamar.(Compare 2 Samuel 8:17; 1 Kings 2:27; 1 Chronicles 24:3; Exodus 6:23.) In addition to serving as high priest, Eli judged Israel for forty years. Samuel began to be a prophet during his lifetime. (1 Sam. 4:18; 3:10-13, 19-21) Eli’s day was one characterized by spiritual famine in Israel, for “word from Jehovah had become rare in those days; there was no vision being spread abroad.”—1 Sam. 3:1.

      The first glimpse of Eli is given in chapter one of First Samuel. Eli is seated outside by the doorpost of the tabernacle, and is rebuking righteous Hannah, whom he judges to be drunk, when actually she has been praying extendedly before Jehovah there in front of the tabernacle. Upon Hannah’s reply that she is not drunk but has spoken out of the abundance of her concern and vexation, Eli dismisses her in peace. Jehovah answers Hannah’s prayer and she gives birth to a son whom she names Samuel. As soon as he is weaned she, in keeping with her vow, turns him over for service at the tabernacle.—1 Sam. 1:9-18, 20, 24, 28; 2:11, 18.

      LAX IN DISCIPLINING SONS

      As a father, high priest and judge of Israel, Eli is lax in applying Jehovah’s discipline. His two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, serve as officiating priests, but they are “good-for-nothing men,” only interested in satisfying their bellies and unclean sexual desires. They are not content with the portion of the sacrifice assigned to them by God’s law, and even serve themselves ahead of Jehovah by having an attendant demand raw meat from the offerer before making the fat smoke upon the altar. Eli’s greedy, sensual sons, in effect, carry on vice and theft at the tent of meeting at the expense of Jehovah’s pure worship. Even when his corrupt sons have immoral intercourse with the women who serve at the entrance of the tabernacle, Eli does not oust them from office but merely rebukes them mildly. Eli keeps honoring his sons more than Jehovah.—1 Sam. 2:12-17, 22-25, 29.

      In the course of time a prophet of God comes with a message of dire warning: The power and influence of the house of Eli is to be chopped off, so that there will not come to be an old man in his house. His corrupt sons are appointed to die in one day. (1 Sam. 2:27-36) Through none other than the young boy Samuel, Jehovah reaffirms the adverse judgment upon the house of Eli. (1 Sam. 3:11-14) Samuel is afraid to relate the message, but does so at Eli’s request. Eli then meekly submits, saying: “It is Jehovah. What is good in his eyes let him do.”—1 Sam. 3:15-18.

      JEHOVAH JUDGES HIS HOUSE

      Retribution comes according to God’s word. Israel loses about 4,000 men in battle with the Philistines. The Israelites decide to get the Ark from Shiloh and to bring it into the camp, thinking that this will result in deliverance from their enemies. But the Philistines step up their battle efforts. Thirty thousand Israelites are slain. The Ark is captured. Hophni and Phinehas, who are there with the Ark, die. A man from Benjamin hurries from the battle lines to bring the report to Eli. Blind and feeble, ninety-eight-year-old Eli is sitting on a seat by the roadside, his heart atremble concerning the Ark. Upon hearing that the Ark has been captured, Eli falls over backward and dies of a broken neck.—1 Sam. 4:2-18.

      Further retribution against the house of Eli came at the hands of King Saul, who ruthlessly ordered the murder of the priests of Nob, the descendants of Eli through Phinehas’ son Ahitub. (1 Sam. 14:3; 22:11, 18) Only Abiathar, a son of Ahimelech, escaped the massacre and continued serving as priest throughout David’s reign. (1 Sam. 22:20; 2 Sam. 19:11)