1 Samuel 1
Names of God Bible
Samuel’s Birth
1 There was a man named Elkanah from Ramathaim Zophim in the mountains of Ephraim. He was the son of Jeroham, grandson of Elihu, great-grandson of Tohu, whose father was Zuph from the tribe of Ephraim. 2 Elkanah had two wives, one named Hannah, the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none. 3 Every year this man would go from his own city to worship and sacrifice to Yahweh Tsebaoth at Shiloh. Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, served there as priests of Yahweh.
4 Whenever Elkanah offered a sacrifice, he would give portions of it to his wife Peninnah and all her sons and daughters. 5 He would also give one portion to Hannah because he loved her, even though Yahweh had kept her from having children. 6 Because Yahweh had made her unable to have children, her rival Peninnah tormented her endlessly in order to make her miserable. 7 This happened year after year. Whenever Hannah went to Yahweh’s house, Peninnah would make her miserable, and Hannah would cry and not eat. 8 Her husband Elkanah would ask her, “Hannah, why are you crying? Why haven’t you eaten? Why are you so downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?”
9 One day, after Hannah had something to eat and drink in Shiloh, she got up. (The priest Eli was sitting on a chair by the door of Yahweh’s temple.) 10 Though she was resentful, she prayed to Yahweh while she cried. 11 She made this vow, “Yahweh Tsebaoth, if you will look at my misery, remember me, and give me a boy, then I will give him to you for as long as he lives. A razor will never be used on his head.” 12 While Hannah was praying a long time in front of Yahweh, Eli was watching her mouth. 13 She was praying silently. Her voice couldn’t be heard; only her lips were moving. Eli thought she was drunk.
14 “How long are you going to stay drunk?” Eli asked her. “Get rid of your wine.”
15 Hannah responded, “No sir. I’m not drunk. I’m depressed. I’m pouring out my heart to Yahweh. 16 Don’t take me to be a good-for-nothing woman. I was praying like this because I’ve been troubled and tormented.”
17 Eli replied, “Go in peace, and may the Elohim of Israel grant your request.”
18 “May you continue to be kind to me,” she said. Then the woman went her way and ate. She was no longer sad.[a]
19 Early in the morning Elkanah and his family got up and worshiped in front of Yahweh. Then they returned home to Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and Yahweh remembered her. 20 Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel [God Hears], because she said, “I asked Yahweh for him.”
Samuel’s Childhood
21 To keep his vow, Elkanah and his entire household again went to offer the annual sacrifice to Yahweh. 22 But Hannah didn’t go. She told her husband, “I’ll wait until the boy is weaned. Then I’ll bring him and present him to Yahweh, and he’ll stay there permanently.”
23 “Do what you think is best,” her husband Elkanah told her. “Wait until you’ve weaned him. May Yahweh keep his word.” The woman stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him.
24 As soon as she had weaned Samuel, she took him with her. She also brought a three-year-old bull,[b] half a bushel of flour, and a full wineskin. She brought him to Yahweh’s house at Shiloh while the boy was still a child.
25 Then the parents butchered the bull and brought the child to Eli. 26 “Sir,” Hannah said, “as sure as you live, I’m the woman who stood here next to you and prayed to Yahweh. 27 I prayed for this child, and Yahweh granted my request. 28 In return, I am giving him to Yahweh. He will be dedicated to Yahweh for his whole life.”
And they worshiped Yahweh there.
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 1:18 English equivalent difficult.
- 1 Samuel 1:24 Dead Sea Scrolls, Greek, Latin, Syriac; Masoretic Text “three bulls.” (See verse 25.)
1 Samuel 1
Legacy Standard Bible
Elkanah and His Wives
1 Now there was a certain man from (A)Ramathaim-zophim from the (B)hill country of Ephraim, and his name was (C)Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 2 Now he had (D)two wives: the name of one was (E)Hannah and the name of the other Peninnah; and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
3 Now that man would go up from his city (F)yearly (G)to worship and to sacrifice to [a]Yahweh of hosts in (H)Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests to Yahweh there. 4 And the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, and he (I)would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and her daughters; 5 but to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, (J)but Yahweh had closed her womb. 6 Her rival, however, (K)would provoke her bitterly to irritate her because Yahweh had closed her womb. 7 And so it would happen year after year, as often as she went up to the house of Yahweh, she would provoke her; so she wept and would not eat. 8 Then Elkanah her husband said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep and why do you not eat and why is your heart sad? (L)Am I not better to you than ten sons?”
9 Then Hannah rose after eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of (M)the temple of Yahweh. 10 And she, bitter of soul, prayed to Yahweh and wept despondently. 11 And she (N)made a vow and said, “O Yahweh of hosts, if You will indeed (O)look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a seed amongst men, then I will give him to Yahweh all the days of his life, and (P)a razor shall never come on his head.”
12 Now it happened, as she multiplied her praying before Yahweh, that Eli was watching her mouth. 13 As for Hannah, (Q)she was speaking in her heart; only her lips were moving, but her voice was not heard. So Eli thought she was drunk. 14 Then Eli said to her, “(R)How long will you make yourself drunk? Put away your wine from you.” 15 But Hannah answered and said, “No, my lord, I am a woman [b]oppressed in spirit; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I (S)have poured out my soul before Yahweh. 16 Do not [c]consider your maidservant as a vile woman, for I have spoken until now out of my great complaint and [d]provocation.” 17 Then Eli answered and said, “(T)Go in peace; and may the God of Israel (U)grant your petition that you have asked of Him.” 18 And she said, “(V)Let your servant-woman find favor in your sight.” So the woman went her way and ate, and (W)her face was no longer sad.
The Birth of Samuel
19 Then they arose early in the morning and worshiped before Yahweh and turned back and came to their house in (X)Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and (Y)Yahweh remembered her. 20 Now it happened [e]in due time that Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, “(Z)Because I have asked him of Yahweh.”
21 Then the man Elkanah (AA)went up with all his household to offer to Yahweh the yearly sacrifice and pay his vow. 22 But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “I will not go up until the young boy is weaned; then I will (AB)bring him, that he may appear before Yahweh and (AC)stay there forever.” 23 (AD)And Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what is good in your eyes. Remain until you have weaned him; only (AE)may Yahweh establish His word.” So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him. 24 Now when she had weaned him, (AF)she took him up with her, with a three-year-old bull and one [f]ephah of flour and a jug of wine and brought him to (AG)the house of Yahweh in Shiloh, although the boy was young. 25 Then (AH)they slaughtered the bull and (AI)brought the young boy to Eli. 26 And she said, “Oh, my lord! (AJ)As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you, praying to Yahweh. 27 (AK)For this young boy I prayed, and Yahweh has given me my petition which I asked of Him. 28 (AL)So I have also [g]dedicated him to Yahweh; as long as he lives, he is [h]dedicated to Yahweh.” So (AM)he worshiped Yahweh there.
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 1:3 The personal covenant name of God, a form of I AM WHO I AM, cf. Ex 3:14-15
- 1 Samuel 1:15 Lit severe
- 1 Samuel 1:16 Lit give
- 1 Samuel 1:16 Lit my provocation
- 1 Samuel 1:20 Lit at the circuit of the days
- 1 Samuel 1:24 An ephah was approx. 21 qt. or 23 l
- 1 Samuel 1:28 Lit lent; Heb sounds like root for Samuel
- 1 Samuel 1:28 Lit lent; Heb sounds like root for Samuel
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.
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