Matthew Henry Commentary 1 Samuel 3:11-18

"And Jehovah said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle. In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from the beginning even unto the end. For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever, for the iniquity which he knew, because his sons did bring a curse upon themselves, and he restrained them not. And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli`s house shall not be expiated with sacrifice nor offering for ever. And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of Jehovah. And Samuel feared to show Eli the vision. Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he said, Here am I. And he said, What is the thing that [Jehovah] hath spoken unto thee? I pray thee, hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide anything from me of all the things that he spake unto thee. And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is Jehovah: let him do what seemeth him good." — 1 Samuel 3:11-18 (ASV)

What a great deal of guilt and corruption there is in us, about which we may say, It is the iniquity that our own heart knows; we are conscious of it! Those who do not restrain the sins of others, when it is in their power to do so, make themselves partakers of the guilt, and will be charged with joining in it. In his remarkable answer to this dreadful sentence, Eli acknowledged that the Lord had a right to do as He saw fit, assured that He would do nothing wrong. The meekness, patience, and humility contained in those words show that he was truly repentant; he accepted the punishment of his sin.