1 Samuel 1
1
Elkanah and His Family at Shiloh. 1There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim. His name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.#1 Chr 6:19–20. 2He had two wives, one named Hannah, the other Peninnah; Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. 3Each year this man went up from his city to worship and offer sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were ministering as priests of the Lord.#Ex 23:14–17; 34:23; Dt 16:16; Jgs 21:19. 4When the day came for Elkanah to offer sacrifice, he used to give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters, 5but he would give a double portion to Hannah because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb.#Dt 21:15–17. 6Her rival,#Her rival: Hebrew sara, “rival wife, co-wife”; in the Talmud, a technical term for a second or co-wife. to upset her, would torment her constantly, since the Lord had closed her womb.#Gn 16:4–5; 29:31; Jgs 13:2; Lk 1:7. 7Year after year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, Peninnah would provoke her, and Hannah would weep and refuse to eat.#In biblical narrative, the social status gained by producing children, especially males, often set woman against woman; cf. e.g., Gn 16, 21, 30. Peninnah’s provocations may be the arrogant boasting mentioned in 2:3. 8Elkanah, her husband, would say to her: “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why are you not eating? Why are you so miserable? Am I not better for you than ten sons?”#Ru 4:15.
Hannah’s Prayer. 9Hannah rose after one such meal at Shiloh, and presented herself before the Lord; at the time Eli the priest was sitting on a chair near the doorpost of the Lord’s temple. 10In her bitterness she prayed to the Lord, weeping freely, 11and made this vow: “O Lord of hosts, if you look with pity on the hardship of your servant, if you remember me and do not forget me, if you give your handmaid a male child, I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life. No razor shall ever touch his head.”#No razor… : the Septuagint adds “he shall drink neither wine nor liquor.” This addition is a further suggestion that Samuel is dedicated to God under a nazirite vow (Nm 6:4–5); see note on v. 22. #Nm 6:1–5; Jgs 13:2–5; 16:17; Lk 1:15. 12As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli watched her mouth, 13for Hannah was praying silently; though her lips were moving, her voice could not be heard. Eli, thinking she was drunk, 14said to her, “How long will you make a drunken spectacle of yourself? Sober up from your wine!” 15“No, my lord!” Hannah answered. “I am an unhappy woman. I have had neither wine nor liquor; I was only pouring out my heart to the Lord. 16Do not think your servant a worthless woman; my prayer has been prompted by my deep sorrow and misery.” 17Eli said, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have requested.” 18She replied, “Let your servant find favor in your eyes,” and left. She went to her quarters, ate and drank with her husband, and no longer appeared downhearted. 19Early the next morning they worshiped before the Lord, and then returned to their home in Ramah. When they returned Elkanah had intercourse with his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her.
Hannah Bears a Son. 20She conceived and, at the end of her pregnancy, bore a son whom she named Samuel.#Samuel: Hannah’s explanation associates her son’s name with the narrative’s wordplay on the Hebrew verbs s’l (“ask,” vv. 17, 27), his’il (“hand over, dedicate,” v. 28), sa’ul (“dedicated,” v. 28), and the noun se’elah (“request,” vv. 17, 27). The name, however, is related to the Hebrew root s’l only through assonance. It means “his name is El/God,” not “the one requested of or dedicated (sa’ul) to God” (v. 28), which is the meaning of the name Saul. The author may have lifted the s’l wordplay from a narrative about Saul to portray Samuel as God’s gracious answer to Hannah’s request. “Because I asked the Lord for him.” 21The next time her husband Elkanah was going up with the rest of his household to offer the customary sacrifice to the Lord and to fulfill his vows, 22Hannah did not go, explaining to her husband, “Once the child is weaned, I will take him to appear before the Lord and leave him there forever.”#Leave him there forever: a Qumran manuscript adds “I will give him as a nazirite forever”; it interprets v. 11 to mean that Hannah dedicates Samuel under a nazirite vow (cf. Nm 6:4–5). 23Her husband Elkanah answered her: “Do what you think best; wait until you have weaned him. Only may the Lord fulfill his word!” And so she remained at home and nursed her son until she had weaned him.#Dt 9:5; 2 Sm 7:25; 1 Kgs 2:4.
Hannah Presents Samuel to the Lord. 24Once he was weaned, she brought him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah#Ephah: see note on Is 5:10. of flour, and a skin of wine, and presented him at the house of the Lord in Shiloh. 25After they had slaughtered the bull, they brought the child to Eli. 26Then Hannah spoke up: “Excuse me, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here near you, praying to the Lord. 27I prayed for this child, and the Lord granted my request. 28Now I, in turn, give him to the Lord; as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the Lord.” Then they worshiped there before the Lord.
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Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
1 Kings 1
1
1There was a man of Ramathaimsophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elcana, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliu, the son of Thohu, the son of Suph, an Ephraimite.
2And he had two wives, the name of one was Anna, and the name of the other Phenenna. Phenenna had children: but Anna had no children.
3And this man went up out of his city upon the appointed days, to adore and to offer sacrifice to the Lord of hosts in Silo. And the two sons of Heli, Ophni and Phinees, were there priests of the Lord.
4Now the day came, and Elcana offered sacrifice, and gave to Phenenna his wife, and to all her sons and daughters, portions.
5But to Anna he gave one portion with sorrow, because he loved Anna. And the Lord had shut up her womb.
6Her rival also afflicted her, and troubled her exceedingly, insomuch that she upbraided her, that the Lord had shut up her womb.
7And thus she did every year, when the time returned that they went up to the temple of the Lord; and thus she provoked her. But Anna wept, and did not eat.
8Then Elcana her husband said to her: Anna, why weepest thou? And why dost thou not eat? And why dost thou afflict thy heart? Am not I better to thee than ten children?
9So Anna arose after she had eaten and drunk in Silo. And, Heli the priest sitting upon a stool before the door of the temple of the Lord,
10As Anna had her heart full of grief, she prayed to the Lord, shedding many tears.
11And she made a vow, saying: O Lord, of hosts if thou wilt look down on the affliction of thy servant, and wilt be mindful of me, and not forget thy handmaid, and wilt give to thy servant a man child: I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.
12And it came to pass, as she multiplied prayers before the Lord, that Heli observed her mouth.
13Now Anna spoke in her heart, and only her lips moved: but her voice was not heard at all. Heli therefore thought her to be drunk,
14And said to her: How long wilt thou be drunk? Digest a little the wine, of which thou hast taken too much.
15Anna answering, said: Not so, my lord: for I am an exceeding unhappy woman, and have drunk neither wine nor any strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before the Lord.
16Count not thy handmaid for one of the daughters of Belial: for out of the abundance of my sorrow and grief have I spoken till now.
17Then Heli said to her: Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition, which thou hast asked of him.
18And she said: Would to God thy handmaid may find grace in thy eyes. So the woman went on her way, and ate, and her countenance was no more changed.
19And they rose in the morning, and worshipped before the Lord: and they returned, and came into their house at Ramatha. And Elcana knew Anna his wife: and the Lord remembered her.
20And it came to pass when the time was come about, Anna conceived and bore a son, and called his name Samuel: because she had asked him of the Lord.
21And Elcana her husband went up, and all his house, to offer to the Lord the solemn sacrifice, and his vow.
22But Anna went not up. For she said to her husband: I will not go till the child be weaned, and till I may carry him, that he may appear before the Lord, and may abide always there.
23And Elcana her husband said to her: Do what seemeth good to thee, and stay till thou wean him; and I pray that the Lord may fulfil his word. So the woman stayed at home, and gave her son suck, till she weaned him.
24And after she had weaned him, she carried him with her, with three calves, and three bushels of flour, and a bottle of wine, and she brought him to the house of the Lord in Silo. Now the child was as yet very young.
25And they immolated a calf, and offered the child to Heli.
26And Anna said: I beseech thee, my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord: I am that woman who stood before thee here praying to the Lord.
27For this child did I pray, and the Lord hath granted me my petition, which I asked of him.
28Therefore I also have lent him to the Lord. All the days of his life he shall be lent to the Lord. And they adored the Lord there. And Anna prayed, and said:
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.