The Meaning of 1 Samuel 2:16 Explained

1 Samuel 2:16

KJV: And if any man said unto him, Let them not fail to burn the fat presently, and then take as much as thy soul desireth; then he would answer him, Nay; but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force.

YLT: and the man saith unto him, 'Let them surely make a perfume (as to-day) with the fat, then take to thee as thy soul desireth;' and he hath said to him, 'Surely now thou dost give; and if not -- I have taken by strength.'

Darby: If the man said to him, They will immediately burn the fat entire, then take as thy soul desires; he would say to him, No, but thou shalt give it now; and if not, I will take it by force.

ASV: And if the man said unto him, They will surely burn the fat first, and then take as much as thy soul desireth; then he would say, Nay, but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And [if] any man  said  unto him, Let them not fail  to burn  the fat  presently,  and [then] take  [as much] as thy soul  desireth;  then he would answer  him, [Nay]; but thou shalt give  [it me] now: and if not, I will take  [it] by force. 

What does 1 Samuel 2:16 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 2:12-21 - Growing Before The Lord
Not only were Eli's sons strangers to the power of religion in the heart, but they had gone to great lengths of profligacy. They had seized on a larger share of the offering than was prescribed, and their rapacity had made men abhor the sacred rites. It is an awful thing when the inconsistencies of professing Christians cause men to abhor the service of Christ. It will go very hard with them at the last. The Master says that it would have been better for a millstone to be hanged about their neck; and one cannot but think that great allowance will be made at the last for those who have fallen over these stumbling-blocks.
What love and prayer Hannah must have wrought into that little coat! Every stitch was put in with such motherly pride. It was hard to give the boy up, but at least she could do something for him. How nice he would look in it! How proud she was that every year's new one had to be larger! Thus parents still make the clothes that their children wear. The little ones almost unconsciously become arrayed in the character that is constantly being shown before their quick and inquisitive eyes. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Samuel 2

1  Hannah's song in thankfulness
12  The sin of Eli's sons
18  Samuel's ministry
20  by Eli's blessing Hannah is more fruitful
22  Eli reproves his sons
27  A prophecy against Eli's house

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 2:16 mean?

And [if] said to him the man really they should burn first the fat and [then] you may take to [as much] as desires your heart then he would answer - - [No] but now you must give [it] and if not not I will take [it] by force
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֵלָ֜יו הָאִ֗ישׁ קַטֵּ֨ר יַקְטִיר֤וּן כַּיּוֹם֙ הַחֵ֔לֶב וְקַ֨ח־ לְךָ֔ כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר תְּאַוֶּ֖ה נַפְשֶׁ֑ךָ וְאָמַ֥ר ׀ [לו] (לֹא֙) כִּ֚י עַתָּ֣ה תִתֵּ֔ן וְאִם־ לֹ֖א לָקַ֥חְתִּי בְחָזְקָֽה

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר  And  [if]  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֵלָ֜יו  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
הָאִ֗ישׁ  the  man 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
קַטֵּ֨ר  really 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Infinitive absolute
Root: מֻקְטָר 
Sense: .
יַקְטִיר֤וּן  they  should  burn 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine plural, Paragogic nun
Root: מֻקְטָר 
Sense: .
כַּיּוֹם֙  first 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הַחֵ֔לֶב  the  fat 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֵלֶב  
Sense: fat.
וְקַ֨ח־  and  [then]  you  may  take 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר  [as  much]  as 
Parse: Preposition-k, Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
תְּאַוֶּ֖ה  desires 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: תַּאֲוָה  
Sense: desire.
נַפְשֶׁ֑ךָ  your  heart 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
וְאָמַ֥ר ׀  then  he  would  answer 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
[לו]  - 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
(לֹא֙)  - 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
כִּ֚י  [No]  but 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
עַתָּ֣ה  now 
Parse: Adverb
Root: עַתָּה  
Sense: now.
תִתֵּ֔ן  you  must  give  [it] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
וְאִם־  and  if  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: אִם  
Sense: if.
לָקַ֥חְתִּי  I  will  take  [it] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
בְחָזְקָֽה  by  force 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חָזְקָה  
Sense: force, might, strength, violence.