1 Samuel 1:21

21 When Elkanah next took his family on their annual trip to Shiloh to worship God, offering sacrifices and keeping his vow,

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 Up before dawn, they worshiped God and returned home to Ramah. Elkanah slept with Hannah his wife, and God began making the necessary arrangements in response to what she had asked. Dedicating the Child to God

20 Before the year was out, Hannah had conceived and given birth to a son. She named him Samuel, explaining, "I asked God for him."

21 When Elkanah next took his family on their annual trip to Shiloh to worship God, offering sacrifices and keeping his vow,

22 Hannah didn't go. She told her husband, "After the child is weaned, I'll bring him myself and present him before God - and that's where he'll stay, for good."

23 Elkanah said to his wife, "Do what you think is best. Stay home until you have weaned him. Yes! Let God complete what he has begun!"