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).