1 Samuel 8:3 - Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment. His sons walked not in his ways. The question may arise in the mind of a reader, Why Samuel was not punished, as Eli, for the misconduct of his sons. But the answer is obvious. Not only was the offence of Samuel's sons of a far less heinous criminality than the unblushing and daring profanity of Eli's, but Samuel might not know, owing to the distance of Beer-sheba, anything of the delinquency of his sons, whereas Eli not only knew, but tolerated the iniquitous courses of his. The young men, however, did not inherit the high qualities of their father; and, they having, at their distant post of duty, where were temptation and opportunity for concealment, unawed by the presence of their father, corrupted the fountains of justice for their own private aggrandizement, a deputation of the leading men in the country lodged a complaint against them in headquarters, accompanied with a formal demand for a change in the government.