Hophni was the son of the high priest Eli and served as a priest at the sanctuary in Shiloh. Together with his brother Phinehas, he was known for his godlessness, corruption, and contempt for the Lord's offerings. Their sin led to God's judgment on Eli's house and their death in battle against the Philistines.
Hophni and Phinehas treated the Lord's offerings with contempt by taking meat before it was properly sacrificed and forcing people to give them whatever they wanted.
13This was their practice with the people: whenever anyone offered a sacrifice, the priest's servant would come with a three-pronged fork in his hand while the meat was boiling.
14He would thrust it into the pan or kettle or cauldron or pot, and whatever the fork brought up the priest took for himself. This is how they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh.
15Even before the fat was burned, the priest's servant would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, "Give the priest meat to roast. He will not take boiled meat from you—only raw."
16If the man said to him, "Let the fat be burned first, then take whatever you want," the servant would answer, "No, hand it over now; if you won't, I'll take it by force."
22Now Eli was very old, and he kept hearing about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they slept with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting.
25If one person sins against another, God may mediate for him; but if someone sins against the LORD, who will intercede for him?" His sons, however, would not listen to their father, for it was the LORD's will to put them to death.
27A man of God came to Eli and said to him, "This is what the LORD says: Did I not reveal myself plainly to your father's house when they were in Egypt under Pharaoh?
28Out of all the tribes of Israel I chose your father to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, and to wear the ephod before me. And I gave your father's house all the offerings made by fire by the Israelites.
29Why then do you trample on my sacrifice and my offering, which I commanded for my dwelling? You honor your sons above me, fattening yourselves on the choicest part of every offering my people Israel bring.
30Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: I did indeed promise that your house and your father's house would minister before me forever. But now the LORD declares: Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be treated with contempt.
33Every one of your line whom I do not cut off from my altar will be spared only to wear out your eyes with weeping and to grieve your heart, and all your descendants will die in the prime of life.
4So the people sent to Shiloh, and they carried from there the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, who is enthroned between the cherubim. And Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
6Hearing the noise of the shouting, the Philistines asked, "What is this sound of great shouting in the camp of the Hebrews?" Then they learned that the ark of the LORD had come into the camp.
Israel was defeated by the Philistines, the Ark of the Covenant was captured, and Hophni and Phinehas both died on the same day, just as the prophecy had foretold.
10So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated. Every man fled to his tent, and the slaughter was very great: thirty thousand foot soldiers of Israel fell.