The First Book of Samuel

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- Chapter 1 -

(Psalm 113:1–9)

Now there was a man named Elkanah who was from Ramathaim-zophim

(a)

in the hill country of Ephraim. He was the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu,(b) the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.

He had two wives, one named Hannah and the other Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.

Year after year Elkanah would go up from his city to worship and sacrifice to the LORD of Hosts at Shiloh, where Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests to the LORD.

And whenever the day came for Elkanah to present his sacrifice, he would give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters.

But to Hannah he would give a double portion,(c) for he loved her even though the LORD had closed her womb.

Because the LORD had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival would provoke her and taunt her viciously.

And this went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the LORD, her rival taunted her until she wept and would not eat.

“Hannah, why are you crying?” her husband Elkanah asked. “Why won’t you eat? Why is your heart so grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”

Hannah Prays for a Son

So after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the temple of the LORD.

In her bitter distress, Hannah prayed to the LORD and wept with many tears.

And she made a vow, pleading, “O LORD of Hosts, if only You will look upon the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, not forgetting Your maidservant but giving her a son, then I will dedicate him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall ever come over his head.”

As Hannah kept on praying before the LORD, Eli watched her mouth.

Hannah was praying in her heart, and though her lips were moving, her voice could not be heard. So Eli thought she was drunk

and said to her, “How long will you be drunk? Put away your wine!”

“No, my lord,” Hannah replied. “I am a woman oppressed in spirit. I have not had any wine or strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before the LORD.

Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; for all this time I have been praying out of the depth of my anguish and grief.”

“Go in peace,” Eli replied, “and may the God of Israel grant the petition you have asked of Him.”

“May your maidservant find favor with you,” said Hannah. Then she went on her way, and she began eating again, and her face was no longer downcast.

The Birth of Samuel

The next morning Elkanah and Hannah got up early to bow in worship before the LORD, and then returned home to Ramah. And Elkanah had relations with his wife Hannah, and the LORD remembered her.

So in the course of time, Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel,(d) saying, “Because I have asked for him from the LORD.”

Then Elkanah and all his house went up to make the annual sacrifice to the LORD and to fulfill his vow,

but Hannah did not go. “After the boy is weaned,” she said to her husband, “I will take him to appear before the LORD and to stay there permanently.”(e)

“Do what you think is best,” her husband Elkanah replied, “and stay here until you have weaned him. Only may the LORD confirm His word.”(f) So Hannah stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him.

Once she had weaned him, Hannah took the boy with her, along with a three-year-old bull,(g) an ephah of flour,(h) and a skin of wine. Though the boy was still young, she brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh.

And when they had slaughtered the bull, they brought the boy to Eli.

“Please, my lord,” said Hannah, “as surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD.

I prayed for this boy, and since the LORD has granted me what I asked of Him,

I now dedicate the boy to the LORD. For as long as he lives, he is dedicated to the LORD.” So they worshiped

(i)

the LORD there.

Footnotes

(a)1:1 Or from Ramathaim, a Zuphite; see LXX and 1 Chronicles 6:26 and 35.

(b)1:1 Elihu is also called Eliab and Eliel; see 1 Chronicles 6:27 and 34.

(d)1:20 Samuel sounds like the Hebrew for heard of God.

(e)1:22 MT; DSS include I will offer him as a Nazirite for all time.

(f)1:23 MT; DSS, LXX, and Syriac your word

(g)1:24 DSS, LXX, and Syriac; MT three bulls

(h)1:24 An ephah is approximately 20 dry quarts or 22 liters (probably about 25.5 pounds or 11.6 kilograms of flour).

(i)1:28 One DSS manuscript; MT he worshiped

(Psalm 113:1–9)

Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim Zophim, of the hill country 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.

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.

This man went up out of his city from year to year to worship and to sacrifice to the LORD

(a)

of Armies in Shiloh. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, priests to the LORD, were there.

When the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he gave portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and her daughters;

but he gave a double portion to Hannah, for he loved Hannah, but the LORD had shut up her womb.

Her rival provoked her severely, to irritate her, because the LORD had shut up her womb.

So year by year, when she went up to the LORD’s house, her rival provoked her. Therefore she wept, and didn’t eat.

Elkanah her husband said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? Why don’t you eat? Why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”

Hannah Prays for a Son

So Hannah rose up after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his seat by the doorpost of the LORD’s temple.

She was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the LORD, weeping bitterly.

She vowed a vow, and said, “LORD of Armies, if you will indeed look at the affliction of your servant and remember me, and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a boy, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall come on his head.”

As she continued praying before the LORD, Eli saw her mouth.

Now Hannah spoke in her heart. Only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk.

Eli said to her, “How long will you be drunk? Get rid of your wine!”

Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit. I have not been drinking wine or strong drink, but I poured out my soul before the LORD.

Don’t consider your servant a wicked woman; for I have been speaking out of the abundance of my complaint and my provocation.”

Then Eli answered, “Go in peace; and may the God

(b)

of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of him.”

She said, “Let your servant find favor in your sight.” So the woman went her way and ate; and her facial expression wasn’t sad any more.

The Birth of Samuel

They rose up in the morning early and worshiped the LORD, then returned and came to their house to Ramah. Then Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the LORD remembered her.

When the time had come, Hannah conceived, and bore a son; and she named him Samuel,(c) saying, “Because I have asked him of the LORD.”

The man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer to the LORD the yearly sacrifice and his vow.

But Hannah didn’t go up, for she said to her husband, “Not until the child is weaned; then I will bring him, that he may appear before the LORD, and stay there forever.”

Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems good to you. Wait until you have weaned him; only may the LORD establish his word.” So the woman waited and nursed her son until she weaned him.

When she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bulls, and one ephah(d) of meal, and a container of wine, and brought him to the LORD’s house in Shiloh. The child was young.

They killed the bull, and brought the child to Eli.

She said, “Oh, my lord, as your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here, praying to the LORD.

I prayed for this child, and the LORD has given me my petition which I asked of him.

Therefore I have also given him to the LORD. As long as he lives he is given to the LORD.” He worshiped the LORD there.

Footnotes

(a)1:3 When rendered in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, “LORD” or “GOD” is the translation of God’s Proper Name.

(b)1:17 The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “אֱלֹהִ֑ים” (Elohim).

(d)1:24 1 ephah is about 22 liters or about 2/3 of a bushel