Who is…
Eli

Hebrew: עֵלִי —transliteration: Eli —meaning: ascent

  1. Eli, the high priest and judge of Israel

    Eli was the high priest when the ark of the covenant was at Shiloh (1 Sam. 1:3, 9).

    He was the first of the line of Ithamar, Aaron’s 4th son (1 Chr. 24:3; compare 2 Sam. 8:17), who held that office.

    The office remained in his family till the time of Abiathar (1 Kings 2:26-27), whom Solomon deposed, and appointed Zadok, of the family of Eleazar, in his stead (35).

    He also acted as a civil judge in Israel after the death of Samson (1 Sam. 4:18), and judged Israel for 40 years.

    His sons Hophni and Phinehas grossly misconducted themselves, to the great disgust of the people (1 Sam. 2:27-36). They were licentious reprobates. He failed to reprove them as sternly as he ought to have done, and so brought upon his house the judgment of God (1 Samuel 2:22-33; 3:18).

    The Israelites proclaimed war against the Philistines, whose army was encamped at Aphek. The battle, fought a short way beyond Mizpeh, ended in the total defeat of Israel. 4,000 of them fell in “battle array”.

    They now sought safety in having the “ark of the covenant of the Lord” among them. They fetched it from Shiloh, and Hophni and Phinehas accompanied it. This was the first time since the settlement of Israel in Canaan that the ark had been removed from the sanctuary.

    The Philistines put themselves again in array against Israel, and in the battle which ensued “Israel was smitten, and there was a very great slaughter.” The tidings of this great disaster were speedily conveyed to Shiloh, about 20 miles away, by a messenger, a Benjamite from the army.

    There Eli sat outside the gate of the sanctuary by the wayside, anxiously waiting for tidings from the battlefield. The full extent of the national calamity was speedily made known to him:

    “Israel is fled before the Philistines, there has also been a great slaughter among the people, thy two sons Hophni and Phinehas are dead, and the ark of God is taken” (1 Sam. 4:12-18).

    When the old man, whose eyes were “stiffened” (i.e., fixed, as of a blind eye unaffected by the light) with age, heard this sad story of woe, he fell backward from off his seat and died, being 98 years old. (See ITHAMAR.)

    Summary of God’s Judgment on Eli’s House

    Because of the wickedness of Hophni and Phinehas and Eli’s failure to restrain them adequately, God pronounced a severe judgment through an unnamed prophet and through the boy Samuel (1 Samuel 2:27-36; 3:11-14):

    • No one in Eli’s house would grow old (“there shall not be an old man in thine house for ever”)

    • Many descendants would die by the sword or in the prime of life

    • The priesthood would ultimately be removed from his family

    This was fulfilled in stages: the battlefield deaths of his sons, the massacre at Nob (which killed many priests of the house), and the final removal of Abiathar from office.

    Relatives

    The Bible is silent on any relatives of Eli outside this priestly line.

    Q & A

  2. Eli (aka Heli)—father of Mary, the mother of Jesus

    often spelled “Heli”

  3. “Eli” (aka “Eloi”), a word spoken by Christ

    Eli, Hebrew: eli, “my God”, (Matt. 27:46), an exclamation used by Christ on the cross. Mark (15:34), as usual, gives the original Aramaic form of the word, Eloi.

    “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” (Mark 15:34) —translation: “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

    Ancient Aramaic transliteration: Eil, Eil, l'manna sh'wik-thani

    ܘܒ݂ܰܬ݂ܫܰܥ ܫܳܥܺܝܢ ܩܥܳܐ ܝܶܫܽܘܥ ܒ݁ܩܳܠܳܐ ܪܳܡܳܐ ܘܶܐܡܰܪ ܐܺܝܠ ܐܺܝܠ ܠܡܳܢܳܐ ܫܒ݂ܰܩܬ݁ܳܢܝ ܕ݁ܺܐܝܬ݂ܶܝܗ ܐܰܠܳܗܝ ܐܰܠܳܗܝ ܠܡܳܢܳܐ ܫܒ݂ܰܩܬ݁ܳܢܝ܂

    At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” —Mark 15:34 NASB

    Matthew 27:46 gives the Hebrew transliteration: “Eli, Eli” / Hebrew: Ἠλὶ, Ἠλὶ

    Q & A

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Article Version: July 8, 2026