1 Samuel 2:13
New International Version
Now it was the practice of the priests that, whenever any of the people offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged fork in his hand while the meat was being boiled

New Living Translation
or for their duties as priests. Whenever anyone offered a sacrifice, Eli’s sons would send over a servant with a three-pronged fork. While the meat of the sacrificed animal was still boiling,

English Standard Version
The custom of the priests with the people was that when any man offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come, while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand,

Berean Standard Bible
or for the custom of the priests with the people. When any man offered a sacrifice, the servant of the priest would come with a three-pronged meat fork while the meat was boiling

King James Bible
And the priests' custom with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand;

New King James Version
And the priests’ custom with the people was that when any man offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged fleshhook in his hand while the meat was boiling.

New American Standard Bible
And this was the custom of the priests with the people: when anyone was offering a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come while the meat was cooking, with a three-pronged fork in his hand.

NASB 1995
and the custom of the priests with the people. When any man was offering a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand.

NASB 1977
and the custom of the priests with the people. When any man was offering a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand.

Legacy Standard Bible
And this was the legal judgment for the priests with the people: when any man was offering a sacrifice, the priest’s young man would come while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand.

Amplified Bible
and the custom of the priests with [the sacrifices of] the people. When any man was offering a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged [meat] fork in his hand;

Christian Standard Bible
or the priests’ share of the sacrifices from the people. When anyone offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged meat fork while the meat was boiling

Holman Christian Standard Bible
or for the priests’ share of the sacrifices from the people. When any man offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged meat fork while the meat was boiling

American Standard Version
And the custom of the priests with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was boiling, with a flesh-hook of three teeth in his hand;

English Revised Version
And the custom of the priests with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Now, this was how the priests dealt with the people who were offering sacrifices: While the meat was boiling, the priest's servant would come with a three-pronged fork in his hand.

Good News Translation
or to the regulations concerning what the priests could demand from the people. Instead, when someone was offering a sacrifice, the priest's servant would come with a three-pronged fork. While the meat was still cooking,

International Standard Version
The custom of the priests with the people was that whenever a person offered a sacrifice, a servant of the priest would come with a three pronged fork in his hand while the meat was boiling, and

Majority Standard Bible
or for the custom of the priests with the people. When any man offered a sacrifice, the servant of the priest would come with a three-pronged meat fork while the meat was boiling

NET Bible
Now the priests would always treat the people in the following way: Whenever anyone was making a sacrifice, while the meat was boiling, the priest's attendant would come with a three-pronged fork in his hand.

New Heart English Bible
The custom of the priests with the people was that when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was boiling, with a fork of three teeth in his hand;

Webster's Bible Translation
And the priest's custom with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a flesh-hook of three teeth in his hand;

World English Bible
The custom of the priests with the people was that when anyone offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant came while the meat was boiling, with a fork of three teeth in his hand;
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And the custom of the priests with the people [is that when] any man is sacrificing a sacrifice, then the servant of the priest has come in when the flesh is boiling, and [with] the hook of three teeth in his hand,

Young's Literal Translation
And the custom of the priests with the people is: any man sacrificing a sacrifice -- then hath the servant of the priest come in when the flesh is boiling, and the hook of three teeth in his hand,

Smith's Literal Translation
And the priests judging the people, every man sacrificing a sacrifice; and the boy of the priest came as the flesh boiled, and the fork of three teeth in his hand;
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Nor the office of the priests to the people: but whosoever had offered a sacrifice, the servant of the priest came, while the flesh was in boiling, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand,

Catholic Public Domain Version
nor the priestly office for the people. And so, no matter who had immolated a victim, the servant of the priest would arrive, while the flesh was still cooking, and he would take a three-pronged hook in his hand,

New American Bible
nor for the priests’ duties toward the people. When someone offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged fork, while the meat was still boiling,

New Revised Standard Version
or for the duties of the priests to the people. When anyone offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come, while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
They took the dues of the priests from the people, of every man who offered a sacrifice; and they made for themselves meat-forks with three prongs, and the priest's servant came, while the meat was boiling, with the three-pronged fork in his hand,

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And they made for themselves a fork of three prongs, and they were receiving the right of Priests from the people, from every man who offered a sacrifice, and the boy of the Priest was coming whenever there was cooked meat and the fork of three prongs in his hand
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And the custom of the priests with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a flesh-hook of three teeth in his band;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the priest's claim from every one of the people that sacrificed was this: the servant of the priest came when the flesh was in seething, and a flesh-hook of three teeth was in his hand.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Eli's Wicked Sons
12Now the sons of Eli were wicked men; they had no regard for the LORD 13or for the custom of the priests with the people. When any man offered a sacrifice, the servant of the priest would come with a three-pronged meat fork while the meat was boiling 14and plunge it into the pan or kettle or cauldron or cooking pot. And the priest would claim for himself whatever the meat fork brought up. This is how they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh.…

Cross References
Leviticus 7:29-34
“Speak to the Israelites and say, ‘Anyone who presents a peace offering to the LORD must bring it as his sacrifice to the LORD. / With his own hands he is to bring the food offerings to the LORD; he shall bring the fat, together with the breast, and wave the breast as a wave offering before the LORD. / The priest is to burn the fat on the altar, but the breast belongs to Aaron and his sons. ...

Deuteronomy 18:3
This shall be the priests’ share from the people who offer a sacrifice, whether a bull or a sheep: the priests are to be given the shoulder, the jowls, and the stomach.

Leviticus 3:3-5
From the peace offering he is to bring a food offering to the LORD: the fat that covers the entrails, all the fat that is on them, / both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the lobe of the liver, which he is to remove with the kidneys. / Then Aaron’s sons are to burn it on the altar atop the burnt offering that is on the burning wood, as a food offering, a pleasing aroma to the LORD.

Leviticus 7:31-34
The priest is to burn the fat on the altar, but the breast belongs to Aaron and his sons. / And you are to give the right thigh to the priest as a contribution from your peace offering. / The son of Aaron who presents the blood and fat of the peace offering shall have the right thigh as a portion. ...

Leviticus 10:14-15
And you and your sons and daughters may eat the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the contribution in a ceremonially clean place, because these portions have been assigned to you and your children from the peace offerings of the sons of Israel. / They are to bring the thigh of the contribution and the breast of the wave offering, together with the fat portions of the food offerings, to wave as a wave offering before the LORD. It will belong permanently to you and your children, as the LORD has commanded.”

Numbers 18:8-19
Then the LORD said to Aaron, “Behold, I have put you in charge of My offerings. As for all the sacred offerings of the Israelites, I have given them to you and your sons as a portion and a permanent statute. / A portion of the most holy offerings reserved from the fire will be yours. From all the offerings they render to Me as most holy offerings, whether grain offerings or sin offerings or guilt offerings, that part belongs to you and your sons. / You are to eat it as a most holy offering, and every male may eat it. You shall regard it as holy. ...

Exodus 29:27-28
Consecrate for Aaron and his sons the breast of the wave offering that is waved and the thigh of the heave offering that is lifted up from the ram of ordination. / This will belong to Aaron and his sons as a regular portion from the Israelites, for it is the heave offering the Israelites will make to the LORD from their peace offerings.

Leviticus 6:26-29
The priest who offers it shall eat it; it must be eaten in a holy place, in the courtyard of the Tent of Meeting. / Anything that touches its flesh will become holy, and if any of the blood is spattered on a garment, you must wash it in a holy place. / The clay pot in which the sin offering is boiled must be broken; if it is boiled in a bronze pot, the pot must be scoured and rinsed with water. ...

Leviticus 7:6-10
Every male among the priests may eat of it. It must be eaten in a holy place; it is most holy. / The guilt offering is like the sin offering; the same law applies to both. It belongs to the priest who makes atonement with it. / As for the priest who presents a burnt offering for anyone, the hide of that offering belongs to him. ...

Leviticus 7:11-15
Now this is the law of the peace offering that one may present to the LORD: / If he offers it in thanksgiving, then along with the sacrifice of thanksgiving he shall offer unleavened cakes mixed with olive oil, unleavened wafers coated with oil, and well-kneaded cakes of fine flour mixed with oil. / Along with his peace offering of thanksgiving he is to present an offering with cakes of leavened bread. ...

1 Corinthians 9:13
Do you not know that those who work in the temple eat of its food, and those who serve at the altar partake of its offerings?

Hebrews 7:5
Now the law commands the sons of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people—that is, from their brothers—though they too are descended from Abraham.

Matthew 23:23
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay tithes of mint, dill, and cumin. But you have disregarded the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.

Luke 11:42
Woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithes of mint, rue, and every herb, but you disregard justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without neglecting the former.

1 Corinthians 10:18
Consider the people of Israel: Are not those who eat the sacrifices fellow partakers in the altar?


Treasury of Scripture

And the priest's custom with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a meat hook of three teeth in his hand;

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Band Boiled Boiling Cooked Custom Hand Meat Offered Offering Practice Priests Priest's Sacrifice Sacrificed Seething Servant Teeth Three Three-Pronged Way Whenever
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Band Boiled Boiling Cooked Custom Hand Meat Offered Offering Practice Priests Priest's Sacrifice Sacrificed Seething Servant Teeth Three Three-Pronged Way Whenever
1 Samuel 2
1. Hannah's song in thankfulness
12. The sin of Eli's sons
18. Samuel's ministry
20. by Eli's blessing Hannah is more fruitful
22. Eli reproves his sons
27. A prophecy against Eli's house














Now the custom of the priests
The Hebrew word for "custom" is "mishpat," which often denotes a judgment or ordinance. In this context, it refers to the established practices or traditions of the priests. Historically, the priests were given specific portions of the sacrifices as their due, as outlined in Levitical law (Leviticus 7:31-34). However, the "custom" mentioned here suggests a deviation from the prescribed law, indicating a corruption of the priestly duties during this period.

with the people
This phrase highlights the interaction between the priests and the Israelites. The priests were meant to serve as mediators between God and the people, facilitating worship and ensuring adherence to God's laws. However, the narrative in 1 Samuel 2 reveals a breakdown in this relationship, as the priests' actions were self-serving rather than God-honoring.

whenever any man offered a sacrifice
The act of offering a sacrifice was central to Israelite worship, symbolizing atonement, thanksgiving, and devotion to God. The Hebrew word for "sacrifice" is "zebach," which encompasses various offerings, including peace offerings, burnt offerings, and sin offerings. The sacrificial system was a means for the people to maintain a covenant relationship with God, and any corruption in this process was a serious offense.

the priest’s servant would come
The presence of the priest's servant indicates a delegation of duties, which in itself was not unusual. However, the servant's actions, as described in the following verses, reflect the priests' abuse of power. This highlights the broader theme of leadership accountability in Scripture, where leaders are called to serve with integrity and humility.

with a three-pronged fork in his hand
The "three-pronged fork" is a unique detail that underscores the aggressive and greedy nature of the priests' actions. This tool was not part of the prescribed instruments for sacrifices, suggesting an innovation for personal gain. The imagery of the fork conveys a sense of intrusion and force, contrasting with the reverence and order that should characterize worship.

while the meat was boiling
Boiling the meat was part of the preparation for certain types of sacrifices, particularly peace offerings, where the offerer and the priests would share in the meal. The timing of the servant's arrival—while the meat was boiling—implies an impatience and a desire to seize the best portions before the offering was properly completed. This act of taking the meat prematurely symbolizes a deeper spiritual corruption, where immediate gratification is prioritized over obedience to God's commands.

(13) The priest's custom.--That is to say, the custom or practice introduced under these robber-priests, who were not content with the modest share of the offerings assigned to them by the Law of Moses. (See Leviticus 7:31; Leviticus 7:35; Deuteronomy 18:3.)



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
or for the custom
וּמִשְׁפַּ֥ט (ū·miš·paṭ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4941: A verdict, a sentence, formal decree, divine law, penalty, justice, privilege, style

of the priests
הַכֹּהֲנִ֖ים (hak·kō·hă·nîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3548: Priest

with
אֶת־ (’eṯ-)
Preposition
Strong's 854: Nearness, near, with, by, at, among

the people.
הָעָ֑ם (hā·‘ām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

When any
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

man
אִ֞ישׁ (’îš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

offered
זֹבֵ֣חַ (zō·ḇê·aḥ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 2076: To slaughter for sacrifice

a sacrifice,
זֶ֗בַח (ze·ḇaḥ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2077: A slaughter, the flesh of an animal, a sacrifice

the servant
נַ֤עַר (na·‘ar)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5288: A boy, lad, youth, retainer

of the priest
הַכֹּהֵן֙ (hak·kō·hên)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3548: Priest

would come
וּבָ֨א (ū·ḇā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

with a three-pronged
שְׁלֹ֥שׁ־ (šə·lōš-)
Number - feminine singular construct
Strong's 7969: Three, third, thrice

meat fork
וְהַמַּזְלֵ֛ג (wə·ham·maz·lêḡ)
Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4207: A utensil used in offering sacrifices

while the meat
הַבָּשָׂ֔ר (hab·bā·śār)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1320: Flesh, body, person, the pudenda of a, man

was boiling
כְּבַשֵּׁ֣ל (kə·ḇaš·šêl)
Preposition-k | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct
Strong's 1310: To boil up, cooking, to ripen


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OT History: 1 Samuel 2:13 The custom of the priests (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)
1 Samuel 2:12
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