1 Samuel 2:11

11 And Elkanah went into Ramah, into his house; and the child was (a) servant in the sight of the Lord before the face of Eli the priest.

1 Samuel 2:11 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 2:11

And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house
Of which see ( 1 Samuel 1:19 ) . This was after he had offered the sacrifices at the feast, worshipped the Lord, and Hannah had delivered her prayer or song of praise, and both had committed Samuel to the care of Eli, and left him with him:

and the child did minister unto the Lord before Eli the priest;
he not only read in the book of the law, but learned to sing the praises of God vocally, and to play upon an instrument of music used in the service of God in those times, and to light the lamps in the tabernacle, and open and shut the doors of it, and the like; which were suitable to his age, and which might not be quite so tender as some have thought; or this may respect some small beginnings in the ministry of the sanctuary, in which he gradually increased under the inspection, guidance, and instruction of Eli, which is meant by ministering before him; the Targum is,

``in the life of Eli the priest;''

he began his ministration before his death.

1 Samuel 2:11 In-Context

9 He shall keep the feet of his saints, and wicked men shall be still (al)together in darknesses; for a man shall not be made strong in his own strength. (He shall guard the footsteps of his saints, and the wicked shall be still, or shall be silent, in the darkness; for no one shall be made strong by their own strength.)

10 [The] Adversaries of the Lord shall dread him, and from (the) heavens he shall thunder upon them; the Lord shall deem the ends of [the] earth, and he shall give lordship to his king, and he shall enhance the horn, that is, (the) power, of his Christ. (The Lord's adversaries shall fear him, and he shall thunder upon them from heaven; the Lord shall judge the ends of the earth, and he shall give lordship to his king, yea, he shall enhance the horn, that is, the power, of his anointed king.)

11 And Elkanah went into Ramah, into his house; and the child was (a) servant in the sight of the Lord before the face of Eli the priest.

12 Forsooth the sons of Eli were the sons of Belial, and they knew not the Lord,

13 neither the office of (the) priests to the people; but whoever had offered sacrifice, the servant of the priest came, while the fleshes were in seething, and he had a fleshhook with three teeth in his hand;