ESV Global Study Bible :: Footnotes for 1 Samuel 1

1 Sam 1:1–7:17 The Story of Samuel. Samuel’s birth is God’s answer to the prayer of a childless woman. Samuel becomes a prophet who guides Israel as they move from the period of the judges to the period of the kings. These chapters also tell the story of Eli, the priest at Shiloh, and his two wicked sons, Hophni and Phineas.

1 Sam 1:1–28 These verses record the birth and dedication of Samuel.

1 Sam 1:1 Ramathaim-zophim is called Ramah in v. 19 and 2:11. Samuel later lived there (7:17; 8:4; 25:1). It is presumably the city in the land of Zuph where Saul meets him (9:5).

1 Sam 1:2 two wives. Probably Hannah was Elkanah’s first wife, since she is named first. He most likely married Peninnah because of Hannah’s inability to have children.

1 Sam 1:3 year by year. This may have been an annual family gathering, including women and children. the Lord of hosts. This is the first appearance in the Bible of the title “the Lord of hosts,” to whom Elkanah sacrifices and Hannah prays (v. 11) at Shiloh. The title is used in Samuel several times and very frequently in the Psalms and the Prophets. “Hosts” can refer to any large group of items such as heavenly bodies (Isa. 40:26), angelic beings (Josh. 5:14), the armies of Israel (1 Sam. 17:45), or all creatures (Gen. 2:1). Shiloh is 20 miles (32 km) north of Jerusalem. The tent of meeting was set up there in Josh. 18:1.

1 Sam 1:4 portions. Elkanah’s sacrifice is a peace offering. Parts of the sacrificial animal are burned, parts are given to the priest, and parts are eaten by the people who brought the sacrifice (Lev. 7:11–36; see also 1 Sam. 2:12–17).

1 Sam 1:7, 9 house of the Lord . . . temple of the Lord. Was this a tent, or a building with solid walls? The word “house” refers to a dwelling without specifying the material it was made of. In 2 Sam. 7:2 David says, “the ark of God dwells in a tent,” and in 2 Sam. 7:6 the Lord says, “I have not lived in a house . . . to this day.” First Samuel 2:22 mentions the “tent of meeting.” On the other hand, “doorpost of the temple” (1:9) and “opened the doors” (3:15) suggest something more permanent. Perhaps there was a more solid structure surrounding a tent.

1 Sam 1:8 Am I not more to you than ten sons? Elkanah tries to comfort Hannah because of her barrenness.

1 Sam 1:9 The seat was a symbol of Eli’s authority; normally, people sat on the ground.

1 Sam 1:11 I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life may mean that Hannah will dedicate her son as a Nazirite. According to Numbers 6, people could make a special vow to separate themselves to serve the Lord for a time. This involved letting no razor . . . touch one’s head, eating and drinking nothing from the grapevine, and not going near a dead body. Hannah mentions only the razor in the text, but that probably stood for the entire vow. According to Lev. 27:1–8, a person as young as a month old could be given to the Lord with such a vow.

1 Sam 1:12–18 Eli assumes that Hannah is drunk and therefore rebukes her. This shows his devotion to the law, which forbade drunkenness in the sanctuary.

1 Sam 1:20 Samuel can mean “name of God” or “offspring of God.” Samuel bore the name of God, who gave him to Hannah.

1 Sam 1:24 Three-year-old bull could also be translated “three bulls” (esv footnote). In either case, Elkanah apparently was a prosperous man, able to afford an expensive animal offering and large amounts of grain and wine. See Num. 15:9; 28:12; 20; 28.

1 Sam 1:26 As you live, or “as your soul lives,” is a common OT form of oath (2 Sam. 11:11), as is the phrase “as the Lord lives” (see 1 Sam. 14:39; 26:16). The two oaths were often combined (20:3; 25:26).

1 Sam 1:27–28 And the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him repeats almost word for word Eli’s blessing in v. 17. The words “petition” (here and v. 17), “asked” (v. 20), and “lent” (v. 28 twice) are all from the same Hebrew word family.