HOPHNI AND PHINEHAS hŏf’ nī and fĭn’ ī əs (חָפְנִי׃֙, פִּ֣נְחָ֔ס) The sons of Eli, high priest at Shiloh (1 Sam 2-4). They were greedy and rapacious in fulfilling their duties as priests before the altar of Jehovah and they acted immorally with women at the Tabernacle. According to the law of Moses, the worshiper at the altar was required to present to the priest the fat of the sacrificed animal along with the breast and shoulder (Lev 7:29-34). The fat was to be burned on the altar as an offering to Jehovah (Lev 3:3-5); the breast and shoulder became the portion of the priest. Hophni and Phinehas, not content with the share assigned to them, sent a servant to interrupt the preparation of the sacrificial meal, and to seize a further portion. They also insisted on getting their share of the offering before the parts dedicated to God were burned on the altar, and they demanded the best part of the animal raw, not boiled, before the offering had been made. All this, together with the fact that they sinned with women at the door of the Tabernacle (1 Sam 2:22), brought great discredit to their father Eli. He remonstrated with them, but not severely enough. In consequence God’s judgment was pronounced against him and his house first by an unknown prophet and later through Samuel (1 Sam 2:27-36; 3:11-14). They died in the battle against the Philistines at Aphek; and Eli fell down and died when he heard of their death.