1 Samuel 1

Elkanah and His Wives

1 Now there was a certain man from 1Ramathaim-zophim from the 2hill country of Ephraim, and his name was 3Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.
2 He had 4two wives: the name of one was 5Hannah and the name of the other Peninnah; and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
3 Now this man would go up from his city 6yearly 7to worship and to sacrifice to the LORD of hosts in 8Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests to the LORD there.
4 When the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he 9would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and her daughters;
5 but to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, 10but the LORD had closed her womb.
6 Her rival, however, 11would provoke her bitterly to irritate her, because the LORD had closed her womb.
7 It happened year after year, as often as she went up to the house of the LORD, she would provoke her; so she wept and would not eat.
8 Then Elkanah her husband said to her, "Hannah, why do you weep and why do you not eat and why is your heart sad? 12Am I not better to you than ten sons?"
9 Then Hannah rose after eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of 13the temple of the LORD.
10 She, [a]greatly distressed, prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly.
11 She 14made a vow and said, "O LORD of hosts, if You will indeed 15look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a [b]son *, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and 16a razor shall never come on his head."
12 Now it came about, as she [c]continued praying before the LORD, that Eli was watching her mouth.
13 As for Hannah, 17she was speaking in her heart, only her lips were moving, but her voice was not heard. So Eli thought she was drunk.
14 Then Eli said to her, "18How long * will you make yourself drunk? Put away your wine from you."
15 But Hannah replied, "No, my lord, I am a woman [d]oppressed in spirit; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I 19have poured out my soul before the LORD.
16 "Do not [e]consider your maidservant as a worthless woman, for I have spoken until now out of my great concern and [f]provocation."
17 Then Eli answered and said, "20Go in peace; and may the God of Israel 21grant your petition that you have asked of Him."
18 She said, "22Let your maidservant find favor in your sight." So the woman went her way and ate, and 23her face was no longer sad.

Samuel Is Born to Hannah

19 Then they arose early in the morning and worshiped before the LORD, and returned * again to their house in 24Ramah. And Elkanah [g]had relations with Hannah his wife, and 25the LORD remembered her.
20 It came about [h]in due time, after Hannah had conceived, that she gave birth to a son; and she named * him Samuel, saying, "26Because I have asked him of the LORD."
21 Then the man Elkanah 27went up with all his household to offer to the LORD the yearly sacrifice and pay his vow.
22 But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, "I will not go up until the child is weaned; then I will 28bring him, that he may appear before the LORD and 29stay there forever *."
23 30Elkanah her husband said to her, "Do what seems best [i]to you. Remain until you have weaned him; only 31may the LORD confirm His word." So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him.
24 Now when she had weaned him, 32she took him up with her, with a three-year-old bull and one ephah of flour and a jug of wine, and brought him to 33the house of the LORD in Shiloh, although the child was young.
25 Then 34they slaughtered the bull, and 35brought the boy to Eli.
26 She said, "Oh, my lord! 36As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you, praying to the LORD.
27 "37For this boy I prayed, and the LORD has given me my petition which I asked of Him.
28 "38So I have also [j]dedicated him to the LORD; as long * as he lives he is [k]dedicated to the LORD." And 39he worshiped the LORD there.

Cross References 39

  • 1. 1 Samuel 1:19
  • 2. Joshua 17:17, 18; Joshua 24:33
  • 3. 1 Chr 6:22-28, 33-38
  • 4. Deuteronomy 21:15-17
  • 5. Luke 2:36
  • 6. Exodus 34:23; 1 Samuel 1:21; Luke 2:41
  • 7. Exodus 23:14; Deuteronomy 12:5-7; Deuteronomy 16:16
  • 8. Joshua 18:1
  • 9. Deuteronomy 12:17, 18
  • 10. Genesis 16:1; Genesis 30:1
  • 11. Job 24:21
  • 12. Ruth 4:15
  • 13. 1 Samuel 3:3
  • 14. Numbers 30:6-11
  • 15. Genesis 29:32
  • 16. Numbers 6:5; Judges 13:5
  • 17. Genesis 24:42-45
  • 18. Acts 2:4, 13
  • 19. Job 30:16; Psalms 42:4; Psalms 62:8; Lamentations 2:19
  • 20. Judges 18:6; 1 Samuel 25:35; 2 Kings 5:19; Mark 5:34; Luke 7:50
  • 21. Psalms 20:3-5
  • 22. Genesis 33:15; Ruth 2:13
  • 23. Romans 15:13
  • 24. 1 Samuel 1:1; 1 Samuel 2:11
  • 25. Genesis 21:1; Genesis 30:22
  • 26. Genesis 41:51, 52; Exodus 2:10, 22; Matthew 1:21
  • 27. Deuteronomy 12:11; 1 Samuel 1:3
  • 28. Luke 2:22
  • 29. 1 Samuel 1:11, 28
  • 30. Num 30:7, 10, 11
  • 31. 1 Samuel 1:17
  • 32. Numbers 15:9, 10; Deuteronomy 12:5, 6
  • 33. Joshua 18:1; 1 Samuel 4:3, 4
  • 34. Leviticus 1:5
  • 35. Luke 2:22
  • 36. 2 Kin 2:2, 4, 6; 2 Kings 4:30
  • 37. 1 Samuel 1:11-13; Psalms 6:9; Psalms 66:19, 20
  • 38. 1 Samuel 1:11, 22
  • 39. Genesis 24:26, 52

Footnotes 11

1 Samuel 1 Commentaries

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