^1:1There was a man from Ramathaim Zophim,¹ from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah. He was the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. ^1:2He had two wives; the name of the first was Hannah and the name of the second was Peninnah. Now Peninnah had children, but Hannah was childless.

^1:3Year after year² this man would go up from his city to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh. It was there that the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phineas, served as the Lord’s priests. ^1:4Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he used to give meat portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. ^1:5But he would give a double³ portion to Hannah, because he especially loved her.⁴ Now the Lord had not enabled her to have children.⁵^1:6Her rival wife used to upset her and make her worry,⁶ for the Lord had not enabled her to have children. ^1:7Peninnah⁷ would behave this way year after year. Whenever Hannah⁸ went up to the Lord’s house, Peninnah⁹ would upset her so that she would weep and refuse to eat. ^1:8Finally her husband Elkanah said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep and not eat? Why are you so sad?¹⁰ Am I not better to you than ten¹¹ sons?”

^1:9On one occasion in Shiloh, after they had finished eating and drinking, Hannah got up.¹² (Now at the time Eli the priest was sitting in his chair¹³ by the doorpost of the Lord’s temple.) ^1:10She was very upset¹⁴ as she prayed to the Lord, and she was weeping uncontrollably.¹⁵^1:11She made a vow saying, “O Lord of hosts, if you will look with compassion¹⁶ on the suffering of your female servant,¹⁷ remembering me and not forgetting your servant, and give a male child¹⁸ to your servant, then I will dedicate him to the Lord all the days of his life. His hair will never be cut.”¹⁹

^1:12As she continued praying to²⁰ the Lord, Eli was watching her mouth. ^1:13Now Hannah was speaking from her heart. Although her lips were moving, her voice was inaudible. Eli therefore thought she was drunk. ^1:14So he²¹ said to her, “How often do you intend to get drunk? Put away your wine!”

^1:15But Hannah replied, “That’s not the way it is,²² my lord! I am under a great deal of stress.²³ I have drunk neither wine nor beer. Rather, I have poured out my soul to²⁴ the Lord. ^1:16Don’t consider your servant a wicked woman,²⁵ for until now I have spoken from my deep pain and anguish.”

^1:17Eli replied, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant the request that you have asked of him.” ^1:18She said, “May I, your servant, find favor in your sight.” So the woman went her way and got something to eat.²⁶ Her face no longer looked sad.

^1:19They got up early the next morning and after worshiping the Lord, they returned to their home at Ramah. Elkanah had marital relations with²⁷ his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered²⁸ her. ^1:20After some time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, thinking, “I asked the Lord for him.”²⁹

Hannah Dedicates Samuel to the Lord

^1:21This man Elkanah went up with all his family to make the yearly sacrifice to the Lord and to keep his vow, ^1:22but Hannah did not go up with them.³⁰ Instead she told her husband, “Once the boy is weaned, I will bring him and appear before the Lord, and he will remain there from then on.”

^1:23So her husband Elkanah said to her, “Do what you think best.³¹ Stay until you have weaned him. May the Lord fulfill his promise.”³²

So the woman stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him. ^1:24Once she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with three bulls, an ephah³³ of flour, and a container³⁴ of wine. She brought him to the Lord’s house at Shiloh, even though he was young.³⁵^1:25Once the bull had been slaughtered, they brought the boy to Eli. ^1:26She said, “Just as surely as you are alive, my lord, I am the woman who previously stood here with you in order to pray to the Lord. ^1:27I prayed for this boy, and the Lord has given me the request that I asked of him. ^1:28Now I dedicate him to the Lord. From this time on he is dedicated to the Lord.” Then they³⁶ worshiped the Lord there.

Hannah Exalts the Lord in Prayer

^2:1Hannah prayed,¹

“My heart rejoices in the Lord;

my horn² is exalted high because of the Lord.

I loudly denounce³ my enemies,

for I am happy that you delivered me.⁴

^2:2No one is holy⁵ like the Lord!

There is no one other than you!

There is no rock⁶ like our God!

^2:3Don’t keep speaking so arrogantly,⁷

letting proud talk come out of your mouth!

For the Lord is a God who knows;

he⁸ evaluates what people do.

^2:4The bows of warriors are shattered,

but those who stumble find their strength reinforced.

^2:5Those who are well-fed hire themselves out to earn food,

but the hungry no longer lack.

Even⁹ the barren woman gives birth to seven,¹⁰

but the one with many children withers away.¹¹

^2:6The Lord both kills and gives life;

he brings down to the grave¹² and raises up.

^2:7The Lord impoverishes and makes wealthy;

he humbles and he exalts.

^2:8He lifts the weak¹³ from the dust;

he raises¹⁴ the poor from the ash heap

to seat them with princes

and to bestow on them an honored position.¹⁵

The foundations of the earth belong to the Lord,

and he has placed the world on them.

^2:9He watches over¹⁶ his holy ones,¹⁷

but the wicked are made speechless in the darkness,

for it is not by one’s own strength that one prevails.

^2:10The Lord shatters¹⁸ his adversaries;¹⁹

he thunders against them from²⁰ the heavens.

The Lord executes judgment to the ends of the earth.

He will strengthen²¹ his king

and exalt the power²² of his anointed one.”²³

^2:11Then Elkanah went back home to Ramah. But the boy was serving the Lord under the supervision of²⁴ Eli the priest.

Eli’s Sons Misuse Their Sacred Office

^2:12The sons of Eli were wicked men.²⁵ They did not recognize the Lord’s authority.²⁶^2:13Now the priests would always treat the people in the following way:²⁷ Whenever anyone was making a sacrifice, while the meat was boiling, the priest’s attendant would come with a three-pronged fork²⁸ in his hand. ^2:14He would jab it into the basin, kettle, caldron, or pot, and everything that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is what they used to do to all the Israelites²⁹ when they came there to Shiloh.

^2:15Even before they burned the fat, the priest’s attendant would come and say to the person who was making the sacrifice, “Hand over some meat for the priest to roast! He won’t take boiled meat from you, but only raw.”³⁰^2:16If the individual said to him, “First let the fat be burned away, and then take for yourself whatever you wish,” he would say, “No!³¹ Hand it over right now! If you don’t, I will take it forcibly!”

^2:17The sin of these young men was very great in the Lord’s sight, for they³² treated the Lord’s offering with contempt.

^2:18Now Samuel was ministering before the Lord. The boy was dressed in a linen ephod. ^2:19His mother used to make him a small robe and bring it up to him at regular intervals when she would go up with her husband to make the annual sacrifice. ^2:20Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife saying, “May the Lord raise up for you descendants³³ from this woman to replace the one that she³⁴ dedicated to the Lord.” Then they would go to their³⁵ home. ^2:21So the Lord graciously attended to Hannah, and she was able to conceive and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. The boy Samuel grew up at the Lord’s sanctuary.³⁶

^2:22Now Eli was very old when he heard about everything that his sons used to do to all the people of Israel³⁷ and how they used to have sex with³⁸ the women who were stationed at the entrance to the tent of meeting. ^2:23He said to them, “Why do you behave in this way? For I hear about these evil things from all these³⁹ people. ^2:24This ought not to be,⁴⁰ my sons! For the report that I hear circulating among the Lord’s people is not good. ^2:25If a man sins against a man, one may appeal to God on his behalf. But if a man sins against the Lord, who then will intercede for him?” But Eli’s sons⁴¹ would not listen to their father, for the Lord had decided⁴² to kill them.

^2:26Now the boy Samuel was growing up and finding favor both with the Lord and with people.

The Lord Judges the House of Eli

^2:27A man of God came to Eli and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Did I not plainly⁴³ reveal myself to your ancestor’s⁴⁴ house when they were in Egypt in the house of Pharaoh? ^2:28I chose your ancestor⁴⁵ from all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer sacrifice on my altar, to burn incense, and to bear the ephod before me. I gave to your ancestor’s house all the fire offerings made by the Israelites. ^2:29Why are you⁴⁶ scorning my sacrifice and my offering that I commanded for my dwelling place?⁴⁷ You have honored your sons more than you have me by having made yourselves fat from the best parts of all the offerings of my people Israel.’

^2:30Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, says, ‘I really did say⁴⁸ that your house and your ancestor’s house would serve⁴⁹ me forever.’ But now the Lord says, ‘May it never be!⁵⁰ For I will honor those who honor me, but those who despise me will be cursed! ^2:31In fact, days are coming when I will remove your strength⁵¹ and the strength⁵² of your father’s house. There will not be an old man in your house! ^2:32You will see trouble in my dwelling place!⁵³ Israel will experience blessings,⁵⁴ but there will not be an old man in your⁵⁵ house for all time.⁵⁶^2:33Any one of you that I do not cut off from my altar, I will cause your⁵⁷ eyes to fail⁵⁸ and will cause you grief.⁵⁹ All of those born to your family⁶⁰ will die in the prime of life.⁶¹^2:34This will be a confirming sign for you that will be fulfilled through your two sons,⁶² Hophni and Phinehas: in a single day they both will die! ^2:35Then I will raise up for myself a faithful priest. He will do what is in my heart and soul. I will build for him…

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Footnotes

1 The translation follows the . The reads “a man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite”; this is followed by a number of recent English translations. It is possible the reading צוֹפִים (tsofim) arose from dittography of the mem (ם) at the beginning of the following word.
2 Heb “from days to days.”
3 The exact sense of the Hebrew word אַפָּיִם (’appayim, “two faces”) is not certain here. It is most likely used with the preceding expression (“one portion of two faces”) to mean a portion double than normally received. Although evidence for this use of the word derives primarily from Aramaic rather than from Hebrew usage, it provides an understanding that fits the context here better than other suggestions for the word do. The meaning “double” is therefore adopted in the present translation. Other possibilities for the meaning of the word include the following: “heavily” (cf. Vulg., tristis) and “worthy” or “choice” (cf. and ). Some scholars have followed the here, emending the word to אֶפֶס (’efes) and translating it as “but” or “however.” This seems unnecessary. The translators of the may simply have been struggling to make sense of the word rather than following a Hebrew text that was different from the here.
4 Heb “for Hannah he loved.” Repetition of the proper name would seem redundant in contemporary English, so the pronoun (“her”) has been used here for clarity. The translation also adds the adverb “especially” to clarify the meaning of the text. Without this addition one might get the impression that only Hannah, not Peninnah, was loved by her husband. But the point of the text is that Hannah was his favorite.
5 Heb “and the Lord had closed her womb.” So also in v. 6. The disjunctive clause provides supplemental information that is pertinent to the story.
6 Heb “and her rival wife grieved her, even [with] grief so as to worry her.”
7 The has a masculine form of the verb here יַעֲשֶׂה (ya’aseh, “he used to do”); the subject in that case would presumably be Elkanah. But this leads to an abrupt change of subject in the following part of the verse, where the subject is the rival wife who caused Hannah anxiety. In light of v. 6 one expects the statement of v. 7 to refer to the ongoing actions of the rival wife: “she used to behave in this way year after year.” Some scholars have proposed retaining the masculine form but changing the vocalization of the verb so as to read a Niphal rather than a Qal (i.e., יֵעֲשֶׂה, ye’aseh, “so it used to be done”). But the problem here is lack of precedent for such a use of the Niphal of this verb. It seems best in light of the context to understand the reference to be to Hannah’s rival Peninnah and to read here, with the , a feminine form of the verb (“she used to do”). In the translation the referent (Peninnah) has been specified for clarity.
8 Heb “she”; the referent (Hannah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
9 Heb “she”; the referent (Peninnah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
10 Heb “why is your heart displeased?”
11 Like the number seven, the number ten is sometimes used in the OT as an ideal number (see, for example, Dan 1:20, Zech 8:23).
12 The adds “and stood before the Lord,” but this is probably a textual expansion due to the terseness of the statement in the Hebrew text.
13 Or perhaps, “on his throne.” See 2: §137.f.
14 Heb “she [was in] bitterness of soul.”
15 Heb “and weeping, she was weeping.” The infinitive absolute emphasizes the extent of her sorrow. The imperfect verbal form emphasizes the continuation of the action in past time.
16 Heb “if looking you look.” The expression can refer, as here, to looking favorably upon another, in this case with compassion.
17 Heb “handmaid.” The use of this term (translated two more times in this verse and once each in vv. 16, 17 simply as “servant” for stylistic reasons) is an expression of humility.
18 Heb “seed of men.”
19 Heb “a razor will not go up upon his head.”
20 Heb “before.” Many medieval Hebrew manuscripts read “to.”
21 Heb “Eli.” The pronoun (“he”) has been used in the translation in keeping with contemporary English style.
22 Heb “No.”
23 Heb “I am a woman difficult of spirit.” The has “for whom the day is difficult,” apparently mistaking the Hebrew word for “spirit” רוּחַ (ruakh) to be the word for “day” יוֹם (yom).
24 Heb “before.”
25 Heb “daughter of worthlessness.”
26 Several medieval Hebrew and the lack the words “and got something to eat.”
27 Heb “Elkanah knew his wife.” The Hebrew expression is a euphemism for sexual relations.
28 The Lord “remembered” her in the sense of granting her earlier request for a child. The Hebrew verb is often used in the OT for considering the needs or desires of people with favor and kindness.
29 Heb “because from the Lord I asked him.” The name “Samuel” sounds like the Hebrew verb translated “asked.” The explanation of the meaning of the name “Samuel” that is provided in v. 20 is not a strict etymology. It seems to suggest that the first part of the name is derived from the Hebrew root שׁאל (sh’l, “to ask”), but the consonants do not support this. Nor is it likely that the name comes from the root שׁמא (shm’, “to hear”), for the same reason. It more probably derives from שֶׁם (shem, “name”), so that “Samuel” means “name of God.” Verse 20 therefore does not set forth a linguistic explanation of the meaning of the name, but rather draws a parallel between similar sounds. This figure of speech is known as paronomasia.
30 The disjunctive clause is contrastive here. The words “with them” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
31 Heb “what is good in your eyes.”
32 Heb “establish his word.” This apparently refers to the promise inherent in Eli’s priestly blessing (see v. 17).
33 The ephah was a standard dry measure in OT times; it was the equivalent of one-tenth of the OT measure known as a homer. The ephah was equal to approximately one-half to two-thirds of a bushel.
34 The Hebrew term translated “container” may denote either a clay storage jar (cf. “a clay jar full of wine”) or a leather container (cf. , , “a skin of wine”; “a leather bag filled with (full of ) wine.”
35 Heb “and the boy was a boy.” If the is correct the meaning apparently is that the boy was quite young at the time of these events. On the other hand, some scholars have suspected a textual problem, emending the text to read either “and the boy was with them” (so ) or “and the boy was with her” (a conjectural emendation). In spite of the difficulty it seems best to stay with the here.
36 Heb “he,” apparently referring to Samuel (but cf. “Elkanah”). A few medieval manuscripts and some ancient versions take the verb as plural (cf. , ).
1 Heb “prayed and said.” This is somewhat redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified in the translation.
2 Horns of animals have always functioned as both offensive and defensive weapons for them. As a figure of speech the horn is therefore often used in the Bible as a symbol of human strength (see also in v. 10). The allusion in v. 1 to the horn being lifted high suggests a picture of an animal elevating its head in a display of strength or virility.
3 Heb “my mouth opens wide against.”
4 Heb “for I rejoice in your deliverance.”
5 In this context God’s holiness refers primarily to his sovereignty and incomparability. He is unique and distinct from all other so-called gods.
6 The has “and there is none righteous like our God.” The Hebrew term translated “rock” refers to a rocky cliff where one can seek refuge from enemies. Here the metaphor depicts God as a protector of his people. Cf. “no protector like our God”; “We’re safer with you than on a high mountain.”
7 Heb “proudly, proudly.” If is original, the repetition of the word is for emphasis, stressing the arrogance of those addressed. However, a few medieval Hebrew manuscripts and some other textual witnesses do not reflect the repetition, suggesting that the Hebrew text may be dittographic.
8 The (Qere) reads “and by him actions are weighed.” The translation assumes that reading of the Qere וְלוֹ (vélo, “and by him”), which is supported by many medieval Hebrew , is correct, rather than the reading of the Kethib וְלוֹא (vélo’, “and not”).
9 Against but with the , the preposition (עַד, ’ad) should be taken with what follows rather than with what precedes. For this sense of the preposition see Job 25:5.
10 The number seven is used here in an ideal sense. Elsewhere in the OT having seven children is evidence of fertility as a result of God’s blessing on the family. See, for example, Jer 15:9, Ruth 4:15.
11 Or “languishes.”
12 Heb “Sheol”; “the nether world”; “the world of the dead.”
13 Or “lowly”; Heb “insignificant.”
14 The imperfect verbal form, which is parallel to the participle in the preceding line, is best understood here as indicating what typically happens.
15 Heb “a seat of honor.”
16 Heb “guards the feet of.” The expression means that God watches over and protects the godly in all of their activities and movements. The imperfect verbal forms in v. 9 are understood as indicating what is typically true. Another option is to translate them with the future tense. See v. 10b.
17 The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew in reading the plural (“his holy ones”) rather than the singular (“his holy one”) of the Kethib.
18 The imperfect verbal forms in this line and in the next two lines are understood as indicating what is typically true. Another option is to translate them with the future tense. See v. 10b.
19 The present translation follows the Qere, many medieval Hebrew manuscripts, the , and the in reading the plural (“his adversaries,” similarly many other English versions) rather than the singular (“his adversary”) of the Kethib.
20 The Hebrew preposition here has the sense of “from within.”
21 The imperfect verbal forms in this and the next line are understood as indicating what is anticipated and translated with the future tense, because at the time of Hannah’s prayer Israel did not yet have a king.
22 Heb “the horn,” here a metaphor for power or strength. Cf. “make his appointed king strong”; “increases the might of his anointed one.”
23 The greatly expands v. 10 with an addition that seems to be taken from Jer 9:23–24. The anointed one is the anticipated king of Israel, as the preceding line makes clear.
24 Heb “with [or “before”] the face of.”
25 Heb “sons of worthlessness.”
26 Heb “they did not know the Lord.” The verb here has the semantic nuance “recognize the authority of.” Eli’s sons obviously knew who the Lord was; they served in his sanctuary. But they did not recognize his moral authority.
27 Heb “the habit of the priests with the people [was this].”
28 The Hebrew word occurs only twice in the OT, here and again in v. 14. Its exact meaning is not entirely clear, although from the context it appears to be a sacrificial tool used for retrieving things from boiling water.
29 Heb “to all Israel.”
30 Heb “living.”
31 The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew (“no”) rather than the Kethib and , which read “to him.”
32 Heb “the men,” which is absent from one medieval Hebrew , a Qumran , and the .
33 Heb “seed.”
34 The has a masculine verb here, but in light of the context the reference must be to Hannah. It is possible that the text of the is incorrect here (cf. the ancient versions), in which case the text should be changed to read either a passive participle or better, the third feminine singular of the verb. If the is correct here, perhaps the masculine is to be understood in a nonspecific and impersonal way, allowing for a feminine antecedent. In any case, the syntax of the is unusual here.
35 Heb “his.”
36 Heb “with the Lord.” Cf. , “in the service of the Lord”; , , “in the presence of the Lord”; “at the Lord’s house in Shiloh.”
37 Heb “to all Israel.”
38 Heb “lie with.”
39 For “these” the has “of the Lord” (κυρίου, kuriou), perhaps through the influence of the final phrase of v. 24 (“the people of the Lord”). Somewhat less likely is the view that the reading is due to a distorted dittography of the first word of v. 24. The lacks the word.
40 Heb “no.”
41 Heb “they”; the referent (Eli’s sons) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
42 Heb “desired.”
43 The infinitive absolute appears before the finite verb for emphasis.
44 Heb “to your father’s” (also in vv. 28, 30).
45 Heb “him”; the referent (Eli’s ancestor, i.e., Aaron) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
46 The has a plural “you” here, but the and a Qumran have the singular. The singular may be the correct reading; the verb “you have honored” later in the verse is singular even in the . However, it is more probable that the Lord here refers to Eli and his sons. Note the plural in the second half of the verse (“you have made yourselves fat”).
47 Heb “which I commanded, dwelling place.” The noun is functioning as an adverbial accusative in relation to the verb. Since God’s dwelling place/sanctuary is in view, the pronoun “my” is supplied in the translation.
48 The infinitive absolute appears before the finite verb for emphasis.
49 Heb “walk about before.”
50 Heb “may it be far removed from me.”
51 Heb “chop off your arm.” The arm here symbolizes strength and activity.
52 Heb “arm.”
53 Heb “you will see [the] trouble of [the] dwelling place.” Since God’s dwelling place/sanctuary is in view, the pronoun is supplied in the translation (see v. 29).
54 Heb “in all which he does good with Israel.”
55 The and a Qumran manuscript have the first person pronoun “my” here.
56 Heb “all the days.”
57 The , a Qumran , and a few old Latin have the third person pronominal suffix “his” here.
58 Heb “to cause your eyes to fail.” Elsewhere this verb, when used of eyes, refers to bloodshot eyes resulting from weeping, prolonged staring, or illness (see Lev 26:16; Pss 69:3; 119:82; Lam 2:11; 4:17).
59 Heb “and to cause your soul grief.”
60 Heb “and all the increase of your house.”
61 The text is difficult. The literally says “they will die [as] men.” Apparently the meaning is that they will be cut off in the prime of their life without reaching old age. The and a Qumran , however, have the additional word “sword” (“they will die by the sword of men”). This is an easier reading (cf. , , , , ), but that fact is not in favor of its originality.
62 Heb “and this to you [is] the sign which will come to both of your sons.”