1 Samuel Chapter 1 Part Three (Verses 13-28)

1 Samuel 1:15-18
And Hannah answered and said, "No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD. "Do not consider your maidservant a wicked woman, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have spoken until now." Then Eli answered and said, "Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him." And she said, "Let your maidservant find favor in your sight." So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.

No, my lord: Hannah rejects Eli’s accusation that she is drunk; yet, she remains reverent with her words. Hannah could have easily let her pride and hurt feelings send her into an outburst. However, Hannah uses politeness and honors Eli with her words. She explains herself to Eli, but she reveres Eli by honoring his position as high priest.

I have poured out my soul before the LORD: Instead of keeping her bitterness and anguish inside, she lays her grief and sorrow out to the LORD in prayer. The words “I have poured out” gives imagery to a bottle being dumped of its contents. Hannah lays everything in her heart before the LORD and leaves nothing inside the inner recesses of her heart.

Do not consider your maidservant a wicked woman: The word “wicked” used here is the same word used in chapter 2 verse 12 to describe Eli’s sons. The word in Hebrew is “belial”. (The King James Version does not translate the word and instead leaves the word as “belial”.) This word has a deeper meaning in which it expresses not only wickedness of one’s actions, but deep-rooted wickedness which permeates one’s entire character. Belial is used 26 times in the Old Testament and is translated as wicked, worthless, ungodliness and scoundrel.

Belial is a compound word believed to have been taken from the Hebrew “beliy” meaning “not” and “ya’al” meaning “profit” or “benefit”. In the Old Testament, when describing a wocked person, the King James sometimes uses the phrase “son of Belial” (or “daughter”, “man”, or “people” of Belial). Like many of the uses of the term “son of”, the expression of “son of Belial” does not imply that Belial is a real person who fathers children. Rather, it is a description of people characterized by worthlessness or corruption.

In Scripture, Belial was used to personify wickedness and worthlessness. Belial is also used in the New Testament in 2 Corinthians 6:15: “What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?” Additionally, many believe that the phrase “son of lawlessness”, which is used in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 in reference to the Antichrist, is using the Greek word “anomia” in place of the Hebrew word “belial”. (Remember that the New Testament was written in Greek; most of the common Hebrew phrases were changed/translated into their Greek equivalents.)

The God of Israel grant your petition: Eli may have spoken only comforting words, but it was in fact the word of God. A similar example is seen in the New Testament when Caiaphas, the high priest at the time of Jesus’ execution, speaks prophetic words from the LORD. “But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, ‘You know nothing at all, nor do you take into account it is expedient for you that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish.’ Now he did not say this on his own initiative, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but in order that He might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad” (John 11:49-52).

Her face was no longer sad: The change in Hannah’s emotions shows she received the promise with joy and faith, something we all need to do if we are to inherit the promises of God. “For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints. And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit promises” (Hebrews 6:10-12). Hannah shows how we can regain the joy of fellowship in the house of the LORD again by pouring out our hearts before the LORD and by receiving His word with faith.

1 Samuel 1:19-20
Then they rose early in the morning and worshiped before the LORD, and returned and came to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her. So it came to pass in the process of time that Hannah conceived and bore a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, "Because I have asked for him from the LORD."

Then they arose early in the morning and worshiped: Now with her heart poured out before God and with the assurance that her request will be granted, Hannah can turn her mourning into gladness and come before the LORD and worship with faith.

And the LORD remembered her: To use the word “remembered” is an anthropomorphism; it is a way of explaining God’s action in human terminology that we can understand. Although, using this terminology does not perfectly describe the LORD’s actions because God never “forgot” Hannah. The LORD simply fulfilled Hannah’s request at a later time, thus, “remembering” Hannah’s prayer.

It came to pass in the process of time: An important thing to note is that Hannah’s prayer was not instantly granted. We are not told how much time passed before Hannah became pregnant, but we do know Hannah was tested in the process of time. Through much patience and faith, Hannah prayer was answered. How much we can learn from Hannah’s steadfastness in the LORD’s prayer! She trusted God would fulfill her request, and although it took some time, Hannah remained faithful and true to God.

Samuel: The name Samuel technically means “his name is God”. Hannah may have understood by assonance the name to mean “asked of God”. She had “asked” (sha’el in Hebrew) God for a son, and He had “heard” (shama in Hebrew) her. “Samuel” would be associated with “Shamuw’el” (heard of God) because she had asked the Lord for him.

1 Samuel 1:21-23
Now the man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the LORD the yearly sacrifice and his vow. But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, "Not until the child is weaned; then I will take him, that he may appear before the LORD and remain there forever." And Elkanah her husband said to her, "Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him. Only let the LORD establish His word." So the woman stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him.

The yearly sacrifice and his vow: Here in the text we see that the vow which Hannah made before the LORD is now seen as Elkanah’s vow as the vow is referred to as “his” vow.  As previously discussed, if a husband hears his wives vows and does not annul them, the vows stand and become the husband’s vow (Numbers 30:10-14). In order to keep with the Law of Moses, it was necessary for Elkanah to give to God the payment due for vow which Hannah had made. If Elkanah did not keep the vow, the breaking of the oath would be seen as his sin. “When you make a vow to the LORD your God, you shall not delay to pay it, for it would be sin in you, and the LORD your God will surely require it of you” (Deuteronomy 23:21). Hannah would not be required to appear before the LORD because her vow has become her husband’s and only he is responsible to fulfill the vow.

Until the child is weaned: During this time in history, a child was not weaned until three to five years of age. It is reasonable to assume Hannah was in no hurry to wean her son and probably kept him for the full time of weaning.

Only let the LORD establish His word: Elkanah gives great advice to Hannah. He is saying, “Do everything in obedience to God so that we may see His word established among us.”

1 Samuel 1:24-28
Now when she had weaned him, she took him up with her a three year old bull, one ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the LORD in Shiloh. And the child was young. Then they slaughtered a bull, and brought the child to Eli. And she said, "O my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here, praying to the LORD. For this child I prayed, and the LORD has granted me my petition which I asked of Him. Therefore I also have lent him to the LORD; as long as he lives he shall be lent to the LORD." So they worshiped the LORD there.

She took him up with her: In fulfilling the promise she made to God, Hannah shows her tremendous faith. She brings her young son to the tabernacle to dwell with Eli. (I cannot imagine the incredible heartbreak this must have been for Hannah. But as Jesus teaches us, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34). Hannah, in her great sorrow, spoke the words of her heart.  And now, in this act of faith, we see Hannah’s true dedication to God.)

One ephah of flour and a skin of wine: The food and drink Elkanah and Hannah brought to the tabernacle were very abundant. One ephah of flour is equivalent to about 4.5 gallons of flour. A skin of wine is equal to about 60 gallons of wine.

Then they slaughtered a bull: The type of sacrifice here is not indicated; however, it can be assumed the offering was probably a burnt offering. Burnt offerings are the most common form of sacrifice recorded in the Old Testament. In Hebrew, the word “olah” (which literally translates as “that which goes up in smoke”) has been traditionally translated in the English as burnt offering. The word “olah” is used 289 times in the Old Testament. (An interesting side note, “olah kalil” means that which entirely goes up in smoke is translated into English as “holocaust”.) There are many reasons a person can offer a burnt offering such as regular burnt offerings , recovery from a skin disease, after a state of recovery from abnormal bodily discharges, by a woman after childbirth, etc. Depending on a person’s wealth, the burnt offering could be a bull, a sheep, a goat, turtledoves or pigeons (Leviticus 1:2, 14). Seeing that Elkanah offered a bull means that Elkanah and his family had enough money to offer the most expensive sacrifice—a bull.

When a bull was slaughtered for a burnt offering, the priest and the person making the sacrifice must follow these instructions: “If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer it, a male without defect; he shall offer it at the doorway of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the LORD. He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, that it may be accepted for him to make atonement on his behalf. He shall slay the young bull before the LORD; and Aaron’s sons the priests shall offer up the blood and sprinkle the blood around on the altar that is at the doorway at the tent of meeting. He shall then skin the burnt offering and cut it in pieces. The sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar and arrange on the fire. Then Aaron’s sons the priests shall arrange the pieces, the head and the suet over the wood which is on the fire that is on the altar. Its entrails, however, and its legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall offer up in smoke all of it on the altar for a burnt offering, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the LORD” (Leviticus 1:3-9). In summary, both the person making the sacrifice and the priest had to partake in the slaughtering of the animal. Additionally, all of the animal was offered up as smoke after it had been consumed by the fire. Only the hide of the animal was given to the priest (Leviticus 7:8).

If we use the birth of Samson as a guide for Samuel’s birth, we see that Samson’s father, Manoah, offered God a burnt offering while the angel of the LORD visited to tell of Samson’s birth and his lifelong dedication as a Nazirite. “Then Manoah said to the angel of the LORD, ‘Please let us detain you so that we may prepare a young goat for you.’ The angel of the LORD said to Manoah, ‘Though you detain me, I will not eat your food, but if you prepare a burnt offering, then offer it to the LORD.’ So Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering and offered it on the rock to the LORD, and He performed wonders while Manoah and his wife looked on. For it came about when the flame went up from the altar toward heaven, that the angle of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar” (Judges 13:15-16, 19-20). Using this as a guide, we can assume Hannah and Elkanah offered God a burnt offering in celebration of Samuel and his lifelong dedication to be a Nazirite and serve God all the days of his life.

I also have lent him to the LORD: This translation of the Hebrew is poor. A better translation would be: “Therefore I also make him one asked of the LORD; all the days that he lives he is asked of the LORD.” The meaning being Hannah, in her prayer, asked God for Samuel. When God answered her prayer, Hannah returns Samuel back to God, since Samuel is the fulfillment of her prayer.

So they worshiped the LORD there: Even in this difficult situation, Hannah and Elkanah find it in their hearts to worship the LORD. Praising God on the day you give your little son away is not easy, but it is the praise God is pleased with, even as we are to bring a sacrifice of praise to God. “Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name” (Hebrews 13:15).

1 Samuel Chapter 1 Part Two (Verses 8-14)

1 Samuel 1:8-11
Then Elkanah her husband said to her, "Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? And why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?" So Hannah arose after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the tabernacle of the LORD. And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the LORD and wept in anguish. Then she made a vow and said, "O LORD of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head."

Hannah, why do you weep?...Am I not better than ten sons?: Elkanah, seeing Hannah’s sorrow, attempts to comfort her. His words are very endearing. However, Elkanah fails to comprehend the magnitude of Hannah’s grief and her abundant longing for a son. As hard as Elkanah tries, he is no substitute for a son.

Temple: The word “temple” in verse 9 translates from the Hebrew as a large public building. This rendering of the word as temple should be “tabernacle” and should not be confused with Solomon’s temple which was constructed about 140 years after the events of this chapter.

Bitterness of soul:  In Hannah’s sorrow, she takes her feelings and prays to the Lord. Hannah takes her many sorrows—having a divided house, bearing barren, having to endure jealousy and hurtful words by Peninnah—Hannah seeks God. She lays her grief before the Lord and seeks refuge in her time of need.

O LORD of hosts: Hannah begins her prayer by calling on the LORD of hosts. This title for God appears 260 times in the Old Testament. It has the idea of calling on the “LORD of the Heavens Armies”. Hannah, feeling attacked by her revival, Peninnah, and being misunderstood by her husband, she calls on the LORD of Heaven’s Armies to come and be her protector, her great warrior through these perilous times.

She made a vow: Vow making in the Old Testament was a serious matter. Unlike today when people make promises left and right and often have no intention of keeping them, promises made in the times of the Old Testament were binding oaths. In Numbers chapter 30, there is a long list of rules and regulations Israel had to follow regarding vows. “If a man makes a vow to the LORD, or takes an oath to bind himself with a binding obligation, he shall not violate his word; he shall do all the proceeds out of his mouth” (Numbers 30:2).

As we read farther along in Numbers chapter 30, we come to a section about married woman committing themselves to vows: “If she vowed in her husband’s house, or bound herself by an obligation with an oath, and her husband heard it, but said nothing to her and did not forbid her, than all her vows shall stand and every obligation by which she bound herself shall stand. But if her husband indeed annuls them on the day he hears them, then whatever proceeds out of her lips concerning her vows of concerning the obligation of herself shall not stand; her husband has annulled them, and the LORD will forgive her. Every vow and every binding oath to humble herself, her husband may confirm it or her husband may annul it. But if her husband indeed says nothing to her from day to day, then he confirms all her vows or all her obligations which are on her; he has confirmed them, because he said nothing to her on the day he heard them” (Numbers 30:10-14). This is tremendously important for we know that Hannah fulfilled her vow. Thus, Elkanah supported Hannah’s decision to dedicate her son to the LORD. Again, we see the incredible love Elkanah had for his wife, allowing her to give up a son, the son of his beloved Hannah, to the LORD.

Moreover, oaths promised to God required prompt payment. If Hannah did not fulfill her vow, God would have considered her for her failure to uphold her promise as sin. We are told it is best to guard our lips from promising oaths to God. “When you make a vow to the LORD your God, you shall not delay to pay it, for it would be sin in you, and the LORD your God will surely require it of you. However, if you refrain from vowing, it would not be sin in you. You shall be careful to perform what goes out of your lips, just as you have voluntarily vowed to the LORD your God, what you have promised” (Deuteronomy 23:21-23).

Jesus also admonishes us in a similar fashion not taking oaths. “Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall fulfill your vows to the LORD.’ But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great king. Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white of black. But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond this is evil” (Matthew 5:33-37). Although we are apt to boldly profess oaths to the LORD, our sinful nature often prevents us from fulfilling our promises. Since God gains nothing by our vows, it is best if we hold our tongues and not incriminate ourselves to promises to God which we cannot fulfill.

I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head: These are the words of a Nazarite vow. For a full description of the Nazarite vow, please read Numbers 6:1-21. In summary, the Nazarite vow included the following:

1. Abstaining from grapes or any grape product. This included not eating grapes, raisins and grape seeds. It also meant not drinking vinegar, grape juice or wine. Not indulging in things from the grape vine signifies putting a distance between all fleshly desires.

2. Not mourning for the dead. A Nazarite was not to take part in any type of mourning ceremony for the dead such as not coming near the dead body, not shaving his head or wearing sackcloth and ashes (which were all common mourning practices in Israel). A dead body causes a person to become unclean for seven days. “The one who touches the corpse of any person shall be unclean for seven days” (Numbers 19:11). When a person became unclean, they were not allowed to enter God’s dwelling place. “Thus you shall keep the sons of Israel separated from their uncleanness, so that they will not die in their uncleanness by defiling My tabernacle that is among them” ((Leviticus 15:31). By being unclean, a person was not allowed to partake in fellowship with others and was forced to stay away from God’s holy place. The unclean had to be set apart, away from others to prevent spreading their uncleanness to others. By becoming unclean, a Nazirite would break fellowship with God; he would be forced to stay out of God’s dwelling place for seven days until he could purify himself and again come before the presence of the LORD.

3. The hair was never to be cut while under the vow. Nazarites were to let their hair grow while under the vow. Men in Israel had short hair. Paul writes, “Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him” (1 Corinthians 11:14). Long hair was to set apart a person from the rest of Israelites as holy to the LORD; long hair was a public sign of the Nazirite vow. Upon completion of the vow, the person was to cut his hair and offer it on the altar as a sacrifice to God.

4. Usually the vow was a specified time—weeks, months or years. Samuel and Samson are two unique examples in the Bible in which their parents dedicated them to be Nazarites their whole lives.

An interesting parallel occurs in Scripture when comparing Samuel and Samson. “There was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren and had borne no children. Then the angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, ‘Behold now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and give birth to a son. Now therefore, be careful not to drink wine of strong drink, not eat any unclean thing. For behold, you shall conceive and give birth to a son, and no razor shall come upon his head, for the boy shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel from the hands of the Philistines’” (Judges 13:2-5).

Samson was born about 30 years before Samuel. The parallels between their birth—both women were barren, both gave birth to sons, both dedicated their sons to be Nazirites, etc.—are incredible. It is hard to know if Hannah knew about Samson before she promised to dedicate her son as a Nazirite for all the days of his life. If she had heard about Samson, perhaps, she wanted her son to continue the works which Samson did by fighting the oppressive Philistines. (Samuel, in his lifetime, did continue to battle against the Philistines.) If Hannah had not heard about Samson, this is a great example of how God was leading Hannah to accomplish His will. God was able to orchestrate Hannah’s desire for a child with Israel’s need for a great leader.

I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life: Since Elkanah was a Levite and a priest, the child born to Hannah and Elkanah would be already dedicated to the LORD as a priest. God regarded the tribe of Levi as His special possession. The time of the Levite’s service to the LORD lasted from the ages of 30-50 (Numbers 4:2-3). Hannah, in her vow to the LORD, was giving God the service of her son in an even greater way—vowing her son shall serve God ALL of his days and as a Nazarite, which was an even greater consecration than a Levite. Hannah could have easily not made this tremendous vow to the LORD. This probably was not the first time Hannah had prayed for a son. However, only in the midst of her intense sorrow and anguish, does she feel it necessary for her to make such a vow to the LORD. We do not know the reasons behind God’s plans, but God had wanted Samuel to be dedicated to Him for his whole life. It was only after Hannah had gone through much pain and sorrow that this vow was drawn out of her. And through it, the amazing life and service of Samuel to God and the nation Israel forever impacted the world—bringing Israel from a lose knit group of 12 tribes into being a formidable kingdom lead by one of the greatest kings on earth. God used Hannah’s grief and sorrow to bring about tremendous blessings. Oh what lessons we can all learn from this! What sorrows and pains must we endure to allow God to draw out from us dedication and service to God. It is through these offerings He is able bestow upon us abundant blessings.

1 Samuel 1:12-14
And it happened, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli watched her mouth. Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk. So Eli said to her, "How long will you be drunk? Put your wine away from you!"

As she continued praying: From the Hebrew, this translates as “as she multiplied to pray”. As with many prayers in the Bible, we have hear only a brief summary of the prayer Hannah prayed.

Only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: Hannah being in deep silent prayer, prayed so fervently, her lips moved. Often when I am in the midst of a deep prayer, I find myself like Hannah, with silent words passing from my heart to my lips. What a beautiful picture of Hannah’s deepest desires being expressed before God passing from her heart into silent prayer.

How long will you be drunk?: It is a bit shocking that the priest Eli would consider Hannah drunk. But the fact the Eli even considers drunkenness may elude to the debauchery of Israel’s state of worship. At the fellowship offering, there was usually wine enjoyed with the meal. Eli’s suspicion that Hannah may be drunk seems to suggest drunkenness and non-reverent behavior may have been common around the tabernacle. Combine lewd behavior this with the wickedness of Eli’s sons in service at the tabernacle, it seems to paint a very dark time in Israel’s worship of the LORD. Poor Hannah is once again being misunderstood. Thankfully, we have a High Priest who never misunderstands us. “Therefore since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore, let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrew 4:14-16).

1 Samuel Chapter 1 Part One (Verses 1-7)

1 Samuel 1:1-2
Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim Zophim, of the mountains of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. And he had two wives: the name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. 

Now there was a certain man: The book begins with “a certain man”. These words emphasize that God can raise up anyone to use in His plan. We are not first told of this man’s position in society or his status among family and friends. We are only told a few important facts which are vital to the progression of this story—the man’s name, his genealogy and he had two wives.

Elkanah: His name means God has created. He was a descendant of Zuph. Using the genealogy given in 1 Chronicles 6:16-30, we can trace Elkanah’s ancestry back through the line of Kohath. Kohath was a son of Levi. (Levi had three sons: Gershon, Kohath and Merari. Kohath had sons Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. The children of Amram were Aaron, Moses and Miriam. (1 Chronicles 6:1-3) Although Levi had many descendants, only descendants of Aaron were designated as priests (Exodus 28:1-3). This genealogy is very important as it tells us Elkanah was a priest. Furthermore, Elkanah’s future son, Samuel, inherited the priesthood.

(Side note: The other descendants of Levi were not priests, but served in the temple in other aspects. “The work of the Levites was to assist the priests, the descendants of Aaron, as they served at the temple of the house of the LORD. They also took care of the courtyards and side rooms, helped perform the ceremonies of purification, and served in many other ways in the house of God. They were in charge of the sacred bread that was set out on the table, the choice flour for the grain offerings, the wafers made without yeast, the cakes cooked in olive oil, and the other mixed breads. They were also responsible to check all the weights and measures. And each morning and evening they stood before the LORD to sing songs of thanks and praise to Him. They assisted with the burnt offerings that were presented to the LORD on Sabbath days, at new moon celebrations, and at all the appointed festivals.” (1 Chronicles 23:28-31a) All priests were Levites, but not all Levites were priests.)

Ephraimite: Elkanah is called an Ephraimite not due to his heritage (as he was a Levite). However, his family lived in Ramah, which is a city located in the territory of Ephraim.

Ramathaim Zophim: Ramathaim Zophim means the watchmen in the heights. For short, this city is often called Ramah (which means the height). It was in the hill country about 25 miles north of Jerusalem and 15 miles south of Shiloh. Ramah is the birthplace of Samuel (1 Samuel 1:19-20), his residence (1 Samuel 7:17) and his burial place (1 Samuel 25:1).

He had two wives: Run! Disaster ahead!!! The Bible cites many marriages in which husbands have multiple wives. Starting all the way back with Abraham and continuing through much of the Old Testament, multiple wives were a recipe for disaster. The custom in the ancient world permitted polygamy. But God shows us again and again, that whenever one than wife is present, the peace of the home is greatly disturbed. This story is no exception. Hannah, whose name means grace, has no children. The second wife Penninah, whose name means fruitful, has children. Herein lies a perfect situation for great strife and conflict to arise. (Side note: Examining the Hebrew texts suggests that Hannah was Elkanah’s wife and Penninah was a lower wife. This suggests that Elkanah first married Hannah and when she bore no children, he took a second wife to give him children.)

1 Samuel 1:3-7
This man went up from his city yearly to worship and sacrifice to the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. Also the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, were there. And whenever the time came for Elkanah to make an offering, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. But to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, although the LORD had closed her womb. And her rival also provoked her severely, to make her miserable, because the LORD had closed her womb. So it was, year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, that she provoked her; therefore she wept and did not eat. 

This man went up from his city: According to the Law of Moses, the Israelites were not to sacrifice at any place except God’s sacred place. “But you shall seek the LORD at the place which the LORD your God will choose from all your tribes, to establish His name there for His dwelling, and there you shall come. They you shall bring your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the contribution of your hand, your votive offerings, your freewill offerings and the firstborn of your herd and your flock. There also you and your households shall eat before the LORD your God, and rejoice in all your undertakings in which the LORD your God has blessed you.” (Deuteronomy 12:5-7) Thus during Elkanah’s time, he was to bring his sacrifices to the priests and the tabernacle at Shiloh.

Additionally, the Law of Moses required the Israelites to appear before God at His dwelling place three times a year. “Three times a year you shall celebrate a feast to Me. You shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread; for seven days you are to eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the appointed time in the month Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt. And none shall appear before Me empty-handed. Also you shall observe the Feast of the Harvest of the first fruits of your labors from what you sow in the field; also the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year when you gather in the fruit of your labors from the field. Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord GOD.” (Exodus 23:14-17) In 1 Samuel 1:3, the texts states Elkanah only goes to worship God yearly. This emphasizes the spiritual decay of the nation Israel. The three feasts commanded by God to be observed by the Israelites ceased to be celebrated by the nation.

Shiloh: Shiloh was the religious center for the tabernacle for almost 400 years. It was about 15 miles north of Ramah. Joshua located the tabernacle in Shiloh. “The whole congregation of the sons of Israel assembled themselves at Shiloh, and set up the tent of meeting there…” (Joshua 18:1) (The tabernacle, as called the tent of meeting, was the sacred worship tent God commanded Moses to build while the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness. The tabernacle contained many sacred articles such as a golden lampstand, a golden table of showbread, the golden altar of incense and the centerpiece—the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark of the Covenant was located in the Most Holy place (as known as the Holy of Holies) in the tabernacle. (For more details about the tabernacle, please read Exodus 25-28 and 30.) Only the high priest once a year (on the Day of Atonement) was allowed to enter the most holy place and offer a sacrifice to make atonement for the nation of Israel. (Please read Leviticus 16 for more details about the Day of Atonement.)

Although Shiloh served as the religious center for almost 400 years, its glory came to an abrupt end. The exact details of its destruction are not given in the Bible; however, through the prophet Jeremiah, we read that God used Shiloh as a lesson for Israel to stress what happens to a place of worship when the people cease to worship God. “’But now go to My place which was in Shiloh, where I made My name dwell at first, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of My people Israel. And now, because you have done all these things,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I spoke to you, rising early and speaking, but you did not hear, and I called you but you did not answer, therefore, I will do to the house which is called by My name, in which you trust, and to the place which I gave to you and your fathers, as I did to Shiloh.’” (Jeremiah 7:12-14)

Eli, Hophni and Phinehas: These priests were mentioned by name because they were well known in Israel. Hophni and Phinehas were known for their wickedness (1 Samuel 2:17, 24). The mention of Hophni and Phinehas gives a sharp contrast with godly Elkanah making the yearly voyage to offer sacrifices to God. Hophni’s name means swordsman, and Phinehas’s name means oracle. Eli’s name means high, ascended or my God.

He would give portions: Every year, Elkanah and his family visited the tabernacle for a yearly sacrifice. They would eat the ceremonial meal at the tabernacle, with each member of the family receiving their allotted portion. The sacrifice made was probably a peace or thanksgiving offering. Burnt offerings and sin offerings were not eaten by the person giving the sacrifice. But the peace offerings and the thanksgiving offerings, the person offering the sacrifice receive an abundant portion. In the peace and thanksgiving offerings, the blood was poured out at the base of the altar and the fat was burned on the altar. The breast and the right shoulder were the portion for the priest and the rest belong to the person offering the sacrifice. (See Leviticus 3:1-5; 7:11-18, 29-32 for details on the peace and thanksgiving offerings.)

In his abundant love for Hannah, Elkanah would give Hannah a double portion. The concept of the double portion is first mentioned in the Law of Moses: “But he shall acknowledge the firstborn…by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the firstfruits of his strength. The right of the firstborn is his” (Deuteronomy 21:17). A firstborn son was entitled to receive twice the inheritance of that of a father’s other sons, in addition to the right of succession. Thus, one can quickly surmise an unintended consequence of Elkanah’s kind and loving gesture; it ultimately set the stage for tremendous jealousy. Hannah’s double portion would be viewed by Peninnah and her children as a special inheritance. Hannah would become the victim of abuse: “her rival also provoked her severely, to make her miserable” (1 Samuel 1:6).

 

Therefore she wept and did not eat: Because of the conflict between the two wives, Hannah was reduced to a state of sadness. Hannah’s sorrow is in violation of Deuteronomy 12:7: “There also you and your households shall eat before the LORD your God, and rejoice in all your undertakings in which the LORD your God has blessed you.” This is an important lesson for us. How do our emotions taint our ability to worship the Lord? Do we let bitterness and the worries of the world prevent us for rejoicing in the Lord or experiencing God’s abundant blessings? Hannah was richly blessed by her husband by receiving a double portion from the sacrifices; yet, Hannah allows Peninnah to cause great sorrow and weeping to take hold of her time in the Lord’s house.

The LORD had closed her womb: God’s sovereignty over the womb occurs multiple times in the Bible. “For the LORD had closed fast all the wombs of the household of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife” (Genesis 20:18). “Now the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, and He opened her womb, but Rachel was barren” (Genesis29:31). “Then God remembered Rachel, and God gave heed to her and opened her womb” (Genesis 30:22). In the Old Testament, it was a great reproach among Jewish women to be barren because every woman hoped that she would bring forth the Messiah into the world.  Additionally, barrenness was a great tragedy for a woman because her husband’s inheritance depended on her bearing a son to continue the family name and inherit the family’s estate. According to Deuteronomy 7:13-14, having children was a sign of God’s blessing. Thus, barrenness was considered a curse. (In Deuteronomy 7:13-14, God promises the Israelites to make them abundantly fruitful in the land if they obeys God’s commandments. “He will love you and bless you and multiple you; He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, your gain and your new wine and your oil, the increase of your herd and the young of your flock, in the land which He swore to your forefathers to give you. You shall be blessed above all peoples; there will be no male or female barren among you or among your cattle.”)

1 Samuel Introduction

General Background

The Book of First and Second Samuel were considered one book in the early Hebrew manuscripts. Later in 300-200 B.C. when the Hebrew text was being translated into a version called the Septuagint (LXX) which was a Greek translation completed via 70 Jewish scholars in Alexandria, Egypt, the book was divided into two books. This occurred because the texts were substantially longer in the Greek language. (Hebrew has no vowels and only 22 consonants. The vowels of words are implied. However, the Greek language uses vowels. Thus translating the Hebrew texts into Greek yielded longer texts and required the longer books of the Old Testament to be divided into two books to fit onto papyrus scrolls.) The division of the book into two sections was followed by the Latin Vulgate, English translations and modern Hebrew transcripts. (*Please note, since First and Second Samuel were originally written as one book, I will refer to First and Second Samuel as simply the Book of Samuel.)

Authorship

Jewish tradition states the writer of the Book of Samuel was Samuel alone or a combination of Samuel, Nathan and Gad. Samuel very likely penned the first part of Samuel, but he cannot be the sole writer of the book because in the last part of 1 Samuel, we read of his death. (“Then Samuel died; and all Israel gathered together and mourned for him, and buried him at his house in Ramah.” 1 Samuel 25:1) Also, Samuel’s death occurs around 1024 B.C., which is before most of the events of King David took place as recorded in 2 Samuel. (King David reigned from about 1010-970 B.C.) Nathan and Gad were prophets during David’s lifetime and could have been the source of information for the second part of the Book of Samuel. (“Now the acts of King David, from the first to last, are written in the chronicles of Samuel the seer, in the chronicles of Nathan the prophet and in the chronicles of Gad the seer” 1 Chronicles 29:29.) 

The exact date and author of the Book of Samuel is unknown. There are many references to the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. In 1 Samuel 27:6 we read, “…therefore Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah to this day.” Thus, the completion of the Book of Samuel must have occurred after the division of the kingdom, around 931-722 B.C. (After the reign of King Solomon in 931, the kingdom of Israel split into the southern kingdom of Judah and the northern kingdom of Israel. This division remained until 722 B.C. when the northern kingdom of Israel was carried off by Assyria into exile. The southern kingdom remained until about 586 B.C. when the last of the inhabitants of Judah were carried off by Babylon into exile.)

Setting

The setting for the Book of Samuel is the central highlands of Israel. This is an area which is approximately 20-30 miles east to west and includes the hill country of Ephraim in the north to the hill country of Judah in the south (an area about 90 miles north to south). The major cities in the Book of Samuel are: Ramah (the hometown of Samuel), Shiloh (the location of the tabernacle and the Priests Eli, Hopni and Phinehas), Gibeah (the place from where Saul rules), Bethlehem (the birthplace of David), Hebron (the headquarters of David when he ruled over Judah), and Jerusalem (the headquarters of David when he ruled over all of Israel).

Historical Background

The Book of Samuel spans about 135 years. It starts with the birth of Samuel in 1105 B.C. (1 Samuel chapter 1) and ends with the final words of David around 971 B.C. (2 Samuel 23:1-7). Prior to and during the first part of the Book of Samuel, Judges ruled the land. In fact, the last judges to rule over Israel (Samson, Japhthah, Ibaz, Elon and Abdon) judged Israel from 1118-1070 B.C., which occurred during Samuel's lifetime. (Samuel was born in 1105 B.C. and died around 1024 B.C.)

At the start of the time of Judges, Israel’s great leader, Joshua, dies. Joshua assisted Moses through the wilderness wandering. He led Israel over the Jordan River and had many incredible conquests. Joshua was a mighty made of God. However, after Joshua dies, Israel is left without a leader. Spiritual decay quickly ensues. “Then Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of 110. And they buried him in the territory of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. All that generation also were gathered to their fathers; and there arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel. Then the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals and they forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods from among the goods of the peoples which were around them, and bowed themselves down to them; thus they provoked the LORD to anger.” (Judges 2:8-12)

During the time of the Judges, the land of Israel was very fragmented. God raised up leaders to overcome oppression of Israel’s enemies. After a triumphal victory by the judge, the land would have rest from the enemy for several years, until the judge died, and the people turned once again from God back to their idolatry. Israel was in chaos. Each tribe was separated from each; there was no general sense of unity or central government. This was the prevailing theme: “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 21:25) Unfortunately, “everyone doing what was right in his own eyes” meant that no one was following after God. No one was following God’s commandments, and no one was seeking true justice.

The Book of Samuel highlights a very important time in Israel’s history. It bridges the gap between lawless, tribal Israel and a united Israel led by godly King David. The main characters of the book are Samuel, Saul and David. Samuel is the last and greatest judge in Israel. He was also a prophet (1 Samuel 3:20) and a priest (1 Samuel 9:12-13). In his later years, Samuel served as advisor to Israel’s first King, Saul. Samuel also anointed David to be king. First Samuel details Samuel's great contribution to Israel’s history. It also outlines the rise (and fall) of King Saul and also highlights the early years of Israel’s greatest King, David.

Israel’s Enemies

During the Book of Samuel, the biggest threats to Israel are the Philistines to the west and the Ammonites to the east. The ancient world empires were quiet during this time in history. Egypt, Babylon and Assyria were weak powers and did not pose a threat to Israel.

The Philistines were an immigrant people from the Island of Crete off the coast of Greece (Amos 9:7). Previously (during the time of Abraham) small numbers of Philistines were in the land. But soon after Israel came to the land of Canaan from Egypt, the Philistines became a formidable force. The majority of the Philistines immigrated from the Aegean Islands and Asia Minor in the 12^th Century. After being denied entry in the land of Egypt, the Philistines settled among other pre-existing Philistines along the Mediterranean Coast in Canaan. They were organized into five city-states: Ashkelon, Ekron, Ashdod, Gaza and Gath. The Philistines were a major threat to the Israelites because they had iron. (During this time in history, Greece became proficient at using iron to build shield, helmets, sword, spears and other warfare. The Philistine immigrants brought this knowledge with them when the settled in Canaan.)

The Ammonites lived in the land to the land east of the Jordan River. The Ammonites were the descendants of Lot. (Lot was the nephew of Abraham. When Abraham and Lot’s processions became too numerous, they separated. Lot took the fertile river valley which included the cities of Gomorrah and Sodom. God reveals His plan to Abraham that He is going to destroy these cities for their wickedness. Abraham pleads for God to save the righteous in the city. God sends two angels into Sodom to save Lot and his family. On the way out of God’s path of destruction, Lot’s wife turns back to Sodom and becomes a pillar of salt. Lot and his two daughters end up living in a cave. Lot’s two daughters get Lot drunk and rape their father. Both girls become pregnant. The older daughter bore a son, named him Moab, and he became the father of the Moabites. The younger daughter bore a son, named him Ben-Ammi, and he became the father of the Ammonites. (See Genesis 13, 18 and 19))

“Never did the time seem more hopeless than when Samuel arose. The Philistines, strengthened not merely by a constant influx of immigrants, but by the importation of arms from Greece, were fast reducing Israel to the condition of a subject race.” (Smith, Pulpit Commentary) Never was there a more perilous time in which Israel needed a leader to bring them into their glory years...and Samuel is that leader.

Welcome to Verse by Verse Bible Study!

Hello. Welcome to Verse by Verse Bible Study. It is my goal to post a Bible Study every week. The study will follow a book of the Bible and examine its contents verse by verse.