1 Samuel 4:12–18

Then a man of Benjamin ran from the battle line the same day, and came to Shiloh with his clothes torn and dirt on his head. Now when he came, there was Eli, sitting on a seat by the wayside watching, for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city and told it, all the city cried out. When Eli heard the noise of the outcry, he said, “What does the sound of this tumult mean?” And the man came quickly and told Eli. Eli was ninety-eight years old, and his eyes were so dim that he could not see.

Then the man said to Eli, “I am he who came from the battle. And I fled today from the battle line.”

And he said, “What happened, my son?”

So the messenger answered and said, “Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has been a great slaughter among the people. Also your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead; and the ark of God has been captured.”

Then it happened, when he made mention of the ark of God, that Eli fell off the seat backward by the side of the gate; and his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.

It’s curious that the text mentions Eli’s weight as contributing to his death. Falling backwards off one’s seat at 98 years of age will kill you for sure, even if you’re skinny. So why mention Eli’s weight?

It’s to make a point. Recall what his sons did with the highest calorie portion of the sacrifice.

And if the man said to him, “They should really burn the fat first; then you may take as much as your heart desires,” he would then answer him, “No, but you must give it now; and if not, I will take it by force.” —  1 Samuel 2:16

“Why do you kick at My sacrifice and My offering which I have commanded in My dwelling place, and honor your sons more than Me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel My people?” — 1 Samuel 2:29

The Hebrew word translated as “make yourselves fat” (לְהַבְרִֽיאֲכֶ֗ם, le-hav-ri-ah-khem) in 1 Samuel 2:29 is second person plural; it includes Eli in the ones made fat. The connection is intentional. Eli didn’t die because he was fat.

He died because he disobeyed God’s commands.

If Eli judged Israel for forty years before dying at age ninety-eight, then he was fifty-eight when he started judging Israel. That seems late for starting such a significant career.

Or maybe not. Some careers favor youth, but not all. Wisdom comes from experience.

Experience clearly accumulates with age.

These Monday—Friday DEEPs are written by Mike Slay. The Weekend DEEPs are written by Matt Richardson. To subscribe to all the DEEPs click here:

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV stands for the English Standard Version. © Copyright 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved. NIV stands for The Holy Bible, New International Version®. © Copyright 1973 by International Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved. KJV stands for the King James Version.