1 Samuel 1
1
The Birth of Samuel
1There was a certain man of #[ver. 19] Ramathaim-zophim of #See Josh. 24:33 the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, #[1 Kgs. 11:26]an Ephrathite. 2He 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.
3Now this man used to go up #ver. 21; Ex. 23:14; Deut. 16:16; [Luke 2:41] year by year from his city #See Deut. 12:5-7 to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts #[Josh. 18:1]at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the Lord. 4On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, #Deut. 12:17, 18; 16:11; [Neh. 8:10, 12]he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. 5But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb.#1:5 Syriac; the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain. Septuagint And, although he loved Hannah, he would give Hannah only one portion, because the Lord had closed her womb 6And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb. 7So it went on year by year. As often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. 8And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? #Ruth 4:15Am I not more to you than ten sons?”
9After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of #ch. 3:3the temple of the Lord. 10She was #Job 7:11; 10:1deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. 11And she #Gen. 28:20; Judg. 11:30 vowed a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed #Gen. 29:32 look on the affliction of your servant and #ver. 19; [Gen. 30:22] remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, #Judg. 13:5; [Num. 6:5]and no razor shall touch his head.”
12As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. 13Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman. 14And Eli said to her, “How long will you go on being drunk? Put your wine away from you.” 15But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but #Job 30:16; Ps. 42:4; Lam. 2:19; [Ps. 62:8]I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. 16Do not regard your servant as #ch. 2:12; Judg. 19:22a worthless woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation.” 17Then Eli answered, #ch. 20:42; Judg. 18:6; 2 Kgs. 5:19; Mark 5:34 “Go in peace, and the God of Israel #Ps. 20:4, 5grant your petition that you have made to him.” 18And she said, #Gen. 33:15; Ruth 2:13 “Let your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then the woman #[Eccles. 9:7]went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.
19They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord; then they went back to their house at #ch. 2:11; [ver. 1] Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord #ver. 11remembered her. 20And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, “I have asked for him from the Lord.”#1:20 Samuel sounds like the Hebrew for heard of God
Samuel Given to the Lord
21The man Elkanah and all his house #ver. 3went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and to pay his vow. 22But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “As soon as the child is weaned, I will bring him, so that he may appear in the presence of the Lord #ver. 11, 28; [ch. 2:11, 18; 3:1]and dwell there forever.” 23#[Num. 30:7] Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him; #2 Sam. 7:25only, may the Lord establish his word.” So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him. 24And when she had weaned him, #Deut. 12:5, 6, 11 she took him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull,#1:24 Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint, Syriac; Masoretic Text three bulls an ephah#1:24 An ephah was about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters of flour, and a skin of wine, and she brought him to #ver. 3, 9; [Josh. 18:1]the house of the Lord at Shiloh. And the child was young. 25Then they slaughtered the bull, and they brought the child to Eli. 26And she said, “Oh, my lord! #ch. 17:55; 20:3; 2 Sam. 11:11; 2 Kgs. 2:2, 4, 6; 4:30As you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here in your presence, praying to the Lord. 27For this child I prayed, #ver. 17; [Ps. 6:9]and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. 28Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.”
#
Gen. 24:26, 52 And he worshiped the Lord there.
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Sh'mu'el Alef (1 Sa) 1
1
1There was a man from Ramatayim-Tzofim, in the hills of Efrayim, whose name was Elkanah the son of Yerocham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tochu, the son of Tzuf, from Efrat. 2He had two wives, one named Hannah and the other P’ninah. P’ninah had children, but Hannah had no children. 3This man went up from his city every year to worship and sacrifice to Adonai-Tzva’ot in Shiloh. The two sons of ‘Eli, Hofni and Pinchas, were cohanim of Adonai there.
4One day, when Elkanah was sacrificing, he gave a portion of the sacrifice to his wife P’ninah and portions to each of her sons and daughters; 5but to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved Hannah, even though Adonai had kept her from having children. 6Her rival taunted her and made her feel bad, because Adonai had kept her from having children. 7He did the same every year; and each time she went up to the house of Adonai, she taunted her so much that she would cry and not eat. 8Her husband Elkanah said to her, “Hannah, why are you crying, and why aren’t you eating? Why be so sad? Am I not better to you than ten sons?” 9So Hannah got up after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. ‘Eli the cohen was sitting on his seat by the doorpost of the temple of Adonai. 10In deep depression she prayed to Adonai and cried. 11Then she took a vow; she said, “Adonai-Tzva’ot, if you will notice how humiliated your servant is, if you will remember me and not forget your servant but will give your servant a male child, then I will give him to Adonai for as long as he lives; and no razor will ever come on his head.” 12She prayed for a long time before Adonai; and as she did so, ‘Eli was watching her mouth. 13Hannah was speaking in her heart — her lips moved, but her voice could not be heard — so ‘Eli thought she was drunk. 14‘Eli said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Stop drinking your wine!” 15But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a very unhappy woman. I have not drunk either wine or other strong liquor; rather, I’ve been pouring out my soul before Adonai. 16Don’t think of your servant as a worthless woman; because I have been speaking from the depth of my distress and anger.” 17Then ‘Eli replied, “Go in peace. May the God of Isra’el grant what you have asked of him.” 18She replied, “May your servant find favor in your sight.” So the woman went on her way, and she ate, and her face was no longer sad. 19They got up early in the morning and worshipped before Adonai, then returned and came to their house in Ramah.
Elkanah had sexual relations with Hannah his wife, and Adonai remembered her. 20She conceived; and in due time she gave birth to a son, whom she named Sh’mu’el, “because I asked Adonai for him.”
21The husband, Elkanah, went up with all his household to offer the yearly sacrifice to Adonai and fulfill his vow. 22But Hannah did not go up, explaining to her husband, “Not till the child has been weaned. Then I will bring him, so that he can appear before Adonai and live there forever.” 23Her husband Elkanah answered her, “Do what seems good to you; stay here until you have weaned him. Only may Adonai bring about what he said.” So the woman stayed behind and nursed the child, until she weaned him. 24After weaning him, she took him up with her, along with three young bulls, a bushel of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of Adonai in Shiloh, even though he was just a child. 25After the bull had been slaughtered, the child was brought to ‘Eli; 26and she said, “My lord, as sure as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here near you, praying to Adonai. 27I prayed for this child, and Adonai has granted the request I asked of him. 28Therefore, I too have loaned him to Adonai — as long as he lives, he is on loan to Adonai.” And he prostrated himself there before Adonai.
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