And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife
Not only the first time they brought Samuel to him, and left him with him; but every year they came to worship, as the Jewish commentators mostly interpret it:
and said, the Lord give thee seed of this woman;
children by her, year after year:
for the loan which is lent to the Lord;
instead of Samuel, who was asked of the Lord and given to him again; and as they were thereby in some measure deprived of him, and could not always enjoy him, and be delighted with him, Eli prayed for them, and gave them his benediction as a priest, that they might be favoured with other children, who might be of delight and service to them when in old age:
and they went unto their own home;
at Ramah, as in ( 1 Samuel 2:11 ) or to his place F18, Elkanah's; hence Kimchi concludes that Hannah was of another city originally; but the Targum is,
``to their place;''and indeed, what was now the place or home of the one, was of the other.