1 Samuel 1
1
Elkanah and His Wives
1There was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim, of the #Lit mountains of.hill country of Ephraim, named Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an #It is sometimes claimed that Samuel was from the tribe of Ephraim (rather than the tribe of Levi) and so was not eligible to serve as a priest. He was an Ephraimite only in the sense that his family lived in the tribal area of Ephraim. His genealogy is given in 1 Chr 6:22-28. At least two other men in the passage are named Elkanah. Samuel’s father, Elkanah, is the man mentioned in 1 Chr 6:27. The men mentioned in 1 Chr 6:23, 24, and 26 are several generations removed from Samuel.Ephraimite. 2He had two wives, one named Hannah and the other named Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.
3This man went up from his city #Lit from days to days.each year to worship and sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh. Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests to the Lord there. 4When the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions [of the sacrificial meat] to Peninnah his wife and all her sons and daughters. 5But to Hannah he would give a double portion, because he loved Hannah, but the Lord had #Lit closed her womb.given her no children. 6Hannah’s rival provoked her bitterly, to irritate and embarrass her, because the Lord had #Lit closed her womb.left her childless. 7So it happened year after year, whenever she went up to the house of the Lord, Peninnah provoked her; so she wept and would not eat. 8Then Elkanah her husband said to her, “Hannah, why do you cry and why do you not eat? Why are you so sad and discontent? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”
9So Hannah got up after eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his seat beside the doorpost of the temple (tabernacle) of the Lord. 10Hannah was #Lit bitter of soul.greatly distressed, and she prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish. 11She made a vow, saying, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction (suffering) of Your maidservant and remember, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life; a #Lit shearing knife. This was a requirement of a Nazirite vow which would apply to Samuel all of his life (see Num 6:2 ff).razor shall never touch his head.”
12Now it happened as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli was watching her mouth. 13Hannah was speaking in her heart (mind); only her lips were moving, and her voice was not heard, so Eli #This implies that the custom at that time was to pray aloud; the outcome (vv 19, 20) shows that God hears prayer, whether it is spoken or silent.thought she was drunk. 14Eli said to her, “How long will you make yourself drunk? Get rid of your wine.” 15But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman with a despairing spirit. I have not been drinking wine or any intoxicating drink, but I have poured out my soul before the Lord. 16Do not regard your maidservant as a wicked and worthless woman, for I have spoken until now out of my great concern and [bitter] provocation.” 17Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of Him.” 18Hannah said, “Let your maidservant find grace and favor in your sight.” So the woman went on her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.
Samuel Is Born to Hannah
19The family got up early the next morning, worshiped before the Lord, and returned to their home in Ramah. Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her [prayer]. 20It came about in due time, after Hannah had conceived, that she gave birth to a son; she named him #The name possibly means “The Name [i.e. Yahweh, Lord] is God” or “His name is God,” but the etymology is uncertain.Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked for him from the Lord.”
21Then the man Elkanah and all his household went up to offer to the Lord the #Lit sacrifice of days.yearly sacrifice and pay his vow. 22But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “I will not go up until the child is #At this time children were nursed until about age three. But it may be fair to say that Hannah also wanted to keep the boy as long as she reasonably could; giving up her only child—even for the best of purposes—must have been terribly difficult.weaned; and then I will bring him, so that he may appear before the Lord and remain there as long as he lives.” 23Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you. Wait until you have weaned him; only may the Lord establish and confirm His word.” So the woman remained [behind] and nursed her son until she weaned him. 24Now when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a #These containers were made from almost the entire skin of an animal and were used for holding wine.leather bottle of wine [to pour over the burnt offering for a sweet fragrance], and she brought Samuel to the Lord’s house in Shiloh, although the child was young. 25Then they slaughtered the bull, and brought the child to Eli. 26Hannah said, “Oh, my lord! As [surely as] your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood beside you here, praying to the Lord. 27For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my request which I asked of Him. 28Therefore I have also dedicated him to the Lord; as long as he lives he is dedicated to the Lord.” And they worshiped the Lord there.
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1 Samuel 1
1
Hannah Asks the Lord for a Child
1Elkanah lived in Ramah,#1.1 Ramah: The Hebrew has “Ramathaim,” a longer form of “Ramah” (see verse 19). a town in the hill country of Ephraim. His great-great-grandfather was Zuph, so Elkanah was a member of the Zuph clan of the Ephraim tribe. Elkanah's father was Jeroham, his grandfather was Elihu, and his great-grandfather was Tohu.
2Elkanah had two wives,#1.2 two wives: Having more than one wife was allowed in those times. Hannah and Peninnah. Although Peninnah had children, Hannah did not have any.
3Once a year Elkanah traveled from his hometown to Shiloh, where he worshiped the Lord All-Powerful and offered sacrifices. Eli was the Lord's priest there, and his two sons Hophni and Phinehas served with him as priests.#1.3 Eli … priests: One ancient translation; Hebrew “Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, served the Lord as priests.”
4Whenever Elkanah offered a sacrifice, he gave some of the meat#1.4 meat: For some sacrifices, like this one, only part of the meat was burned. Some was given to the priest, and the rest was eaten by the family and guests of the worshiper (see Leviticus 3.1-17; 7.11-18). to Peninnah and some to each of her sons and daughters. 5But he gave Hannah even more, because#1.5 even more, because: One ancient translation; Hebrew “only one; he.” he loved Hannah very much, even though the Lord had kept her from having children of her own.
6Peninnah liked to make Hannah feel miserable about not having any children, 7especially when the family went to the house of the Lord#1.7 house of the Lord: Another name for the place of worship at Shiloh, which still may have been the sacred tent at this time. each year.
One day, Elkanah was there offering a sacrifice, when Hannah began crying and refused to eat. 8So Elkanah asked, “Hannah, why are you crying? Why won't you eat? Why do you feel so bad? Don't I mean more to you than ten sons?”
9When the sacrifice had been offered, and they had eaten the meal, Hannah got up and went to pray. Eli was sitting in his chair near the door to the place of worship. 10Hannah was heartbroken and was crying as she prayed, 11#Nu 6.5. “Lord All-Powerful, I am your servant, but I am so miserable! Please let me have a son. I promise to give him to you for as long as he lives, and his hair will never be cut.”#1.11 his hair … cut: Never cutting the child's hair would be a sign that he would belong to the Lord (see Numbers 6.1,21, especially verse 5).
12-13Hannah prayed silently to the Lord for a long time. But her lips were moving, and Eli thought she was drunk. 14“How long are you going to stay drunk?” he asked. “Sober up!”
15-16“Sir, please don't think I'm no good!” Hannah answered. “I'm not drunk, and I haven't been drinking. But I do feel miserable and terribly upset. I've been praying all this time, telling the Lord about my problems.”
17Eli replied, “Go home. Everything will be fine. The God of Israel will answer your prayer.”
18“Sir, thank you for being so kind to me,” Hannah said. Then she left, and after eating something, she felt much better.
Samuel Is Born
19Elkanah and his family got up early the next morning and worshiped the Lord. Then they went back home to Ramah. Later the Lord blessed Elkanah and Hannah 20with a son. She named him Samuel because she had asked the Lord for him.#1.20 him: In Hebrew “Samuel” sounds something like “Someone from God” or “The name of God” or “His name is God.”
Hannah Gives Samuel to the Lord
21The next time Elkanah and his family went to offer their yearly sacrifice, he took along a gift that he had promised to give to the Lord. 22But Hannah stayed home, because she had told Elkanah, “Samuel and I won't go until he's old enough for me to stop nursing him. Then I'll give him to the Lord, and he can stay there at Shiloh for the rest of his life.”
23“You know what's best,” Elkanah said. “Stay here until it's time to stop nursing him. I'm sure the Lord will help you do what you have promised.”#1.23 the Lord … promised: The Dead Sea Scrolls and two ancient translations; the Standard Hebrew Text “the Lord will do what he said.” Hannah did not go to Shiloh until she stopped nursing Samuel.
24-25When it was the time of year to go to Shiloh again, Hannah and Elkanah#1.24,25 When it was the time of year to go to Shiloh again, Hannah and Elkanah: The Dead Sea Scrolls and one ancient translation; the Standard Hebrew Text “she.” took Samuel to the Lord's house. They brought along a three-year-old bull,#1.24,25 a three-year-old bull: The Dead Sea Scrolls and two ancient translations; the Standard Hebrew Text “three bulls.” a sack containing about nine kilograms of flour, and a clay jar full of wine. Hannah and Elkanah offered the bull as a sacrifice, then brought the little boy to Eli.
26“Sir,” Hannah said, “a few years ago I stood here beside you and asked the Lord 27to give me a child. Here he is! The Lord gave me just what I asked for. 28Now I am giving him to the Lord, and he will be the Lord's servant for as long as he lives.”
Hannah Prays
Elkanah#1.28 Elkanah: Or “They” or “Samuel.” worshiped the Lord there at Shiloh, and
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