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1 Samuel
Chapter One
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 1
This
chapter gives an account of the parents of Samuel, of the trouble his mother
met with from her rival, and comfort from her husband, 1 Samuel 1:1, of
her prayer to God for a son, and of her vow to him, should one be given her, 1 Samuel 1:9 of the
notice Eli took of her, and of his censure on her, which he afterwards
retracted, and comforted her, 1 Samuel 1:12 of
her conception and the birth of her son, the nursing and weaning of him, 1 Samuel 1:19 and
of the presentation of him to the Lord, with a sacrifice, 1 Samuel 1:24.
1 Samuel 1:1 Now
there was a certain man of Ramathaim Zophim, of the mountains of Ephraim, and
his name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu,[a] the son of
Tohu,[b] the son of
Zuph, an Ephraimite.
YLT
1And there is a certain man
of Ramathaim-Zophim, of the hill-country of Ephraim, and his name [is] Elkanah,
son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, and Ephrathite,
Now there was a man of
Ramathaimzophim, of Mount Ephraim,.... Ramathaim is a word
of the dual number, and signifies two Ramahs; the city consisted of two parts,
being built perhaps on two hills, and were called Zophim; because, as the
Rabbins say, they looked one to another; or rather, because situated on
eminences, there were watchtowers in them, where watchmen were placed; or
because they were inhabited by prophets, who were sometimes called watchmen, Ezekiel 3:17 and
here is thought to be a school of the prophets, see 1 Samuel 19:19 and
which seems to be countenanced by the Targum, in which the words are
paraphrased thus, "and there was one" man of Ramatha, of the
disciples of the prophets; or, as others think, the sense is this, this man was
one of the Ramathites, the inhabitants of Ramah, and of the family of Zuph, or
the Zuphites, which gave the name to the land of Zuph, and the grand ancestor
of Elkanah is in this verse called Zuph, see 1 Samuel 9:5.
According to JeromF5De loc. Heb. fol. 88. K. , this is the same with
Arimathaea, of which Joseph was, Matthew 27:57 for
thus he writes,"Armatha Sophim, the city of Helcanah and Samuel, in the
Thamnitic region near Diospolis (or Lydda), from whence was Joseph, who in the
Gospels is said to be of Arimathaea;'but RelandF6Palestin.
Illustrat. tom. 2. p. 581. thinks it cannot be the same that was about Lydda,
which was all a champaign country; whereas this was in the mountains of
Ephraim, which must be sought to the north of Jerusalem, and not the west, and
so it follows:
of Mount Ephraim: which is added to distinguish it from other
Ramahs in several tribes, as in Benjamin, Naphtali, &c. though this may
refer not to the situation of Ramathaim, but to the country of this man, who
was originally of Mount Ephraim, as was the Levite in Judges 19:1 who was
the cause of much evil to Israel, as this was of great good, as Kimchi
observes: arpar
and his name was Elkanah; which signifies
"God hath possessed"; that is, possessed him, or he was in possession
of God; he had an ancestor of the same name, 1 Chronicles 6:23.
This man was a Levite, one of the Kohathites, and a descendant of Korah; so
that the famous prophet Samuel was of the sons of Korah:
the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of
Zuph; the three last of these names are somewhat differently read in 1 Chronicles 6:26,
where they are Eliab, Nahath, Zophai; and in 1 Chronicles 6:34.
Eliel, Toah, Zuph:
an Ephrathite; which appellation is to be connected,
according to Kimchi, not with Elkanah, but with Zuph; though neither of them
were so called from Bethlehemjudah, the inhabitants of which were indeed called
Ephrathites from Ephratah, another name of it; so Elimelech, and his sons
Mahlon and Chilion, being of that city, were so called, 1:2
not from their being of the tribe of Ephraim, as Jeroboam of that tribe is
called an Ephrathite, 1 Kings 11:26, see Judges 12:5 for
these were Levites, the descendants of Kohath, in the line of Korah; but
because they sojourned in Mount Ephraim, or dwelt there, as Elkanah did; and it
is well known that the Kohathites had cities given them in the tribe of
Ephraim, Joshua 21:5.
1 Samuel 1:2 2 And he had two wives: the
name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had
children, but Hannah had no children.
YLT 2and he hath two wives, the
name of the one [is] Hannah, and the name of the second Peninnah, and Peninnah
hath children, and Hannah hath no children.
And he had two wives,.... Which,
though connived at in those times, was contrary to the original law of marriage;
and for which, though a good man, he was chastised, and had a great deal of
vexation and trouble, the two wives not agreeing with each other; perhaps not
having children by the one so soon as he hoped and wished for, he took another:
the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah; the first
name signifies "grace" or "gracious", and she was a woman
who had the grace of God, and very probably was also very comely, beautiful,
and acceptable, as she was in the sight of her husband; the other signifies a
cornered gem, a precious stone or jewel, as the pearl, ruby, amethyst, &c.
Very likely Hannah was his first wife, and having no children by her, he took
Peninnah, who proved to be a rough diamond: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah
had no children; how many Peninnah had is not said, perhaps ten; see 1 Samuel 1:8 and
that Hannah had none was not because she was naturally barren, but because the
Lord had shut up her womb, or restrained her from bearing children, to put her
upon praying for one, and that the birth of Samuel might be the more
remarkable: see 1 Samuel 1:5.
1 Samuel 1:3 3 This man went up from his
city yearly to worship and sacrifice to the Lord of hosts in
Shiloh. Also the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord, were
there.
YLT
3And that man hath gone up
out of his city from time to time, to bow himself, and to sacrifice, before
Jehovah of Hosts, in Shiloh, and there [are] two sons of Eli, Hophni and
Phinehas, priests to Jehovah.
This man went up out of
his city yearly,.... From year to year; or, as the Targum, from the time of the
solemn appointed feast to the solemn appointed feast, from one to another;
there were three of them in the year, at which all the males in Israel were to
appear at the tabernacle; and being a Levite, this man was the more careful to
observe this rule. He is said to "go up" out of his city, which was
Ramathaim or Ramah; for though it was built on an eminence, from whence it had
its name, yet Shiloh, whither he went, was higher; that being, as Adrichomius
saysF1Theatrum Terrae Sanct. p. 30. So Sandys's Travels, l. 3. p.
157. , on the highest mountain of all round about Jerusalem, and the highest of
all the mountains of the holy land. So that as he first went down the hill from
Ramah, he went up an high ascent to Shiloh, which is the place he went up to as
follows:
to worship and to sacrifice unto the Lord of hosts in Shiloh; where the
tabernacle was, the place of worship, and the altar of burnt offerings, on
which sacrifices were offered. This place, according to BuntingF2Travels
of the Patriarchs, &c. p. 122. , was twelve miles from Ramah, though others
say it was not more than seven miles from it; hither he went to worship, or bow
before the Lord; to pray unto him, as it is commonly interpreted; and being put
before sacrifice, is said to be preferable to that, and more acceptable to God,
and more eligible to be done in the tabernacle or temple than at home; see Luke 18:10 and
though he is said to go up to sacrifice, it is not to be understood of his
performing it himself, but by others, by the priest; for he himself was a
Levite and could not offer sacrifices. This is the first time that mention is
made of this title of Jehovah, Lord of hosts, of all the hosts and armies in
heaven and in earth, the Lord of Sabaoth, as in James 5:4 from צבא, an "host", or army; and from hence the
Heathens called some of their deities by the name of Sabazius, as Jupiter
SabaziusF3Valer. Maxim. l. 1. c. 3. Vid. D. Herbert de Cherbury de
Relig. Gent. c. 3. p. 22. ; and the Phrygians and Thracians used to call
Bacchus Sabazius, and other Grecians following them did the sameF4Diodor.
Sicul. Bibliothec. l. 3. p. 212. Harpocration in voce σαβοι,
Lucian. Concil. deor. sect. 4. Cicero de legibus. l. 2. Aristophan vespae, v.
9, 10. Aves, 582. & Scholia in ib. Lysistrate, p. 860. & Scholia in ib.
:
and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas the priests of the
Lord, were there; Eli was the next judge of Israel after Samson, and
who also was the high priest, as is generally supposed; but when and how the
high priesthood came into his family is nowhere said, who was a descendant of
Ithamar, the younger son of Aaron, in whose line it continued to the time of
Solomon; and JosephusF5Antiqu. l. 5. c. 11. sect. 5. places three
between Phinehas and Eli, who were all of the line of Eleazar, whom he calls
Abiezer, Bouci, and Ozis; but their Scripture names are Abishua, Bukki, and
Uzzi, 1 Chronicles 6:50.
And according to him, after Uzzi came Eli to be high priest, and therefore must
be the first of the line of Ithamar that was in that office. His two sons are
mentioned as officiating as priests in Shiloh, at the time Elkanah used to go
yearly thither to worship and sacrifice; who were very wicked men, as appears
by an after account of them; and it is generally thought that this is observed
here, to show that the wickedness of these priests did not hinder this good man
from doing his duty; nor did he make use of it as an excuse for not attending
the worship of the sanctuary.
1 Samuel 1:4 4 And whenever the time came
for Elkanah to make an offering, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife
and to all her sons and daughters.
YLT
4And the day cometh, and
Elkanah sacrificeth, and he hath given to Peninnah his wife, and to all her
sons and her daughters, portions,
And when the time was that
Elkanah offered,.... That is, brought his offering to the priest, to offer it for
him, which was at one of the three festivals. According to R. Joshua Ben LeviF6Apud
Kimchium in loc. , this was at the time of Pentecost; but Abarbinel thinks it
was at the time of the ingathering of the fruits of the earth, which was a time
of rejoicing, even the feast of tabernacles, and which is most likely:
he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her
daughters, portions; parts of the offering, everyone a part, or portion; by which it
appears, that this was a peace offering he offered, the greater part of which
belonged to the owner, and which he made a feast of for his family and friends;
see Deuteronomy 12:5.
JeromF7Trad. Heb. in lib. Reg. fol. 74. H. interprets these portions
of garments.
1 Samuel 1:5 5 But to Hannah he would give
a double portion, for he loved Hannah, although the Lord had closed her
womb.
YLT
5and to Hannah he giveth a
certain portion -- double, for he hath loved Hannah, and Jehovah hath shut her
womb;
But unto Hannah he gave a
worthy portion,.... Or, one choice portion, as the Targum; the best part or
portion in the peace offering, of what the priest had not; he had the breast
and the right shoulder, the next best piece he gave to Hannah; and the word
being of the dual number, some render it a double portion; others, "one
part of two faces"F8מנה אחת אפים "unam portionem
duarum facicrum", Sanctius Belgae. ; which Jerom interprets, which might
be received with a cheerful countenance, it was so good and excellent in its
kind; others interpret it that he gave it with a sorrowfulF9Sic
Stockins, p. 79. and displeased countenance, because of the reason following,
that she had no children; but Ben Gersom understands it of a part or portion of
meat that had two faces or appearances; that he gave her one of the pieces, one
part of which was very fat, and the other had no fat on it, so that she might
choose what she liked best:
for he loved Hannah; loved her best, and
therefore did everything to please her, and make her comfortable under her
affliction for want of children, and to express his tender affection for her:
but the Lord had shut up her womb; restrained her from
conception, and bearing children; see Genesis 20:18 or
"though the Lord had shut up her womb"F11ויהוה "quanquam Jehovah", Piscator. ; this did
not abate his love to her.
1 Samuel 1:6 6 And her rival also
provoked her severely, to make her miserable, because the Lord had closed her
womb.
YLT
6and her adversity hath also
provoked her greatly, so as to make her tremble, for Jehovah hath shut up her
womb.
And her adversary also
provoked her sore,.... That is, Peninnah, the other wife of Elkanah; for when a man
had more wives, two or more, they were usually at enmity to one another, as the
two wives of Socrates were, being always jealous lest one should have more love
and respect than the other from the husband; and this woman provoked Hannah one
time after another, and continually, by upbraiding her with her barrenness; and
this was another reason why Elkanah did all he could to comfort her, not only
because the Lord had restrained her from bearing children, but because also she
that envied and emulated her sadly provoked her:
for to make her fret; and be uneasy, and
murmur at and complain of her unhappy circumstances: some render it,
"because she thundered"F12בעבור הרעמה "propterea quod intonabat contra eam",
Piscator. against her; that is, Peninnah was exceeding loud and clamorous with
her reproaches and scoffs, which were grievously provoking to Hannah. So said
Socrates, when Xantippe first scolded at him, and then poured foul water on
him: did not I say, says he, that Xantippe first thunders, and then rainsF13Laert.
in Vit. Socrat. p. 112. ?
because the Lord had shut up her womb; it was this
Peninnah upbraided her with, and at which Hannah fretted and grieved.
1 Samuel 1:7 7 So it was, year by year,
when she went up to the house of the Lord, that she provoked her;
therefore she wept and did not eat.
YLT
7And so he doth year by
year, from the time of her going up into the house of Jehovah, so it provoketh
her, and she weepeth, and doth not eat.
And as he did so year by
year,.... Elkanah went up every year to Shiloh, and offered
sacrifices, taking his family with him, and gave to Peninnah and her children
their portion, and to Hannah a double portion, or if but one yet the best:
when she went up to the house of the Lord; that is,
Peninnah, along with her husband, with whom she went every year to the
tabernacle at Shiloh:
so she provoked her; her rival Hannah,
upbraiding her with her barrenness; to which she was stirred up by seeing her
husband on these festivals take so much notice of her, and show so much love
and respect for her, as always to give her the best portion. Abarbinel thinks
that Peninnah and Hannah lived at two separate places, the one at Ramah and the
other at Ramatha, which both together are called Ramathaim; and that they only
met with and saw one another at these festivals, and then it was that the one
was so very insulting and provoking to the other:
therefore she wept and did not eat; that is, Hannah wept at
the insults, reproaches, and scoffs, cast at her by her antagonist; insomuch
that she could not eat of the peace offerings, though her husband always gave
her the best part and portion of them; but her grief took away her stomach and appetite,
that she could not eat; see Psalm 42:3.
1 Samuel 1:8 8 Then Elkanah her husband
said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? And why is your
heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”
YLT
8And Elkanah her husband
saith to her, `Hannah, why weepest thou? and why dost thou not eat? and why is
thy heart afflicted? am I not better to thee than ten sons?'
Then said Elkanah her husband
to her, Hannah, why weepest thou?.... Since it was a time
of rejoicing, as every festival was, especially at the ingathering of the
fruits of the earth:
and why eatest thou not? since they were at a
feast, and she had the best part and portion of the provision:
and why is thy heart grieved? to such a degree that
she could neither eat nor drink:
am not I better to thee than ten sons? which, as
Jarchi says, Peninnah had borne to him; his meaning is, that the share she had
in his love and affections ought to have been esteemed by her more than if she
had ten or many children by him; and it suggests that Peninnah would have been
glad to have such a share in his affections as Hannah had; and it would have
been more eligible to her, than to have borne him so many children as she had.
1 Samuel 1:9 9 So Hannah arose after they
had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on
the seat by the doorpost of the tabernacle[c] of the Lord.
YLT
9And Hannah riseth after
eating in Shiloh, and after drinking, and Eli the priest is sitting on the
throne by the side-post of the temple of Jehovah.
So Hannah rose up after
they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drank,.... After
dinner, after Elkanah and Peninnah, and their children, had eaten heartily, and
drank freely, and made a comfortable meal, and even a feast of it, at the place
where the tabernacle and altar were, and their peace offerings were offered up,
part of which they had been regaling themselves with. The Targum is,"after
she had eaten in Shiloh, and after she had drank;'for upon the entreaty of her
husband, and to make him easy, she might be prevailed upon to eat somewhat,
though it might be but little; and to drink, though it was but water; for as
for wine and strong drink, she declares afterwards she had not drank, 1 Samuel 1:15.
now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the
Lord; for so the tabernacle was called, and sometimes the temple is
called a tabernacle, Jeremiah 10:20. Now
at the door posts and side of the threshold of the temple of the Lord, as the
Targum; at the entrance of the great court of the Israelites, Eli had a seat
placed, on which he sat; this must be at the gate of the court of the
tabernacle, by the pillars of it; for in the court itself none afterwards might
sit but kings of the family DavidF14Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn.
Yoma, c. 7. sect. 1. ; here Eli sat as an high priest and judge, give advice in
difficult cases, and to try and judge all causes that were brought before him;
some sayF15Shoched Tob apud Yalkut, par. 2. fol. 12. 4. that he was
on this day constituted an high priest, and others sayF17Seder Olam
Rabba, c. 13. p. 37. he was now made a judge; but no doubt he was both high
priest and judge before this time.
1 Samuel 1:10 10 And she was in
bitterness of soul, and prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish.
YLT
10And she is bitter in soul,
and prayeth unto Jehovah, and weepeth greatly,
And she was in bitterness
of soul,.... Because of her barrenness, and the taunts and reflections
she had met with on that account; her life was bitter to her, she could take no
pleasure in any of the comforts of it:
and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore; her prayer
was with strong crying and tears; it was very fervent and affectionate; she
prayed most vehemently, and wept bitterly. This perhaps was about the time of
the evening sacrifice, about three or four o'clock in the afternoon; seeing it
was after dinner that she arose up and went to prayer in the house of God, at
the door of the tabernacle, or near it, as it should seem by the notice Eli
took of her, who sat there.
1 Samuel 1:11 11 Then she made a vow and
said, “O Lord
of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and
remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a
male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life,
and no razor shall come upon his head.”
YLT
11and voweth a vow, and
saith, `Jehovah of Hosts, if Thou dost certainly look on the affliction of Thy
handmaid, and hast remembered me, and dost not forget Thy handmaid, and hast
given to Thy handmaid seed of men -- then I have given him to Jehovah all days
of his life, and a razor doth not go up upon his head.'
And she vowed a vow,.... Which
might be confirmed by her husband; otherwise the vow of a woman, if disapproved
of by her husband, was not valid, Numbers 30:8 and
Elkanah might make the same vow his wife did, and so it stood; for as this was
a vow of Nazariteship, it is a tradition of the JewsF18Misn. Sotah.
c. 3. sect. 8. , that a man may vow his son to be a Nazarite, but a woman may not;
but as this instance contradicts the tradition, they endeavour to explain away
this vow, as it may respect a Nazarite, as will be observed hereafter:
and said, O Lord of hosts; this is properly the
first time this title was used by any that we know of; for though it is
expressed in 1 Samuel 1:3 there
it is used as the words of the writer of this history, and so long after this
prayer was put up; See Gill on 1 Samuel 1:3; and
it is an observation in the TalmudF19T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 31. 2. ,
that from the day God created the world, no man called him the Lord of hosts
till Hannah came and called him so:
if thou wilt indeed look upon the affliction of thine handmaid the sorrow of
heart she had, the reproach she met with, on account of her having no children:
and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid; which petitions
are the same in other words, and are repeated to denote her vehemence and
importunity in prayer, and may allude to usages among men, that will look upon
a person in distress, and turn away and forget them, and never think of them
more; which she deprecates may not be her case with God:
but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child; or, "a
seed of men"F20זרע אנשים "semen virorum", Montanus. ; a son in the
midst of men, as the Targum; such as is desirable by men, as a male child for
the most part is; though some Jewish writers interpret it of the seed of
righteous, wise, and understanding men, such as be fit to serve the Lord, which
seems to be a sense foreign to the text; a man child she asks, because no other
could serve the Lord in the temple; and that she meant by this phrase such an
one is clear, because she vowed that a razor should not come on its head, which
is never said of females, as Kimchi observes:
then will I give him unto the Lord all the days of his life; to serve him,
and minister unto him in the sanctuary; being born a Levite, it was incumbent
on him to serve the Lord, and he had a right to his service; but then a common
Levite did not enter on it until twenty five or thirty years of age, and was
not always serving, but was dismissed from it at fifty Numbers 8:24; but
the child she vows, if the Lord would give her such an one, should be trained
up in his service from his infancy, and continue it all the days of his life;
and was to be also a perpetual Nazarite, as Samson was, as follows:
and there shall no razor come upon his head; as was not to
come upon a Nazarite, during his Nazariteship, Numbers 6:5 and as
such a vow made by a woman contradicts the tradition of the Jews before
mentioned, they give another sense of this clause; as the Targum, which
paraphrases it,"and the fear of man shall not be upon him;'but about this
there is a divisionF21Misn. Nazir, c. 9. sect. 5. ; but that Samuel
was Nazarite, and a perpetual one, is the sense of their best interpreters.
1 Samuel 1:12 12 And it happened, as she
continued praying before the Lord, that Eli watched her
mouth.
YLT
12And it hath been, when she
multiplied praying before Jehovah, that Eli is watching her mouth,
And it came to pass, as
she continued praying before the Lord,.... Being very earnest
and importunate with him to grant her request, and therefore repeated her
petition, and prolonged her prayer, being unwilling to let the Lord go, until
she had a promise, or some satisfaction, that she should have the thing she
liked; some think she continued an hour in prayer:
that Eli marked her mouth; observed the motion of
her lips, and no doubt her distorted countenance, and uplifted eyes and hands,
but chiefly the former; not knowing what the woman was at, and what could be
the meaning of such motions.
1 Samuel 1:13 13 Now Hannah spoke in her heart;
only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was
drunk.
YLT
13and Hannah, she is speaking
to her heart, only her lips are moving, and her voice is not heard, and Eli
reckoneth her to be drunken.
Now Hannah, she spake in
her heart,.... It was mental prayer she used, some ejaculations of her mind
she sent up to God, which she was sensible were well known to him, and she
needed not to express vocally:
only her lips moved; as her heart spoke, and
sent up her petitions, as if she had used words and phrases in form:
but her voice was not heard: that she might not seem
to be ostentatious in her prayer, and that she might not interrupt others in
their devotions; and she knew that her voice was not necessary with respect to
God:
therefore Eli thought she had been drunken; by the
motions she made, and gestures she used, as if she was muttering something to
herself, and by her long continuance therein, and it being after a feast she
had been at with her husband, and the rest of the family; from all which Eli
concluded this must be her case.
1 Samuel 1:14 14 So Eli said to her, “How
long will you be drunk? Put your wine away from you!”
YLT
14And Eli saith unto her,
`Until when are thou drunken? turn aside thy wine from thee.'
And Eli said unto her, how
long wilt thou be drunken?.... What, every day drunk? what,
continually in this wicked practice? when will it be stopped? for Eli might
have observed on other days, and at other times, odd looks, and a strange
behaviour in her, which he took for the effects of drinking too much wine: or
how long will this drunken fit last? she had been a considerable time as he
thought in it, and it was not gone off yet: the Targum is,"how long wilt
thou behave like a fool, or a mad woman?'as drunken people generally do act, as
if they were fools, or mad:
put away thy wine from thee; not as if she had any
with her there to drink of, but he advises her, since it had such an effect
upon her, to abstain from it, and wholly disuse it, and so break off such an
habit and custom she had got into; or he would have her go home and sleep it
out, and wait till she had digested it, and the strength of it was gone off,
before she came to such a place of devotion and worship; from hence the Jews
sayF23T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 31. 1. it may be learnt, that a drunken
person ought not to pray.
1 Samuel 1:15 15 But Hannah answered and
said, “No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk
neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord.
YLT
15And Hannah answereth and
saith, `No, my lord, A woman sharply pained in spirit I [am], and wine and
strong drink I have not drunk, and I pour out my soul before Jehovah;
And Hannah answered and
said, no, my lord,.... That is not my case, you have greatly mistaken it; she
answered with great mildness and meekness, without falling into a passion at
such a scandalous imputation upon her, and with great respect and reverence to
Eli, suitable to his office; so in later times the high priest used to be
addressed after this manner, particularly on the day of atonement, "Lord
high priest", do so and soF24Misn. Yoma, c. 1. sect. 3, 5, 7. ;
indeed these words of Hannah are interpreted as not so very respectful, as if
the sense was, not a lord art thou in this matter; nor does the Holy Ghost
dwell upon theeF25T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 31. 2. Jarchi in loc. ;
which thou hast sufficiently shown, or thou wouldest never have suspected me of
drunkenness:
I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: depressed with trouble
and grief on account of afflictions; if she was drunk, it was not with wine,
but with sorrow: or "a woman of a hard spirit"F26קשת רוח "dura spiritu",
Pagninus, Montanus. ; which is sometimes taken in an ill sense, and, according
to Abarbinel, is here denied by her, who connects this clause with the
preceding thus; not, my lord, am I a woman of a hard spirit, or such a hardened
wretch, and such an impudent woman, as I must be, were it so, to come drunk
into the house of God, and pretend to pray unto him:
I have drank neither wine nor strong drink; not any sort
of intoxicating liquors that day, neither wine new or old, as the Targum:
but have poured out my soul before the Lord: the
affliction of it, as the same paraphrase; the grievances and distresses, the
complaints of her soul, which were many, and which she had poured out before
the Lord freely and plentifully, and which had taken up some time to do it; see
Psalm 42:8 where
phrases similar to this are used, and which seem to be taken from hence.
1 Samuel 1:16 16 “Do not consider your
maidservant a wicked woman,[d] for out of
the abundance of my complaint and grief I have spoken until now.”
YLT
16put not thy handmaid before
a daughter of worthlessness, for from the abundance of my meditation, and of my
provocation, I have spoken hitherto.'
Count not thine handmaid
for a daughter of Belial,.... A yokeless, a lawless, impudent, and abandoned creature; one
of the most wicked, vilest, and most profligate wretches; as she must be to
come drunk into the sanctuary of God; see 1 Samuel 25:17.
Drunkenness in man is au abominable crime, but much more in a woman. The RomansF1Plin.
Nat. Hist. l. 14. c. 13. forbad wine to women, and drunkenness in them was a
capital crime, as adultery, or any other; and indeed a drunken woman is liable
to all manner of sin:
for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken
hitherto; out of the abundance of the heart the mouth will speak, whether
it is matter of trouble or of joy; the heart of Hannah was full of grief, and
her mouth full of complaints, on which she long dwelt, in order to give vent
thereunto, and ease herself.
1 Samuel 1:17 17 Then Eli answered and
said, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have
asked of Him.”
YLT
17And Eli answereth and
saith, `Go in peace, and the God of Israel doth give thy petition which thou
hast asked of Him.'
Then Eli answered and
said, go in peace,.... He found he was mistaken in her, and that her discourse was
not only sober and rational, but religious and spiritual; and therefore
dismisses her in peace, and bids her not distress herself with what he had said
to her, nor with anything she had met with from others, or from the Lord; but
expect peace and prosperity, and particularly success in what she had been
engaged, and had been solicitous for:
and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked
of him; which may be considered either as a prayer for her, he joining
with her in a request to the Lord, that what she had asked might be granted; or
as a prophecy that so it would be, it being revealed to him by the Holy Ghost,
as the high priest of the Lord; or impressed by an impulse upon his spirit that
the favour asked would be given; and therefore she might go home in peace, and
with satisfaction of mind.
1 Samuel 1:18 18 And she said, “Let your
maidservant find favor in your sight.” So the woman went her way and ate, and
her face was no longer sad.
YLT
18And she saith, `Let thy
handmaid find grace in thine eyes;' and the woman goeth on her way, and eateth,
and her countenance hath not been [sad] for it any more.
And she said, let thine
handmaid find grace in thy sight,.... She had found favour
in his sight she perceives, and she desires it might be continued and
increased; and that as he had prayed for her, he would still use his interest
at the throne of grace for her:
so the woman went her way; took her leave of Eli,
and went from the tabernacle to her husband: and did eat; what remained of the
peace offerings, which were to be eaten that night, and not left till the
morning; and though she would not eat her dinner, her heart was so full of
grief, yet she could now make a good supper, being eased and relieved in her
mind:
and her countenance was no more sad; sorrowful and dejected,
but cheerful, brisk, and lively; believing that her prayers, and those of the
high priest, would be answered.
1 Samuel 1:19 19 Then they rose early in
the morning and worshiped before the Lord, and returned and came to
their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered
her.
YLT
19And they rise early in the
morning, and bow themselves before Jehovah, and turn back, and come in unto
their house in Ramah, and Elkanah knoweth Hannah his wife, and Jehovah
remembereth her;
And they rose up in the
morning early,.... Partly for devotion, and partly for the sake of their
journey:
and worshipped before the Lord; went up to the
tabernacle, and prayed with their faces towards that part of it, the western
part, where stood the ark of the Lord, the symbol of the divine Presence; and
when they no doubt gave thanks for all the favours they had received there, and
prayed for a safe and prosperous journey home, committing themselves to the
care of divine Providence:
and returned, and came to their house to Ramah; or
"Ramatha", the same with Ramathaim, 1 Samuel 1:1. Abarbinel
thinks that Elkanah had two houses, one at Ramah for Peninnah, and another at
Ramatha for Hannah; and that this was Hannah's house, to which they returned
and came:
and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife: cohabited with her as a
man with his wife; it is a modest expression of the conjugal act; see Genesis 4:1 and is
observed to show that the conception and birth of Samuel were not in a
supernatural way, but in the ordinary way and manner of generation:
and the Lord remembered her; the prayer she had made
to him, opened her womb, as he had before shut it, and gave her power to
conceive.
1 Samuel 1:20 20 So it came to pass in the
process of time that Hannah conceived and bore a son, and called his name
Samuel,[e] saying,
“Because I have asked for him from the Lord.”
YLT
20and it cometh to pass, at
the revolution of the days, that Hannah conceiveth, and beareth a son, and
calleth his name Samuel, `for, from Jehovah I have asked him.'
Wherefore it came to pass,
when the time was come about, after Hannah had conceived,.... Or,
"at the revolutions of days"F2לתקפות
הימים "in revolutionibus dierum", Montanus;
so Piscator. ; at the end of a year, of a complete year, as Ben Melech, from
their return from Shiloh; for it might be some time after their return that she
conceived; or rather the sense is, that at nine months' end, the usual time of
a woman's going with child from her conception, which is the date here given:
that she bare a son: was brought to bed of a
son:
and called his name Samuel, saying, because I have asked
him of the Lord; one would think rather his name should have been Saul, for the
reason given; but, as Ben Gersom observes, givers of names are not always
grammatically strict and critical in them, or in the etymology of them, as in
the names of Reuben and Noah, in which he instances; and this may be the rather
overlooked in a woman, than in a man of learning. According to Kimchi, it is as
if it was Saulmeel; that is, "asked of God", and by contraction
Samuel; but HillerusF3Onomastic. Sacr. p. 418,419,487. gives a
better account of this name, and takes it to be composed of Saul-mul-el,
"asked before God", "in the sight of God", "before the
ark of God". This name Hannah gave her son (for sometimes the father, and
sometimes the mother, gave the name) in memory of the wonderful favour and
goodness of God in granting her request; and to impress her own mind with a
sense of the obligation she lay under, to perform her vow, and to engage her
son the more readily to give up himself to the service of God, when he
reflected on his name, and the reason of it.
1 Samuel 1:21 21 Now the man Elkanah and
all his house went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and
his vow.
YLT
21And the man Elkanah goeth
up, and all his house, to sacrifice to Jehovah the sacrifice of the days, and
his vow.
And the man Elkanah, and
all his house,.... All his family, excepting Hannah, and her son Samuel; or all
the men of his house, as the Targum; for only the males were obliged to appear
at the three festivals:
went up to Shiloh; to the house of God there:
to offer unto the Lord the yearly sacrifice; either the
passover, to which men commonly went up with their families: see Luke 2:41, or
rather it may be what was offered at the feast of tabernacles, as Abarbinel
thinks, the time of the ingathering the fruits of the earth, when men went up
with their families to offer sacrifice, and express their joy on that account, Deuteronomy 16:10.
and his vow: which he had made between feast and feast; for whatever vows men
made at home, on any account, they paid them at the yearly festivals; and this
vow might be on the account of the birth of his son, by way of thanksgiving for
that.
1 Samuel 1:22 22 But Hannah did not go up,
for she said to her husband, “Not until the child is weaned; then I will
take him, that he may appear before the Lord and remain there
forever.”
YLT
22And Hannah hath not gone
up, for she said to her husband, `Till the youth is weaned -- then I have
brought him in, and he hath appeared before the face of Jehovah, and dwelt
there -- unto the age.'
But Hannah went not up,.... For
women, though they might go if they pleased to the yearly feasts, yet they were
not obliged to it; whether she went up at the time for her purification, and
for the presenting and redemption of the firstborn, is not certain; some say
the Levites were not obliged by that law, the perquisites of it falling to
them, and so did not go up; others that she did, though it is not expressed,
the Scriptures not relating all facts that were done; though by what follows it
looks as if she did not:
for she said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child be
weaned: which, according to Jarchi, was at the end of twenty two months;
but others say at the end of twenty four months, or two years, as Kimchi and
Ben Melech; and sometimes a child was three years old before it was weaned, and
sometimes longer, which very probably was the case here; See Gill on Genesis 21:8.
ComestorF4Apud Weemse's Observ. Nat. c. 18. p. 76. observes, there
was a three fold weaning of children in old times; the first from their
mother's milk, when three years old; the second from their tender age, and care
of a dry nurse, when seven years old; the third from childish manners, when at
twelve years of age; and that it is this last and metaphorical weaning which is
here meant, when Samuel was twelve years of age, and fit to serve in the
temple; but the proper sense is best, since she is said to bring him when
weaned: her reason for it seems to be this, because had she went up with her
sucking child, she must have brought him back again, since he would not be fit
to be left behind, and would be entirely incapable of any kind of service in
the sanctuary; and according to the nature of her vow, she could not think of
bringing him back again, after she had once entered him there:
and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the Lord; and minister
in the service of the sanctuary in what might be suitable to his age; there and
then she would present him, and give him up to the Lord, as she had promised
she would:
and there abide for ever; that is, as long as he
lived; for her vow was that he should be a Nazarite all the days of his life,
and be separated to the service of God as long as he had a being in the world.
1 Samuel 1:23 23 So Elkanah her husband
said to her, “Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him. Only
let the Lord
establish His[f] word.”
Then the woman stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him.
YLT
23And Elkanah her husband
saith to her, `Do that which is good in thine eyes; abide till thy weaning him;
only, Jehovah establish His word;' and the woman abideth and suckleth her son
till she hath weaned him,
And Elkanah her husband
said unto her, do what seemeth thee good,.... He spake like a kind
and indulgent husband, knowing that she would not thereby break any law of God;
and it might be more for her own health, and the health of the child, to stay
longer:
tarry till thou have weaned him; when he would be more
fit for the journey, and to be left behind:
only the Lord establish his word; which some understand of
the prophecy of Eli that God would grant her request, which being delivered
under the direction of the Spirit of God, is called his word; but this was
already fulfilled, and established by Hannah's bearing a son: or the word
"his" refers not to the Lord, but to Samuel, and so may respect the
word which his mother spake concerning him; either when she made her vow, as
Abendana, that he should be a perpetual Nazarite, and the Lord's as long as he
lived: and so Elkanah wishes that he might have health and grow strong, and be
fit for the service of the Lord, and live many years to perform it; or what she
had just now said, as Abarbinel, that he should abide in the house of God for
ever, or as long as he lived:
so the woman abode; at home, while Elkanah and his family went
up to Shiloh:
and gave her son suck until she weaned him; did not put
him out to a wet or dry nurse, but suckled him herself with what nature had
provided for his nourishment, as becomes women to do, if their circumstances of
health, and the provisions of nature, will admit of it.
1 Samuel 1:24 24 Now when she had weaned
him, she took him up with her, with three bulls,[g] one ephah
of flour, and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord in Shiloh. And
the child was young.
YLT
24and she causeth him to go
up with her when she hath weaned him, with three bullocks, and one ephah of
flour, and a bottle of wine, and she bringeth him into the house of Jehovah at
Shiloh, and the youth [is but] a youth.
And when she had weaned
him,.... At the usual time of weaning children; See Gill on 1 Samuel 1:23 some
refer this not only to the milk of the breast, from which he was weaned, but to
such food as was common to children, and so supposes him grown up to nine or
ten years of age:
she took him up with her; to the tabernacle at
Shiloh, at a yearly festival: with three bullocks; for three sorts of
offerings, burnt offering, sin offering, and peace offering; or since one only
is spoken of as slain, that is, for sacrifice, the other two might be for food
to entertain her family and friends with while there; or as a present to the
high priest, to whose care she committed her son:
and one ephah of flour; if the bullocks were all
sacrificed, three tenth deals, or three tenth parts of the ephah, went for a
meat offering to each bullock, which made nine parts out of ten, and the tenth
part she had to dispose of at pleasure; see Numbers 15:9,
though that seems to be restrained to a burnt offering only:
and a bottle of wine; part of which might be
for the drink offering which always attended a meat offering, and the rest for
her own use, and that of her friends:
and brought him unto the house of the Lord in Shiloh: the
tabernacle there, and delivered him up to the care of the high priest, to be
trained up in the service of God:
and the child was young; a very child, very young
in years, a little infant; not a sucking child, as the Targum, because weaned,
otherwise of a very tender age; though some think this expresses that he was a
well grown lad, and was sharp and acute, and could well distinguish between
good and evil.
1 Samuel 1:25 25 Then they slaughtered a
bull, and brought the child to Eli.
YLT
25And they slaughter the
bullock, and bring in the youth unto Eli,
And they slew a bullock,.... One of
the three Hannah brought, unless the singular is put for the plural, and so all
three were slain, some for sacrifice, and some for food perhaps; or if only one
was slain, it might be offered as a sacrifice previous to the presentation of
Samuel; or else was made a present of to Eli, at the introduction of Samuel to
him, as follows:
and brought the child to Eli: to be under his care, to
he instructed and trained up by him in the service of the tabernacle; from
hence it appears that Elkanah the husband of Hannah came along with her at this
time.
1 Samuel 1:26 26 And she said, “O my lord!
As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here,
praying to the Lord.
YLT
26and she saith, `O, my lord,
thy soul liveth! my lord, I [am] the woman who stood with thee in this [place],
to pray unto Jehovah;
And she said, O my lord,.... According
to the Targum, it is a supplication or request, I beseech thee, my lord; that
is, to look upon her son, and take him under his care as his disciple or scholar,
to instruct him in the law of God, and enter him into his service; to which Eli
might be very backward and indifferent, and even treat it with some degree of
contempt, that such a young Levite should be brought to him, when the soonest
the Levites were admitted was at twenty five years of age:
as thy soul liveth, my lord; which Ben Gersom takes
for the form of an oath, as if she swore to the truth of what follows by the
life of the high priest; but as it was forbidden to swear by any but by the
living God, by his life, it cannot be thought so good a woman as Hannah would
be guilty of such a sinful and Heathenish practice; this rather is a wish or
prayer for his life and health, and the continuance thereof, to bring up her
son in the exercise of true religion:
I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the Lord: by which it
appears that Eli was now at the tabernacle, and in the same place he was, 1 Samuel 1:9 when
she was some years ago praying near him, at the distance of four cubits, as the
Jews say: she takes no notice of his mistaking her for a drunken woman, nor of
his censure on her, and the reproof he gave her; but puts him in mind only of
her praying to the Lord standing near to him, which made him take the more
notice of her; standing is a prayer posture; the Jews say there is no standing
but what is prayer, or prayer is meant by it; See Gill on Matthew 6:5.
1 Samuel 1:27 27 For this child I prayed,
and the Lord
has granted me my petition which I asked of Him.
YLT
27for this youth I prayed,
and Jehovah doth give to me my petition which I asked of Him;
For this child I prayed,.... Which she
now had in her hand, and was presenting to Eli:
and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him; and which he
also desired might be granted her, or foretold that it would be, 1 Samuel 1:17
though perhaps he knew not then particularly what it was she asked; nor did she
acquaint him with it at parting, as she now did, having obtained of the Lord
what she was so solicitous for, and now makes mention of with thankfulness.
1 Samuel 1:28 28 Therefore I also have lent
him to the Lord;
as long as he lives he shall be lent to the Lord.” So they
worshiped the Lord
there.
YLT
28and also I have caused him
to be asked for Jehovah, all the days that he hath lived -- he is asked for
Jehovah;' and he boweth himself there before Jehovah.
Therefore also I have lent
him to the Lord,.... To be employed in his service, not for a few days, months,
or years, but for his whole life. The Targum is,"I have delivered him,
that he may minister before the Lord;'as she had received him front him as an
answer of prayer, she gave him up to him again according to her vow: as long as
he liveth he shall be lent unto the Lord, or as the Targum,"all the days
that he lives he shall be ministering before the Lord;'
or
"all the days he shall be asked" (or "required") by or for
the LordF5"Quamdiu" שאול, h. e.
"expetitus aut requisitur", Peter Martyr; "quoties a Jehova
postulatur", Piscator. ; that is, he shall be lent unto him, and serve him
as long as it is desired:
and he worshipped the Lord there; in the tabernacle at the
same time; either Elkanah, who with Hannah brought the child to Eli, and now
gave thanks to God for giving them the child, and prayed unto him that he might
be received into the service of the sanctuary; or else Eli, to whom the child
was brought for admittance, who when he heard that Hannah's request was
granted, which he had entreated also might be or had declared it would be,
bowed his head, and gave thanks to God for it; or rather the child Samuel, as
he was taught and trained up, bowed himself before the Lord, and worshipped him
in the tabernacle as soon as he was brought into it, though a child; for he
only is spoken of in this and the preceding verse; and by some interpretersF6Junius
& Tremellius, Piscator. the name Samuel is supplied; the Vulgate Latin,
Syriac, and Arabic versions, read in the plural number, "and they
worshipped the Lord there": that is, Elkanah and his wife; so Mr. WeemseF7Observat.
Nat. c. 18. p. 77. translates and interprets it.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)