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I said indeed.
Quest. Where or when did God say this?
Answ. Either,
1. When he made that promise for the perpetuation of the priesthood in Aaron’s family, Exo_28:43 29:9.
Object. If Eli and all his family had been cut off, yet that promise had been made good in Eleazar’s family: how then was that promise recalled by this sentence against Eli?
Answ. It was recalled and made void, though not absolutely and universally to all Aaron’s family, yet respectively to Eli and his family, which were wholly excluded from the benefit of it, wherein otherwise they should have shared; even as God’s keeping of the Israelites out of Canaan and in the wilderness for forty years, and destroying them there, is called his breach of promise, Num_14:31, although the promise of Canaan was not simply made void to all the Israelites, but only to that evil generation of them; or as God’s covenant with David, and with his seed, of which God saith that it should stand fast, Psa_89:28, and that he would not break nor alter it, 1Sa_2:34, yet is said to be made void, 1Sa_2:35, to wit, in regard of some particular branches or members of that family. Or,
2. To Eli himself, or to his father, when the priesthood was translated from Eleazar’s to Ithamar’s family, for some cause not mentioned in Scripture, but most probably for some great miscarriage of some of them. If it be said that there is no such promise recorded in Scripture, it may be so replied, That there are many sayings and doings noted in Holy Scripture which were not spoken of in their proper times and places, as Gen_24:51 42:21 Hos_12:4 Luk_11:49 Act_20:25. So the sense of the place may be this, That promise and privilege of the perpetuation of the priesthood in Phinehas and his family, made to them Num_25:12,13, namely, upon condition of his and their faithfulness in their office, which is plainly understood, I now take away from that family for their wickedness, and I transfer it to thee and thine, and will fix it there upon the same condition.
Should walk before me, i.e. minister unto me as high priest. Walking is oft put for discharging one’s office; before me may signify that he was the high priest, whose sole prerogative it was to minister before God, or before the ark, in the most holy place.
For ever; as long as the Mosaical law and worship lasted, as that phrase is oft used.
Be it far from me, to wit, to fulfil my promise, which I repent of, and hereby retract.
Them that honour me; that worship and serve me with reverence and godly fear, and according to my will, which I esteem as an honour done to me.
I will honour; I will advance them to honour, and maintain them in it.
They that despise me; not formally and directly; for so Eli’s sons did not despise God; but indirectly and by consequence, by presumptuous disobedience of my commands; by defiling and disgracing my worship and ordinances, either by transgressing the rules I have given them therein, or by their ungodly and shameful conversation; and by making my service contemptible and abominable to others through their scandals: all which are manifest arguments of contempt of God, and are so called, as Num_11:20 1Sa_12:9,10 Mal 1:8, and all which were eminently found in Eli’s sons.
Shall be lightly esteemed, both by God and men.