1Elkanah a Levite hath two wives; he goeth yearly to worship at Shiloh. 4He favoureth Hannah, and comforteth her, when insulted on account of her barrenness by Peninnah. 9Hannah in grief prayeth for a child, and voweth to give him unto the Lord. 12Eli mistaking, at first rebuketh, but afterward blesseth her. 19God remembereth Hannah; she beareth Samuel, and stayeth at home till he is weaned. 24She presenteth him to the Lord according to her vow.
1NOW there was a certain man of 1Ramathaim-zophim,2 of mount 3Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah,a the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an 4Ephrathite:
1 This word in the Hebrew is put in the dual number, as if one would say, twofold Ramah, because this city (as it is thought) was divided into two parts. In Mat. 27:57 it is called Arimathæa.
2 That is, of the Zophites, or of the inhabitants of the land of Zuph, whereof mention is made 1 Sam. 9:5.
3 Hereby this city is distinguished from Ramah in Benjamin, and from Ramah in the tribe of Naphtali, and other cities more, that are called Ramah.
a 1 Chron. 6:26, 27.
4 Other, an Ephraimite, as Judges 12:5; that is, one that is born in the land of Ephraim, but he was by descent of the tribe of Levi, 1 Chron. 6:27.
2And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
3And thisb man went up out of his city 5yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD of hosts in 6Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the 7priests of the LORD, were there.
b Exod. 23:14; Deut. 16:16.
5 Hebr. from days to days. The Hebrew word jamim is often used in the Holy Scripture for years: and here is mention made of the three annual feasts of the Jews. See Lev. 25:29.
6 Where the tabernacle was, Joshua 18:1.
7 Namely, under their father Eli, who was the high priest.
4¶And when the time was that Elkanah 8offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, 9portions:
8 Namely, thank offering, whereof he, who offered, had his portion, which he was permitted to eat with his family.
9 Namely, of the sacrifice. See Deut. 12:12; 16:11.
5But unto Hannah he gave a 10worthy portion; for he 11loved Hannah: 12but the LORD had shut up her womb.
10 Which was glorious to behold. Hebr. a piece of two faces. This courtesy Elkanah showed to his wife Hannah, to amuse her therewith.
11 That is, he loved her exceedingly more than he did Peninnah. See a similar example, Gen. 29:30.
12 See Gen. 20:18.
6And 13her adversary also provoked her sore, for 14to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb.
13 Namely, Peninnah, who envied her. See Lev. 18:18.
14 Other, while she thundered, that is, broke out into tempestuous words.
7And as 15he did 16so year by year, when 17she went up to the house of the LORD, 18so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and 19did not eat.
15 Namely, Elkanah.
16 Namely, as it is mentioned in verses 4, 5.
17 Namely, Hannah.
18 The meaning of these words is, that Peninnah has vexed, disquieted, and provoked Hannah to wrath.
19 That is, she did eat very little.
8Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? amc not I better to thee than ten sons?
c Ruth 4:15.
9¶So Hannah rose up after 20they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post 21of the temple of the LORD.
20 That is, Elkanah, for it seems that she did eat either nothing at all, or but very little.
21 That is, of the tabernacle, for at this time the temple was not yet built.
10And she was in bitterness 22of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and 23wept sore.
22 Hebr. bitter of soul. Compare Judges 18 on verse 25.
23 Hebr. she wept weeping.
11And she 24vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, 25if thou wilt indeed look on 26the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid 27a man child, then I will 28give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and 29there shalld no razor come upon his head.
24 Namely, with the knowledge and consent of her husband; for otherwise the woman’s vow was of no force: See Num. 30:8.
25 Hebr. if thou seeing seest.
26 Thus she calls her barrenness, See Gen. 29:32.
27 Hebr. a seed of men, that is, a son.
28 That is, dedicate it unto Thy service.
29 That is, he shall be a nazarite. See Num. 6:5.
d Judges 13:5.
12And it came to pass, 30as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli marked her mouth.
30 Hebr. multiplied to pray.
13Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.
14And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? 31put away thy wine from thee.
31 That is, lay yourself down to sleep, that you may digest, and sleep away the wine.
15And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a 32sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out 33mye soul before the LORD.
32 Hebr. hard of spirit, or, mind.
33 That is, the trouble and anguish of my heart.
e Psalm 62:8.
1634Count not thine handmaid for 35a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto.
34 Hebr. Put not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial.
35 See Deut. 13:13.
17Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel 36grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.
36 Or, shall give thy petition.
18And she said, 37Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and 38did eat, and 39her countenance was no more sad.
37 In these words she requests that Eli henceforward would pray unto the Lord for her.
38 For Eli’s words had cheered her.
39 Hebr. her countenance was not any more to her, namely, that sad countenance which she had had before.
19¶And they rose up in the morning early, and 40worshipped before the LORD, and returned, and came to their house 41to Ramah: and Elkanah 42knew Hannah his wife; and the LORD 43remembered her.
40 See Gen. 24 on verse 26. Also below, verse 28.
41 Verse 1 at Ramathaim-zophim.
42 That is, lay with her, as Gen. 4:1.
43 That is, He made it appear indeed that He had heard her prayer.
20Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the LORD.
21And the man Elkanah, and all his house, 44went up 45to offer unto the LORD 46the yearly sacrifice, and his vow.
44 Namely, unto Shiloh, as verse 3.
45 Namely, that which he had vowed to offer unto the Lord, for a sign of thankfulness, that the Lord had given him a son by his wife Hannah, or to perform both his and his wife’s vow, concerning the child.
46 Hebr. the offering of days, that is, which was every year offered on the feast-days.
22But 47Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the LORD, and there abide 48for ever.
47 The women were not commanded to go up every year (although they were permitted to do it, and sometimes did use to do it) but only the men, Exod. 23:17.
48 That is, his life-time. See verses 11, 28.
23And Elkanah her husband said unto her, Do what seemeth thee good; tarry until thou have weaned him; only the LORD establish his word. So the woman abode, and gave her son suck until she weaned him.
24¶Andf when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and 49one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the LORD in Shiloh: and the child was young.
f Luke 2:41.
49 See Exod. 16:36; Lev. 5:11.
25And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli.
26And she said, Oh my lord, 50as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the LORD.
50 That is, as true as thou livest.
27For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him:
28Therefore also I have 51lent him to the LORD; 52as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD. And 53he worshipped the LORD there.
51 Other, yielded, namely, to minister in the tabernacle.
52 Other, all the days that he shall be, he shall be given to the Lord.
53 Namely, Samuel, or Eli, or also Elkanah and Hannah.