1 Samuel 1:21

21 And the man Elkanah with all his family went up to make the year's offering to the Lord, and to give effect to his oath.

1 Samuel 1:21 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 1:21

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 Luke 2:42 ) , 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 16:10-15 )

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 1:21 In-Context

19 And early in the morning they got up, and after worshipping before the Lord they went back to Ramah, to their house: and Elkanah had connection with his wife; and the Lord kept her in mind.

20 Now the time came when Hannah, being with child, gave birth to a son; and she gave him the name Samuel, Because, she said, I made a prayer to the Lord for him.

21 And the man Elkanah with all his family went up to make the year's offering to the Lord, and to give effect to his oath.

22 But Hannah did not go, for she said to her husband, I will not go till the child has been taken from the breast, and then I will take him with me and put him before the Lord, where he may be for ever.

23 And her husband Elkanah said to her, Do whatever seems right to you, but not till you have taken him from the breast; only may the Lord do as he has said. So the woman, waiting there, gave her son milk till he was old enough to be taken from the breast.