Samuel appointed his sons to serve as judges over the nation. His firstborn was Joel, who some traditions identify as the prophet Joel, and his second son was Abijah [מצודת ציון, אלשיך]. Together, the two brothers held court in the southern city of Beersheba [מצודת דוד]. Samuel likely sent them to this specific region because traveling to such a distant area with all the necessary provisions had become too difficult and burdensome for him [ביאור שטיינזלץ].
Their fixed location, however, highlights a stark contrast between their leadership style and that of their father. Samuel was known for traveling from city to city throughout Israel, bringing the court system directly to the people to spare them from unnecessary hardship. His sons, instead, established a permanent base at the very edge of the country. If the brothers had divided the territory—perhaps with one judge in the north and the other in the south—the burden on the nation would have been manageable. But because both brothers remained together in Beersheba, citizens from all over Israel were forced to endure long, exhausting journeys just to have their cases heard [רד״ק, מלבי״ם].
The behavior of Samuel's sons sparks significant discussion regarding their integrity. A simple reading of the events suggests that they actively sinned and were genuinely corrupt [רד״ק]. Yet, the primary approach among commentators argues that anyone who accuses them of actually accepting bribes is mistaken. According to this perspective, their only real failure was refusing to travel the country like their father. By forcing the public to come to their court, they indirectly boosted the income and fees of their own officials and scribes. Because God holds righteous individuals to an incredibly high standard, their actions are judged with extreme severity. Prioritizing the financial benefit of their staff over the comfort of the public is treated as though they had literally taken bribes and perverted justice [רד״ק, אלשיך]. Other traditions offer a different view of their misconduct, suggesting they misused their power by forcefully demanding their designated portions, collecting extra tithes, or coercing local citizens into unwanted business partnerships [רד״ק, אלשיך].