1Hannah's song in thankfulness to God. 12The sin of Eli's sons. 18Samuel's ministry. 20Eli blesseth Elkanah and his wife, who beareth more children. 22Eli reproveth his sons. 27A prophecy against Eli's house.
1AND Hannah prayed, and said, Mya heart rejoiceth 1in the LORD, 2mine hornb is exalted in the LORD: 3my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; 4because I rejoice 5in thy salvation.
a Luke 1:46.
1 Namely, forasmuch as He has shown me this great mercy, that He has given me this son.
2 That is, I have as it were received new strength from the Lord; I am now cheerful and undaunted. It is a similitude taken from horned beasts, which have their greatest strength and likewise their ornament in their horns: See Psalm 92:10.
b symbol of strength and power*
3 As if she had said: Seeing the Lord has given me this son, now I dare speak with open mouth against mine enemies, especially against Peninnah, her children and friends, who upbraided me for my barrenness.
4 Other, for thou hast made me joyful with thy salvation.
5 That is, in the happiness which Thou hast conferred upon me, O Lord.
2There is none holy as the LORD: for therec is none beside thee: 6neither is there any 7rock like our God.
c Deut. 3:24; Psalm 86:8.
6 That is, there is none that a man may surely rely upon, but only upon Thee, O Lord God. See Deut. 32:4.
7 The mighty God is also called a Rock, Deut. 32:15 and elsewhere.
38Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not 9arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God 10of knowledge, and by him 11actions are weighed.
8 Hannah speaks here to Peninnah (see 1 Sam. 1:6, 7), likewise to all proud, presumptuous persons.
9 Or, grievous things; that is, as heretofore you were wont to do.
10 That is, of all or great knowledge. Compare Prov. 1:20 with the annotation.
11 Compare Ezek. 18:25. Other, the deeds or works are ordered or weighed by him. Some others thus: are not his works made right?
4The bows of the mighty men are 12broken, and they that 13stumbled are girded with strength.
12 Hebr. The bows are broken. See the like change of number, Job 29:10. Other, The strong with the bow are broken.
13 Namely, as well out of weakness of body as out of faint-heartedness.
5They that were fulld14have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were 15hungry 16ceased: so that the barren hath born 17seven; and she that hath many children is waxed 18feeble.
d Psalm 34:11; Lam. 5:6; Luke 1:53.
14 That is, they are grown so poor, that they have been compelled to hire out themselves, to get victuals.
15 Compare Job 18 on verse 12.
16 Hebr. have ceased, namely, to be, or to be hungry.
17 That is, many, as Ruth 4:15. See below verse 21.
18 Namely, to conceive and bear children.
6The LORDe19killeth, and 20maketh alive: 21he bringeth down to the 22grave, and bringeth up.
e Deut. 32:39; Ezek. 37:11, 12, etc.
19 That is, He sends people great troubles and afflictions, which may be compared to death.
20 That is, He delivers again the afflicted and sorrowful out of their trouble and distress.
21 That is, He brings into the uttermost shame and disgrace.
22 That is, into the uttermost oppression. See Gen. 37 on verse 35.
7The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.
8Hef raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar 23from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: forg the pillars of the earth are the LORD's, and he hath set the world upon them.
f Job 36:15; Psalm 113:7, 8; Luke 1:52.
23 Or, from the droppings.
g Psalm 24:2; 102:25; 104:5.
9He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked 24shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.
24 Or, shall be destroyed, and cast into darkness.
10The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall heh thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge 25the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto 26his king,i and exalt the horn of 27his anointed.
h 1 Sam. 7:10.
25 That is, even those who are in the uttermost ends of the world.
26 Namely, Christ, Whom He has ordained, and Whom He will send at the time appointed.
i Psalm 2:6; 89:24.
27 That is, of Christ, See Psalm 2:2.
11And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister unto the LORD before Eli the priest.
12¶Now the sons of Eli were 28sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD.
28 See Deut. 13:13.
13And the priests’ 29custom with the people was, that, when any man 30offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a fleshhookj of three teeth in his hand;
29 Heb mishpat, justice; which word signifies sometimes a custom or use, not only a good and laudable, but also a bad and blamable use or custom.
30 That is, brought to be sacrificed. Also verse l5.
j fork used to retrieve meat from a cooking pot*
14And he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; 31all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took 32for himself. So they did in Shiloh unto 33all the Israelites that came thither.
31 God had given the priests for their food certain pieces or parts of the beasts which were offered; namely, the breast and the right shoulder, Exod. 29:27, 28; Lev. 7:31, 32, 33. But they were not permitted to take what they pleased or what the fork gave them; also the portion that belonged to the priest must first be heaved up and waved before the Lord, Lev. 7:34.
32 Or, therewith, namely, with the flesh-hook.
33 Hebr. all Israel.
15Also before they 34burnt the fat, the priest's servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for 35he will not have sodden flesh of thee, but 36raw.
34 See Lev. 3:3, etc.
35 Yet the priest took also sodden flesh, as appears in verse 13. Here is intimated that he rather had raw flesh, than boiled or sodden.
36 Hebr. alive.
16And if any man said unto him, Let them not fail 37to burn the fat presently, and then take as much as thy soul desireth; then he would answer him, Nay; but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force.
37 Hebr. burning burn.
17Wherefore the sin 38of the young men was very great before the LORD: for 39men abhorred the offering of the LORD.
38 Namely, of the sons of Eli.
39 Intimating that when the people saw how shamefully the sons of Eli abused the sacrifices to their own pleasure, they thereby got a loathing of the worship and service of God, so that they brought no more meat offerings unto the Lord.
18¶But Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child, girded with a linen 40ephod.
40 Hebr. ephod. Compare 2 Sam. 6:14.
19Moreover his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him 41from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the 42yearly sacrifice.
41 Hebr. from days to days.
42 Hebr. the offering of days.
20 ¶ 43And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, The LORD give thee 44seed of this woman 45for the loan 46which is lent to the LORD. And they went unto their 47own home.
43 That is, he as high priest had wished them much joy.
44 That is, children.
45 That is, for the petitioned son, who is now also dedicated and given unto God.
46 Other, which hath been petitioned of the LORD, or, which hath been requested or desired before the LORD. It is as if he had said: She has not begged or asked this son of the Lord for herself, or for her own benefit; but that she would dedicate him unto the Lord, to His service.
47 Namely, unto Elkanah’s place.
21And the LORD 48visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and 49bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel 50grew 51before the LORD.
48 Confirming the blessing of Eli, which they had trusted that the Lord would accomplish.
49 The meaning is: at several births.
50 Understand this of the growth of the body in stature, and of the soul in wisdom and knowledge. See Luke 1:80; 2:40, 52.
51 Other, before or with the Lord.
22¶Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that 52assembled 53at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
52 Or, assembled by troops. See the annotation on Exod. 38:8.
53 That is, before the tent, for into the tent they were not permitted to come.
23And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people.
2454Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the LORD’S people 55to transgress.
54 That is, it does not become you to deal as such.
55 Namely, the command concerning the sacrifice; see verse 17.
25If 56one man sin against another, the 57judge shall judge him: but if a man 58sin against the LORD, who shall intreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, 59because the LORD would slay them.
56 Or, a person.
57 Other, the magistrate, the judges. See Exod. 21:6 and the annotation there.
58 Namely, willfully and presumptuously.
59 Therefore the Lord gave them not grace to repent, but He did more and more forsake them, and gave them in His justice over to a reprobate mind to their own ruin and destruction.
26Andk the child Samuel 60grew on, and was in 61favour both with the LORD, and also with men.
k Luke 2:52.
60 Hebr. went. Compare Gen. 26:13 with the annotation.
61 Hebr. good.
27¶And there came 62a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, 63Did I plainly appear unto the house 64of thy father, whenl65they were in Egypt in Pharaoh’s 66house?
62 That is, a prophet of the Lord, as 1 Tim. 6:11; 2 Tim. 3:17; 2 Peter 1:21. Who this prophet was, is unknown unto us. See the annotation Judges 13 on verse 6.
63 Or, Am I not, etc. Hebr. revealing revealed.
64 Namely, of Aaron, of whom Eli descended by Ithamar.
l Acts 7:25, etc.
65 Namely, the children of Israel.
66 That is, when they were yet under the dominion and tyranny of Pharaoh.
28And did I choose 67him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I givem unto the house of thy father 68all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel?
67 Namely, Aaron.
m Lev. 10:14.
68 Meaning: all the parts of the beasts, which in the sacrifices were not to be burnt upon the altar. See Lev. 7:34; Num. 18:18.
29Wherefore kick 69ye atn my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my 70habitation; and 71honourest thy sons above me, to make 72yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people?
69 Namely, thou Eli, and thy sons.
n Deut. 32:15.
70 That is, the tabernacle, which was God’s habitation.
71 Bearing more respect unto them, then unto Me; for thou durst not provoke them, nor soundly reprove them, much less punish them as thou oughtest to do, or to remove them from the priesthood, as their wicked practices have justly deserved.
72 Namely, thou Eli, as well as thy sons.
30Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, 73I said 74indeed that thy house,o and the house of thy father, should walk 75before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, 76Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me 77shall be lightly esteemed.
73 Namely, when I instituted the priestly office in thy fathers house.
74 Hebr. I had saying said.
o Exod. 28:43; 29:9.
75 That is, execute the priestly office; understand hereby, if they would walk in My commandments.
76 Namely, by reason of your disobedience.
77 Hebr. shall become light.
31Behold, the days come, 78that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father's house, that there shall not be an old man in thine house.
78 That is, I will deprive thee of thy strength: namely of thy children and the priestly office: for when the office of the high priest was taken away from Eli and his (sons), they had no strength or power at all. See verse 36. The word arm is also used for strength, Job 22:9; Psalm 37:17 and more in other places.
32And thou shalt see an 79enemy in my habitation, in 80all the wealth which God shall give Israel: and there shall not be an old man in thine house for ever.
79 Of the carrying away of the ark out of the tabernacle or habitation, the defeat of the Israelites, and the captivity of the ark, see 1 Sam. 4:11. Other, thou shalt see an adversary in the habitation. Thou, that is, thy posterity (for Eli continued priest all his lifetime) but afterward shall another (thine, as being excluded) be placed in their stead. See 1 Kings 2:27.
80 Other, in all things wherein he should have done good unto Israel.
3381And the man 82of thine, whom I shall not cut off from mine altar, 83shall be to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thine heart: and 84all the increase of thine house shall die 85in the flower of their age.
81 That is, he who shall continue in the service at the altar.
82 That is, unto thee.
83 That is, if thou shouldst then yet live, and shouldst see all these things, thou wouldst weep out thine eyes. This may be understood of the miserable murdering of the priests at Nob, 1 Sam. 22:18, or also of the shameful deposition of Abiathar, 1 Kings 2:26, whereunto the first words of this verse do well agree.
84 That is, almost all.
85 Hebr. men, that is, having become men.
34And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on 86Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them.
86 See the accomplishment hereof 1 Sam. 4:11.
35And I will raise me up 87a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is 88in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a 89sure house; and 90he shall 91walk before 92mine anointed 93for ever.
87 Namely, Zadok, who was of the family of Eleazar. See the accomplishment, 1 Chron. 29:22.
88 That is, as it pleaseth Me.
89 Hebr. a faithful house. In Zadok’s family did the office of the high priest continue a long while, according to what God promised unto Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, Num. 25:13.
90 Understand hereby: and his posterity.
91 That is, to administer the priestly office, as verse 30.
92 That is, before the king, whom I shall chose, who also shall be a type of Christ, Whom I have anointed King over Zion, My holy mountain.
93 Hebr. all the days, namely, of his life.
36And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in thine house 94shall come and crouch to 95him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priests' offices, that I may eat a piece of bread.
94 See the fulfillment 1 Kings 2:26; 2 Kings 23:9. See also the marks hereof, Ezek. 44:14.
95 Namely, before Zadok, and his posterity.