1 3 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 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 unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the LORD had shut up her womb. 6 And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb. 7 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 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? 9 ¶ 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 And she was 'in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore. 11 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 ¶ And it came to pass, as she 'continued praying before the LORD, that Eli marked her mouth. 13 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 And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee. 15 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 Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto. 12 17 Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him. 18 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. 19 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 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 And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer unto the LORD the yearly sacrifice, and his vow. 4 Heb. angered her. 5 Or, from the time that she, &c. 9 Num. 6. 5. Judg. 13. 5. 10 Heb. multiplied to pray. revolution of days. 14 That is, Asked of God. and brought him unto the house of the LORD in Shiloh and the child was young. 22 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 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. 24 ¶ 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, 15 Or, returned him, whom I have obtained by petition, to the LORD. Verse 1. Ramathaim-Zophim.'-It appears from v. 9 and ii. 11, that this is the full name of the place more usually known as Ramah; and the comparison of these texts with vii. 17 and with viii. 4, xv. 34, xvi. 13, 19, xviii. 19, 22, 23, xxv. 1, xxviii. 3, will leave little question that this was the same Ramah which afterwards became the ordinary residence of Samuel, and where he died and was buried. The position of this Ramah was early lost sight of by tradition, and in later times it has been confounded with the Ramah of Benjamin, from which it is obviously distinct. Many other conjectures have been offered, but as no satisfactory evidence has been produced in behalf of any one of them, it is not necessary here to discuss their respective claims; and we must be content to regard the site of Samuel's Ramah as still unascertained. See the note on ix. 5. 11. There shall no razor come upon was vowing to make him a Nazarite. Num. vi. 2. Samuel, as a Levite, was his head.'-This See the note on bound to the ser 25 And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli. 26 And she said, O my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the LORD. 27 For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him: 28 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. 16 Or, he whom I have obtained by petition shall be returned. vice of the tabernacle by the mere circumstance of birth: the effect of the vow therefore was only to make his service begin at an earlier age than usual, and to subject him to the restrictions of Nazariteship. 20. Called his name Samuel?-This name, of Samuel, is a specimen of a large class of Scripture names-of a compound class, one part being the name of the Deity, or, among idolatrous nations, the name of an idol. SAMUEL means heard of God: and as other specimens, representing the whole of this class of names, the following may be indicated:-ADONI-JAH, God is Lord; Jo-SEDECH, God is just; ETH-BAAL, a Canaanitish name, the latter part compounded of the name of the idol Baal; BELSHAZZAR, Bel (a Babylonish deity) is ruler, or king; etc. etc. See the note on 1 Kings xvi. 31. . 24. Three bullocks.'-The Septuagint and Oriental versions have, a bullock of three years old,' which is probably right, as one only is mentioned in the next verse. sons. CHAPTER II. 1 Hannah's song in thankfulness. 12 The sin of Eli's 18 Samuel's ministry. 20 By Eli's blessing Hannah is more fruitful. 22 Eli reproveth his sons. 27 A prophecy against Eli's house. AND Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD; my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation. 2 There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God. 3 Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not 'arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. 4 The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength. 5 They that were full have hired out them 1 Heb. hard. selves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased so that the barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed. feeble. 6 "The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. 7 The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich he bringeth low, and lifteth up. 8 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD's, and he hath set the world world upon them. 9 He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail. 10 The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give * Deut. 32. 39. Tob. 13. 2. Wisd, 16. 12. 3 Psalm 113. 7. 4 Chap. 7. 10. strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed. 11 And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister unto the LORD before Eli the priest. 12 Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD. 13. And the priest's custom with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was in scething, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand; 14 And he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that came thither. 15 Also before they burnt the fat, the priest's servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have sodden flesh of thee, but raw. 16 And if any man said unto him, Let them not fail to burn the fat presently, and then take as much as thy soul desireth; then he would answer him, Nay; but thou shalt give it me now and if not, I will take it by force. 17 Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD for men abhorred the offering of the LORD. 18 But Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child, "girded with a linen ephod. 19 Moreover his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. 20 And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, The LORD give thee seed of this woman for the loan which is lent to the LORD. And they went unto their own home. 21 And the LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the LORD. 22 Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that "assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 23 And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for 'I hear of your evil dealings by all this people. 5 Heb. as on the day. 10 Or, to cry out. 100 6 Exod. 28. 4. 11 Levit. 10. 14. 24 Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear ye make the LORD's people to transgress. 25 If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the LORD, who shall intreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the LORD would slay them. 26 And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the LORD, and also with men. 27 And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh's house? 28 And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and "did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel? 29 Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people? 30 Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. 31 Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father's house, that there shall not be an old man in thine house. 12 32 And thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel: and there shall not be an old man in thine house for ever. 33 And the man of thine, whom I shall not cut off from mine altar, shall be to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thine heart: and all the increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age. 34 And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them. 35 And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build 7 Or, petition which she asked, &c. 8 Heb. assembled by troops. 9 Or, I hear evil words of you. 12 Or, the affliction of the tabernacle, for all the wealth which God would have given Israel. 13 Heb. men. him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine Anointed for ever. 36 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in thine house shall come and 14 Heb. Join. crouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, "Put me, I pray thee, into "one of the priests' offices, that I may eat a piece of bread." 15 Or, somewhat about the priesthood. Verse 1. Mine horn is exalted.'-This expression often occurs in the Bible; and doubtless the reference, here and in other such passages, is to the horn as a general symbol of power and glory, as being the chief instrument of strength and defence to the animals which possess it. It is however remarkable that, whether this were formerly the case or not, some of the women in Syria do wear a sort of horn upon their heads. This is particularly the case among the Druses of Lebanon, speaking of whom Dr. Macmichael observes, One of the most extraordinary parts of the attire of their females is a silver horn, sometimes studded with jewels, worn on the head in various positions, distinguishing their different conditions. married woman has it affixed to the right side of the head, A a widow on the left, and a virgin is pointed out by its being placed on the very crown; over this silver projection the long veil is thrown, with which they so completely conceal their faces, as rarely to have more than one eye visible' (Journey, p. 251). Colonel Light gives a similar description, and adds that the horn is a tin or silver conical tube, about twelve inches long, and about the size of a common post-horn. The wife of the emir was distinguished by a gold horn enriched with precious stones. Buckingham saw a similar horn in use among the Christian women at Tyre; and we have ourselves observed a precisely analogous ornament worn by the women at Twer and other places in Russia. The cut which we introduce affords examples of these remarkable appendages, and also contains, after Bruce, two portraits of Abyssinian chiefs, shewing the horn which such persons attach to their heads, which practice seems founded on the idea of power, and particularly military power, attached to that symbol. They therefore illustrate rather the idea than anything else; for there does not appear much reason to conclude that the Hebrew chiefs or military commanders assumed a similar mark of distinction, although there is something remarkable in the fact that the false prophet Zedekiah made him horns of iron;' and said to Ahab, to encourage him in his expedition against the Syrians, with these shalt thou push the Syrians, until thou hast consumed them' (1 Kings xxii. 11). These 'horns' attracted the particular attention of Bruce in a cavalcade, when he observed that the governors of provinces were distinguished by this head-dress. It consists of a large broad fillet, tied behind, from the centre of which is a horn, or conical piece of silver gilt, about four inches long, and in its general appearance very much resembling a candle-extinguisher. It is called kirn (just the same word in the Hebrew, keren); and is only worn at reviews, or parades, after a victory. The peculiar manner in which the wearers are obliged to hold their heads, when his feast. It is a conjecture of Michaelis that this new right of the priests may have arisen from the circumstance that, according to the Mosaic ordinance, they were invited to the offering feasts, and that when they either could not or would not accept the invitation, a dish was out of civility sent home to them; and, in process of time, as has often happened, this courtesy was converted into a right. 15. Give flesh to roast for the priest.'-This was another course still more offensive. Legally, the sacrifice could not be disposed of before the fat parts had been offered on the altar; that is, the Lord's portion was to be offered in the first instance. For this there appear to have been two reasons; one was, that they thus secured an opportunity of obtaining more choice pieces than could be obtained by the chance insertion of the flesh-hook into the boiler afterwards; and another, that they liked roast meat better than boiled. They are not singular in this preference. In the East, meat as simply boiled, is not much used or liked, although boiled often with their pillaus, or messes of boiled rice. This prejudice against meat simply boiled is stronger in India than even in Western Asia. Mr. Roberts, in his note on Lev. viii. 31, states that the Hindoos would almost as soon eat the flesh of a living animal as of meat that has been boiled. It is always either roasted or made into curry, or prepared with spices; and the Mohammedans of India who have made the pilgrimage to Mecca, relate it as a very wonderful thing that boiled meat is there sold. In the text just referred to, and in Num. vi. 19, there seems to be a direction that the portion of the priests should be boiled; and if so, this appears to render the offence the greater in demanding meat for roasting. Or it may be that, as the legal portion of the priests was to be boiled, they were anxious to have some additional parts which might be roasted. Was there any ulterior design, in the direction to boil the meat of sacrifices not consumed on the altar? The meat left to the priests or offerers is always roasted in heathen sacrifices. 32. There shall not be an old man in thine house for ever. We should understand this perhaps as implying simply the calamity of untimely deaths in the family. But it implied something more among the Hebrews, with whom age was so much respected, as it is still in most eastern nations, that the continual absence of age in a family would alone lower its claims to that dignity and respect which attend the presence of aged men. Under this combination of ideas, it is, in the East, considered a most venomous curse for one to wish that the family of another may never furnish old men; and nothing can imply, according to the feeling of the speaker, more commiseration on the one hand, or more disrespect on the other, than to say that a particular family has contained no old men for many generations. CHAPTER III. 1 How the word of the LORD was first revealed to Samuel. 11 God telleth Samuel the destruction of Eli's house. 15 Samuel, though loth, telleth Eli the vision. 19 Samuel groweth in credit. AND the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision. 2 And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see; 3 And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep; 4 That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I. 5 And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down. 6 And the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again.. 7 'Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him. 8 And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. the child. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called 9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10 And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth. 11 And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of 'every one that heareth it shall tingle. 12 In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end. 4 5 13 For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves 'vile, and he 'restrained them not. 14 And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever. 15 And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the 1 Or, Thus did Samuel before he knew the LORD, and before the word of the LORD was revealed unto him. 22 Kings 21. 12. 7 Heb. frowned not upon them. 6 Or, accursed. |