Elkanah's Family
Study note
Elkanah was a man from the hill country of Ephraim who had two wives, which was allowed but often caused problems in ancient Israel. His wife Hannah had no children, while his other wife Peninnah had several. Each year the family traveled to Shiloh, where the tabernacle was located, to worship and offer sacrifices. Peninnah would taunt Hannah about being childless, causing Hannah great pain. Even though Elkanah loved Hannah and gave her extra portions of the sacrifice, it could not ease the sting of being unable to have a child.
1 A man named Elkanah lived in Ramathaim-zophim, up in the hill country of Ephraim. His family line went back through Jeroham, Elihu, Tohu, and Zuph. He was from the tribe of Ephraim. Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite:
2 Elkanah had two wives. One was named Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had several children, but Hannah had none. And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
3 Every year, Elkanah made the trip from his hometown to Shiloh to worship and offer sacrifices to the Lord of Heaven's Armies. Two priests named Hophni and Phinehas, both sons of Eli, served there. And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, were there.
4 Whenever Elkanah offered his sacrifice, he would divide the meat. He gave portions to his wife Peninnah and to each of her children. And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions:
5 But he always saved a special, extra-large portion for Hannah because she was the one he loved most. Even so, the Lord had not given her any children. But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the LORD had shut up her womb.
6 Peninnah, her rival, never missed a chance to rub it in. She made Hannah feel terrible about having no children. And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb.
7 This happened year after year. Every time the family went up to the Lord's house, Peninnah would pick at Hannah until she came to be in tears, unable to eat a thing. And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat.
8 Her husband Elkanah would try to comfort her. He would say, "Hannah, why are you crying? Why will you not eat? Why are you so upset? Am I not better to you than ten sons would be?" Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons?
Hannah's Prayer at Shiloh
Study note
Hannah went to the tabernacle and prayed with such deep emotion that the priest Eli thought she was drunk. She was actually praying silently with her lips moving but no sound coming out. She made a special vow to God: if he gave her a son, she would dedicate the boy to the Lord for his entire life. The promise that no razor would touch his head was a sign of a Nazirite vow, meaning the child would be set apart for God's service. When Eli realized she was praying from deep sorrow, he blessed her and sent her away in peace.
9 One time after they had finished their meal at Shiloh, Hannah stood up to pray. Eli the priest happened to be sitting on a seat near the entrance of the Lord's tabernacle. So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD.
10 Hannah's heart was breaking. She poured out her prayer to the Lord, crying bitterly the whole time. And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.
11 She made a vow to God. "Lord of Heaven's Armies, please look at my pain. Please think of me. If you give me a son, I will give him back to you for life. No razor will ever touch his head." And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.
12 Hannah kept praying for a long time, and Eli the priest was watching her mouth closely. And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli marked her mouth.
13 She was praying silently in her heart. Her lips were moving, but no words were coming out. Eli assumed she was drunk. Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.
14 He scolded her, "How long are you going to walk around drunk? Put down the wine!" And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee.
15 Hannah quickly explained, "No, my lord, I am not drunk at all. I have not had a single drop of wine or anything else to drink. I am a woman whose heart is shattered, and I have been pouring my soul out to the Lord." And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD.
16 "Please do not think badly of me. I have been praying all this time because my pain and grief are so overwhelming." Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto.
17 Eli softened and said, "Then go in peace. May the God of Israel answer the prayer you have brought to him." Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.
18 Hannah said, "Thank you for being so kind to me." After that, she went and had something to eat. The sadness that had weighed her down was finally gone. And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.
Samuel Is Born
Study note
God answered Hannah's prayer, and she gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, which sounds like the Hebrew words for 'heard by God.' Hannah kept the boy at home until he was weaned, which in ancient Israel usually meant until age three. During this time, Elkanah continued his yearly trips to Shiloh for worship, but Hannah stayed home to care for young Samuel.
19 The whole family got up early the next morning, worshipped before the Lord, and then headed home to Ramah. Elkanah and Hannah came together as husband and wife, and the Lord remembered Hannah's prayer. And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the LORD, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the LORD remembered her.
20 Before long, Hannah became pregnant. She gave birth to a son and named him Samuel, explaining, "I asked the Lord for him." Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the LORD.
21 The next time Elkanah went up with his family to offer the yearly sacrifice and keep his promise to the Lord, And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer unto the LORD the yearly sacrifice, and his vow.
22 Hannah stayed behind. She told her husband, "Once the boy is old enough to be weaned, I will bring him to stand before the Lord. After that, he will live there permanently." But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the LORD, and there abide for ever.
23 Elkanah said, "Do whatever you think is best. Stay home until you have weaned him. May the Lord bring his promise to pass." So Hannah stayed and nursed her little boy until it was time to wean him. And Elkanah her husband said unto her, Do what seemeth thee good; tarry until thou have weaned him; only the LORD establish his word. So the woman abode, and gave her son suck until she weaned him.
Hannah Dedicates Samuel to the Lord
Study note
When Samuel was old enough, Hannah brought him to the tabernacle at Shiloh along with a generous offering of three bulls, flour, and wine. She presented the boy to Eli the priest and reminded him that she was the woman who had prayed there. True to her vow, she gave Samuel to the Lord's service for his entire life. This was an extraordinary act of faith and sacrifice for a mother who had wanted a child so desperately.
24 When Samuel was weaned, Hannah took him along with three bulls, a large bag of flour, and a jug of wine. Even though he was still very small, she brought him to the Lord's house in Shiloh. And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the LORD in Shiloh: and the child was young.
25 They offered one of the bulls as a sacrifice and then brought the boy to Eli the priest. And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli.
26 Hannah said to Eli, "Please, my lord, I swear on my life, I am the same woman who stood right here praying to the Lord." And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the LORD.
27 "This is the child I prayed for, and the Lord answered my prayer and gave him to me." For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him:
28 "So now I am giving him right back to the Lord. He will belong to the Lord for as long as he lives." Then they bowed down and worshipped the Lord there. Therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD. And he worshipped the LORD there.