1 SAMUEL—NOTE ON 1 SAMUEL 1:1 The Story of Samuel. Samuel’s birth is God’s answer to the prayer of a childless woman. Samuel becomes a prophet who guides Israel as they move from the period of the judges to the period of the kings. These chapters also tell the story of Eli, the priest at Shiloh, and... [ Continue Reading ]
1 SAMUEL—NOTE ON 1 SAMUEL 1:2 TWO WIVES. Probably HANNAH was Elkanah’s first wife, since she is named first. He most likely married PENINNAH because of Hannah’s inability to have children. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
1 SAMUEL—NOTE ON 1 SAMUEL 1:3 YEAR BY YEAR. This may have been an annual family gathering, including women and children. THE LORD OF HOSTS. This is the first appearance in the Bible of the title “the LORD of hosts,” to whom Elkanah sacrifices and Hannah prays (v. 1 Samuel 1:11) at Shiloh. The title... [ Continue Reading ]
1 SAMUEL—NOTE ON 1 SAMUEL 1:4 PORTIONS. Elkanah’s sacrifice is a peace offering. Parts of the sacrificial animal are burned, parts are given to the priest, and parts are eaten by the people who brought the sacrifice (Leviticus 7:11; see also 1 Samuel 2:12). ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsBy... [ Continue Reading ]
1 SAMUEL—NOTE ON 1 SAMUEL 1:7, 1 SAMUEL 1:9 HOUSE OF THE LORD... TEMPLE OF THE LORD. Was this a tent, or a building with solid walls? The word “house” refers to a dwelling without specifying the material it was made of. In 2 Samuel 7:2 David says, “the ark of God dwells in a tent,” and in 2 Samuel 7... [ Continue Reading ]
1 SAMUEL—NOTE ON 1 SAMUEL 1:8 AM I NOT MORE TO YOU THAN TEN SONS? Elkanah tries to comfort Hannah because of her barrenness. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
1 SAMUEL—NOTE ON 1 SAMUEL 1:9 The SEAT was a symbol of Eli’s authority; normally, people sat on the ground. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
1 SAMUEL—NOTE ON 1 SAMUEL 1:11 I WILL GIVE HIM TO THE LORD ALL THE DAYS OF HIS LIFE may mean that Hannah will dedicate her son as a Nazirite. According to Numbers 6:1, people could make a special vow to separate themselves to serve the Lord for a time. This involved letting NO RAZOR... TOUCH one’s H... [ Continue Reading ]
1 SAMUEL—NOTE ON 1 SAMUEL 1:12 Eli assumes that Hannah is DRUNK and therefore rebukes her. This shows his devotion to the law, which forbade drunkenness in the sanctuary. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
1 SAMUEL—NOTE ON 1 SAMUEL 1:20 SAMUEL can mean “name of God” or “offspring of God.” Samuel bore the name of God, who gave him to Hannah. ⇐ ⇔ ⇒ var images = document.getElementsByTagName("img"); for (var i=0, len=images.length, img; i [ Continue Reading ]
1 SAMUEL—NOTE ON 1 SAMUEL 1:24 THREE-YEAR-OLD BULL could also be translated “three bulls” (esv footnote). In either case, Elkanah apparently was a prosperous man, able to afford an expensive animal offering and large amounts of grain and WINE. See Numbers 15:9; Numbers 28:12, Numbers 28:20, Numbers... [ Continue Reading ]
1 SAMUEL—NOTE ON 1 SAMUEL 1:26 AS YOU LIVE, or “as your soul lives,” is a common OT form of oath (2 Samuel 11:11), as is the phrase “as the LORD lives” (see 1 Samuel 14:39; 1 Samuel 26:16). The two oaths were often combined (1 Samuel 20:3; 1 Samuel 25:26).... [ Continue Reading ]
1 SAMUEL—NOTE ON 1 SAMUEL 1:27 AND THE LORD HAS GRANTED ME MY PETITION THAT I MADE TO HIM repeats almost word for word Eli’s blessing in v. 1 Samuel 1:17. The words “petition” (here and v. 1 Samuel 1:17), “asked” (v. 1 Samuel 1:20), and “lent” (v. 1 Samuel 1:28 twice) are all from the same Hebrew wo... [ Continue Reading ]