1 Samuel 2

CHAPTER 2

Hannah’s Prayer (2:1–11)

1–2 Hannah had just given her one and only child up to the Lord; she would be returning home alone. You’d think her heart would be aching at the “loss” of her son, but instead it was filled with joy! That is what the Lord does for those who give Him their most precious possessions. We can never outgive the Lord; as much as we give to Him, He gives back to us much, much more. What we give to the Lord is never a “loss” to us. God may not give us material gifts, but He will fill the empty places in our hearts with joy, which is far better (Romans 5:5).

Hannah’s prayer recorded here is really a song of praise and thanksgiving.⁹ Her heart rejoiced in the LORD (verse 1)—“in the Lord” more than in anything else. Because it was the Lord who had reversed her fortunes. He had lifted her horn high;¹⁰ He had brought about her deliverance from the sorrow and disgrace of barrenness. There was no one like the Lord, no Rock¹¹ like Him (verse 2).

3–8 Therefore mere humans—like Peninnah—should not talk proudly; the Lord knows the outcome of every person’s life; He weighs each person’s deeds (verse 3). And those who seem defeated one day He will make victorious the next.

Then in verses 4–7, Hannah gives a series of contrasts to illustrate how the Lord causes the reversal of people’s fortunes. Those who are cast down are lifted up, and those who are lifted up are cast down. In particular, the Lord humbles those who lift themselves up—who are proud (Matthew 23:12). It is God who controls all the circumstances of our lives; He controls all the circumstances of our planet—indeed, of the entire universe. For the foundations of the earth are the LORD’s¹² (verse 8); that is, the earth itself is the Lord’s.

9–11 The Lord will guard the feet of his saints (verse 9)—that is, He will protect and prosper His faithful servants as they walk through this life on earth. God has a particular love and concern for His own people, His church. But those who oppose God will be silenced and shattered. He will judge the ends of the earth—all nations—but He will strengthen his king, His anointed one,¹³ the king of His chosen people Israel (verse 10).

Note that at the time Hannah spoke this prayer, there was no king in Israel; she was, in effect, prophesying that Israel would have a king sometime in the future. Indeed, it would be her own son Samuel who would anoint Israel’s first two kings, Saul and David¹⁴ (1 Samuel 10:1; 16:13).

Eli’s Wicked Sons (2:12–26)

12–17 When the Israelites presented fellowship offerings to the Lord (Leviticus 3:1–17), they were to give certain portions of the sacrificed animal to the priests (Leviticus 7:28–36). But that law, it seems, was no longer observed in Eli’s time; instead, the priests just reached into the pot of meat with a large fork and took for themselves whatever the fork brought up (verse 14). Worse than that, the priests—specifically Eli’s sons—would demand the choice pieces of meat even before the fat was burned. The fat was the Lord’s special portion (Leviticus 3:16), and thus Eli’s sons were taking their share before the Lord was offered His. In doing this, they were treating the Lord’s offering with contempt (verse 17).

18–21 Samuel, meanwhile, was ministering before the LORD (verse 18)—that is, at His tabernacle. The ephod he wore was a linen garment covering the upper part of his body; it was not the same as the ephod worn by the high priest (Exodus 28:6–14).

Each year Samuel’s parents came to see him at the time of the annual sacrifice (Feast of Tabernacles). And God blessed Samuel’s mother Hannah by giving her five more children (verse 21). Hannah had given Samuel to the Lord, but the Lord had given her much more in return!

22–26 Eli’s sons not only showed contempt for the Lord’s offerings; they also were sexually promiscuous with the women who served in various ways at the entrance to the tabernacle. According to Eli, his sons were sinning not so much against other people but against God Himself, which was worse. By Eli’s reasoning, if one sinned against another person, a judge (God) could mediate between the two parties; but if one sinned against the judge, no mediation was possible—only punishment. Eli’s reasoning was faulty: all SIN, no matter who is affected, is equally a sin against God, the Judge. Furthermore, even with sins that are “directly” against God (such as idolatry), forgiveness is possible—if the sinner confesses and turns from his sin (1 John 1:9).

However, even if Eli’s rebuke to his sons had been theologically correct, they would not have listened; their hearts were hardened.¹⁵ Indeed, the Lord had already decided on their punishment.

Meanwhile, Samuel was being prepared by God for the work he would be called to do (verse 26). The writer’s description of Samuel’s boyhood is similar to Luke’s description of the boyhood of Jesus (Luke 2:52).

Think of the difference between Samuel and the two sons of Eli. They all grew up in the shadow of the tabernacle; they had the same opportunities. But Eli’s sons never knew God. It’s not enough simply to go to church, to go through the motions of religion; we must also know God and learn to obey Him (see 2 Timothy 3:5).

Prophecy Against the House of Eli (2:27–36)

27–29 Eli may have rebuked his two sons for their evil behavior, but he did not dismiss them from the priesthood as he should have done.¹⁶ So a man of God (a prophet) came to Eli and reminded him that in Egypt the Lord had revealed Himself to Eli’s father’s house (verse 27)—that is, to Aaron (Exodus 4:14–16,27–31)—and had chosen Aaron and his descendants to be His priests (Exodus 28:1–4). The Lord had laid down specific rules for the priesthood, but now Eli and his sons were scorning those rules, scorning the Lord’s sacrifice and offering . . . prescribed for [His] dwelling, the tabernacle (verse 29). By not disciplining his sons, Eli was putting them above the Lord (verse 30), and thus proving that he was unworthy to have the priesthood remain in his family (see Matthew 10:37; 1 Timothy 3:1,4–5).

30–33 God had made a promise that Aaron and his descendants would be priests forever (see Exodus 29:9; Numbers 25:10–13). The Lord was not going to cancel His promise to Aaron’s house, but He would disqualify Eli’s house from sharing in the priesthood. Eli’s descendants would be cut off—removed—from priestly service, either by death or by other means. They would be cut off in their prime; none of them would grow old (verses 31–33). This PROPHECY would soon be fulfilled: first by the deaths of Eli’s sons (1 Samuel 4:11), and later by the massacre of Eli’s descendants in the town of Nob (1 Samuel 22:18–19).

34–36 The sign for Eli that this prophecy was true would come when his two sons died on the same day (verse 34). Then God would raise up from Aaron’s house a faithful priest¹⁷ (verse 35), whose descendants would then carry on the priestly line. Eli’s descendants would soon be reduced to begging in order to survive (verse 36).