11 The Lord said to Samuel , "Behold , I am about to do a thing in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle . 12 "In that day I will carry out against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house , from beginning to end . 13 "For I have told him that I am about to judge his house forever e for the iniquity which he knew , because his sons brought a curse on themselves and he did not rebuke them. 14 "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 e ." 15 So Samuel lay down until morning . Then he opened the doors of the house of the Lord . But Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli . 16 Then Eli called Samuel and said , "Samuel , my son ." And he said , "Here I am." 17 He said , "What is the word that He spoke to you? Please do not hide it from me. May God do so to you, and more also , if you hide anything from me of all the words that He spoke to you." 18 So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he said , " It is the Lord ; let Him do what seems good to Him."
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 1 Samuel 3:11-18
Commentary on 1 Samuel 3:11-18
(Read 1 Samuel 3:11-18)
What a great deal of guilt and corruption is there in us, concerning which we may say, It is the iniquity which our own heart knoweth; we are conscious to ourselves of it! Those who do not restrain the sins of others, when it is in their power to do it, make themselves partakers of the guilt, and will be charged as joining in it. In his remarkable answer to this awful sentence, Eli acknowledged that the Lord had a right to do as he saw good, being assured that he would do nothing wrong. The meekness, patience, and humility contained in those words, show that he was truly repentant; he accepted the punishment of his sin.