Hophni
Archimandrite Nikifor’s Biblical Encyclopedia
(closed hand, handful) (1 Sam. 1:3; 2:34)—one of the sons of Eli the high priest and last of the judges. Hophni and his brother Phinehas behaved lawlessly in the sanctuary and corrupted the people by their conduct, bringing the terrible judgment of God upon themselves. A warning concerning the sons and the consequences of their behavior was given first by an unnamed man of God (1 Sam. 2:27) and then through the boy Samuel (3:11–14). Eli was told that God would judge him and his house and that Hophni and Phinehas would die on the same day. The prophecy was soon fulfilled (4:11).