1 Samuel 2:4-14

4 The bow of strong men is overcome, and feeble men be girded with strength.

5 Men full-filled before, setted themselves to hire for loaves, and hungry men be filled; while the barren woman childed full many, and she that had many sons, was made sick. (Men filled full before, now hire themselves out to work for loaves, and hungry men be filled; while the barren woman bare a great many, and she who had many sons, was made feeble, or weak.)

6 The Lord slayeth, and quickeneth; he leadeth forth to hells, and bringeth again. (The Lord killeth, and maketh alive; he leadeth down to Sheol, or into the grave, and bringeth up again.)

7 The Lord maketh poor, and he maketh rich; he maketh low, and he raiseth up.

8 He raiseth a needy man from powder, and he raiseth a poor man from drit, that he sit with princes, and hold the seat of glory; for the ends of [the] earth be of the Lord, and he hath set the world on those. (He raiseth up the needy from the dust, and he raiseth up the poor from the dirt, so that they sit with princes, and have seats, or places, of honour; for the ends of the earth be the Lord's, and he hath set the world upon them.)

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;

14 and he sent it into the great vessel of stone, either into the cauldron, either into the pot, either into the pan; and whatever thing the fleshhook raised, the priest took that to himself; so they did to all Israel of men coming into Shiloh. (and he sent it into the great stone vessel, or the cauldron, or the pot, or the pan; and whatever thing the fleshhook raised up, or caught hold of, the priest took that for himself; and so they did to all Israel who came to Shiloh.)

1 Samuel 2:4-14 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 2

In this chapter the song of Hannah is recorded, 1Sa 2:1-10, and an account is given of the return of Elkanah and Hannah to their own home, and of the care she took yearly to provide a coat for Samuel, and of her being blessed with many other children, and of the growth and ministry of Samuel before the Lord, 1Sa 2:11,18-21,26, and of the wickedness of the sons of Eli, 1Sa 2:12-17, and of Eli's too gentle treatment of them when he reproved them for it, 1Sa 2:22-25 and of a sharp message sent him from the Lord on that account, threatening destruction to his house, of which the death of his two sons would be a sign, 1Sa 2:27-36.