Lexicon :: Strong's H3808 - lō'

Year after year, when she went up to the LORD’s house, her rival taunted her in this way. Hannah would weep and would not eat.

Making a vow, she pleaded, “LORD of Armies, if you will take notice of your servant’s affliction, remember and not forget me, and give your servant a son, I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and his hair will never be cut.”[fn]

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

“No, my lord,” Hannah replied. “I am a woman with a broken heart. I haven’t had any wine or beer; I’ve been pouring out my heart before the LORD.

“May your servant find favor with you,” she replied. Then Hannah went on her way; she ate and no longer looked despondent.[fn]

Hannah did not go and explained to her husband, “After the child is weaned, I’ll take him to appear in the LORD’s presence and to stay there permanently.”

Do not boast so proudly,

or let arrogant words come out of your mouth,

for the LORD is a God of knowledge,

and actions are weighed by him.

He guards the steps[fn] of his faithful ones,

but the wicked perish in darkness,

for a person does not prevail by his own strength.

Eli’s sons were wicked men; they did not respect the LORD

Even before the fat was burned, the priest’s servant would come and say to the one who was sacrificing, “Give the priest some meat to roast, because he won’t accept boiled meat from you ​— ​only raw.”

“No, my sons, the news I hear the LORD’s people spreading is not good.

“You will see distress in the place of worship, in spite of all that is good in Israel, and no one in your family will ever again reach old age.

One day Eli, whose eyesight was failing, was lying in his usual place.

He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

“I didn’t call,” Eli replied. “Go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.

“I told him that I am going to judge his family forever because of the iniquity he knows about: his sons are cursing God,[fn] and he has not stopped them.

So Samuel told him everything and did not hide anything from him. Eli responded, “He is the LORD. Let him do what he thinks is good.”

they panicked. “A god has entered their camp! ” they said. “Woe to us! Nothing like this has happened before.

At that time Eli was ninety-eight years old, and his eyes didn’t move[fn] because he couldn’t see.

As she was dying,[fn] the women taking care of her said, “Don’t be afraid. You’ve given birth to a son! ” But she did not respond or pay attention.

That is why, still today, the priests of Dagon and everyone who enters the temple of Dagon in Ashdod do not step on Dagon’s threshold.

When the people of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, “The ark of Israel’s God must not stay here with us, because his hand is strongly against us and our god Dagon.”

The Ekronites called all the Philistine rulers together. They said, “Send the ark of Israel’s God away. Let it return to its place so it won’t kill us and our people! ”[fn] For the fear of death pervaded the city; God’s hand was oppressing them.

They replied, “If you send the ark of Israel’s God away, do not send it without an offering. Send back a guilt offering to him, and you will be healed. Then the reason his hand hasn’t been removed from you will be revealed.”[fn]

“Why harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened theirs? When he afflicted them, didn’t they send Israel away, and Israel left?

“Then watch: If it goes up the road to its homeland toward Beth-shemesh, it is the LORD who has made this terrible trouble for us. However, if it doesn’t, we will know that it was not his hand that punished us ​— ​it was just something that happened to us by chance.”

The cows went straight up the road to Beth-shemesh. They stayed on that one highway, lowing as they went; they never strayed to the right or to the left. The Philistine rulers were walking behind them to the territory of Beth-shemesh.

So the Philistines were subdued and[fn] did not invade Israel’s territory again. The LORD’s hand was against the Philistines all of Samuel’s life.

However, his sons did not walk in his ways ​— ​they turned toward dishonest profit, took bribes, and perverted justice.

They said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Therefore, appoint a king to judge us the same as all the other nations have.”

But the LORD told him, “Listen to the people and everything they say to you. They have not rejected you; they have rejected me as their king.

“When that day comes, you will cry out because of the king you’ve chosen for yourselves, but the LORD won’t answer you on that day.”

Saul and his servant went through the hill country of Ephraim and then through the region of Shalishah, but they didn’t find them. They went through the region of Shaalim ​— ​nothing. Then they went through the Benjaminite region but still didn’t find them.

“As soon as you enter the city, you will find him before he goes to the high place to eat. The people won’t eat until he comes because he must bless the sacrifice; after that, the guests can eat. Go up immediately ​— ​you can find him now.”

“As for the donkeys that wandered away from you three days ago, don’t worry about them because they’ve been found. And who does all Israel desire but you and all your father’s family? ”

Samuel took the flask of oil, poured it out on Saul’s head, kissed him, and said, “Hasn’t the LORD anointed you ruler over his inheritance?[fn]

Saul told him, “He assured us the donkeys had been found.” However, Saul did not tell him what Samuel had said about the matter of kingship.

Then he had the tribe of Benjamin come forward by its clans, and the Matrite clan was selected.[fn] Finally, Saul son of Kish was selected. But when they searched for him, they could not find him.

But some wicked men said, “How can this guy save us? ” They despised him and did not bring him a gift, but Saul said nothing.[fn][fn]

The next day Saul organized the troops into three divisions. During the morning watch, they invaded the Ammonite camp and slaughtered them until the heat of the day. There were survivors, but they were so scattered that no two of them were left together.

But Saul ordered, “No one will be executed this day, for today the LORD has provided deliverance in Israel.”