The man of you whom I shall not cut off is an indirect reference to Abiathar (see 22.20-23). Solomon will later remove Abiathar from serving as priest and banish him to his home town of Anathoth (1 Kgs 2.26-27). The wording of Revised Standard Version is awkward and may be better rendered positively as in Bible en français courant, “However, I will keep one of your descendants [near my altar]” or something similar. However, the translation of New International Version (“every one of you”) seems to be off the mark. The verb rendered cut off is a different verb in Hebrew from that translated “cut off” in verse 31; but it is also used figuratively to mean “to destroy” or “to eliminate.” Revised English Bible says “If I allow any to survive to serve my altar.” In some Old Testament texts where this verb is used, it is difficult to know whether the meaning is “to kill” or “to separate or expel” from the community. (See, for example, 28.9.)
His eyes … his heart: the Hebrew says “your [singular] eyes” and “your [singular] heart.” It has seemed impossible to many interpreters to think that the fate of Abiathar, long after Eli’s death, will cause Eli sorrow. Many translations therefore follow the Septuagint and a manuscript from Qumran, which say “his eyes” and “his soul.” Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament, however, gives a {B} rating to the Masoretic Text, stating that even though Eli will be dead, he will suffer by seeing Abiathar banished by Solomon. New International Version, which attempts to translate the Hebrew, says “Every one of you that I do not cut off from my altar will be spared only to blind your eyes with tears and to grieve your heart.” See also New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, “I shall not cut off all your offspring from My altar; [but] to make your eyes pine and your spirit languish, all the increase in your house shall die as [ordinary] men.” The recommendation of Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament as well as the translations in New International Version and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh attempt to make sense of the second person pronouns in Hebrew, but such translations seem to force a strange meaning. Translators may follow the models of Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation in reading “his” instead of “your.”
Weep out his eyes: the Hebrew verb means “to complete” or “to use up.” Klein and New Century Version say “will wear out his eyes,” and La Bible du Semeur says “wear out his eyes by crying.” But more natural English will be “for his eyes to go blind” (New Jerusalem Bible) or simply “become blind” (Good News Translation).
Grieve his heart: the verb translated grieve occurs only here in the Old Testament, and the root from which this verb form comes is uncertain. The sense seems to be “to grieve,” “despair,” or “mourn.” The words his heart (literally “your soul/life/breath”) may be redundant in some languages, in which case Good News Translation may provide a good model.
Shall die by the sword of men: Revised Standard Version follows the Septuagint by inserting the words by the sword. Revised English Bible (“and his issue will be weaklings and die off”) is based on a change of vowels in the Hebrew text. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament, however, gives a {B} rating to the Masoretic Text. The sense of the Hebrew “shall die as men” is disputed. New International Version, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, and Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente understand this to mean “die in the prime of life.” Similar Stuttgarter Erklärungsbibel: “when they have become men.”
According to Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament, however, the sense is that they will die as ordinary men, that is, they will no longer be serving as priests at the time they die. The New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh translation, cited two paragraphs above, appears to follow the interpretation recommended by Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament for the last part of this verse. If translators accept this interpretation, it may be necessary to be more explicit: “all of your descendants will die at a time when they are no longer serving as priests” (similarly Bible en français courant).
Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .