שמואל א, פרק ד׳, פסוק ט״ו

Eli's extreme old age and frail physical condition serve as crucial background for the devastating way he receives the news of the battlefield defeat. His blindness is not merely a passing medical detail, but the underlying reason for the overwhelming shock he is about to endure. Had he retained his sight, he would have spotted the messenger running toward him from a distance, wearing torn clothes and covered in dirt. He would have also seen the panicked reactions of the townspeople. These visual warnings would have gradually prepared him for the tragic news. Instead, unable to see, the sudden cry of the city strikes him with absolute, unprepared astonishment [מלבי״ם].

The complete loss of his sight meant his eyes had entirely ceased to function [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. While healthy vision naturally involves continuous movement and shifting, Eli’s eyes had frozen and stood completely still [מצודת ציון]. Each eye had individually lost its ability to work, marking a total end to his vision [מלבי״ם, רד״ק, מצודת ציון]. This physical decline is a consequence of extreme old age, where the body's natural moisture dries up. The tendons surrounding the eye harden, causing the eye to sink deeply into its socket, ultimately resulting in dimness and the absolute destruction of sight [רד״ק].