Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition)
Hannah's Prayer and Thanks. 1 SAMUEL II. Samud'a Ministry.
seven i. e., many children. G. he brlngeth down to the grave, and bringethniJ i. e., he reduces to the lowest state of degradation and misery, and restores to prosthe two pi'iests who administered them was notoriouslybad. But doubtless he believed, and acted on the belief, that the ordinances were " efl'ectual means of salvation, not from any virtue in them, or In those who administered them, but from the grace of God being communicated through them." 4. when Elltanah offered, Ue gave to Peufiiitali, &c. ... iiortloiis—The perity and happiness. 8. inherit the throne of glory i. e-., possesses seat.s of honour, he ralsethup the poor out of the dust, and llfteth the beggar fi'om the dunghill —The dunghill, a pile of horse, cow, or camel olial, hi aped up to dry in the sun, and serve as fuel, was, and is, one of the common haunts of the poorest mendicants ; and the change that had been made in the social position of Hannah, appeared to her grateful heart as auspicious and as great as the elevation of a poor despised beggar to the highest and most dignified rank. 10. the Lord shall judge the ends of tlie earth . . . exalt the horn of his anointed—Tills is the first place in Scripture where the word "anointed," or Messiah, occurs; and as there waa no king in Israel at the time, it seems the best interpretation to refer it to Christ. There is, indeed, a remarkable resemblance between the song of Hannah and that of Mary. (Luke 1. 46.) 11. the child did minister unto the Lord before Eli the priest—He must have been engaged in some occupation suited to his tender age, as in playing upon the cj'mbals, or other instruments of music; in lighting the lamps, or similar easy and interesting services.
oflferer received back the greater part of the peace offerings, which Ue and his family or friends were accustomed to eat at a social feast before the Lord. (See on Leviticus 3. 7 ; Deuteronomy 12. 12.) It was out of these consecrated viands Elkanahgave portions to all '.'1 ? members of his family; but " unto Hannah he gave a ^ iTthy portion;" i.e., a larger choice, according to .. ) Eastern fashion of showing regard to beloved or ijguished guests. (See on ch. 9. 23, 24; also Genesis 43, vJ.) 6. her adversary provoked lier sore—The conduct C:"?eninnah was most unbecoming. But domestic broils in the houses of polygamisls are of frequent occurrence, and the most fruitful cause of them has always been jealousy of the husband's superior affection, as in this case of Hannah.
9-18. Hannah's Prayer. 9-11. she prayed, and vowed a vow—Here is a specimen of the intense desire that reigned in the bosoms of the Hebrew women for children. This was the burden of Hannah's prayer; and the strong preference she expressed foramalechild yiginated in her purpose of dedicating him to the tabernacle service. The circumstance of his birth bound him to this; but his residence within the precincts of the sanctuary would have to commence at an earlier age than usual, in consequence of the Nazarite vow. 13-18. Ell marked her mouth—The suspicion of the aged priest seems to indicate that the vice of intemperance was neither uncommon nor confined to one sex in those times of disorder. This mistaken impression was immediately removed, and, in the words, "God grant," or rather, "will grant," was followed by an invocation wliich, as Hannah regarded
12-17. The Sin of Eli's Sons. 13. Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial—Not only careless and irreligions, but men loose in their actions, and vicious and scandalous in their habits. Though professionally engaged in sacred duties, they were not only strangers to the power of religion in the heart, but they had thrown ofl' its restraints, and even ran, as is often done in similar cases by the sons of eminent ministers, to the opposite extreme of reckless and open profligacy. 13. the priest's custom with the people—When persons wished to present a sacrifice of peace-offering on the altar, the ollering was brouglit in the first instance to the priest, and as the Lord's part was burnt, the parts appropriated respectively to the priests and otferers were to be sodden. But Eli's sons, unsatisfied witli the breast and shoulder, which were the perquisites appointed to them by the Divine law (Exodus 29.27; Leviticus 7. 31,32), not only claimed part of the oflerer's share, but rapaciously seized them previous to the sacred ceremony of heaving or waving ^seo on Leviticus 7. 34); and moreover committed the additional injustice of ta.'kingup with their fork those portions which they preferred, whilst raw, in order to their being roasted. Pious people were revolted by such rapacious and profane encroachments on the dues of the altar, as well as what should have gone to constitute tlx; family and social feast of tiie oflerer. The truth is, the priests having become haughty, and unwilling in many instances it in the light of a prophecy pointing to tlie accomplishment of her earnest desire, dispelled her sadness, and filled her with confident hope. The character and services of the expected child were sutticiently important to make his birtli a tit subject for prophecy.
20. Samuel, Bokn. SO. called his name Samuel Doubtless with her husband's consent. The names of children were given sometimes by the fathers, and sometimes by the mothers (see on Genesis 4.1,26; 5.29; 19.37;
21. 3) ; and among the early Hebi-cws, were commonly compound names, one part including the name of God.
iil. the r<inii Elkanah . . . went up to offer . . . htsvow—Tlie solemn expression of his concurrence in Hannah's vow was necessary to make it obligatory. (See on Numbers 30.) !JiJ. But Ilauiiah went not up—Men only were obliged to attend the solemn feasts. (Exodus 23. 17.) But Hannah, like other pious women, was in the habit of going, only she deemed it more prudent and becoming to defer her next journey till her son's age would enable her to fulfil her vow. 34:. three bullocks—jSepi., renders it "a bullock of three years old; " which is, probably, the true rendering.
to accept Invitations to those feasts, presents of meat were sent to them; and this, though done In courtesy at first, being. In course of time, established into a right, gave rise to all the rapacious keenness of Eli's sons.
18-20. Samuel's Ministry. 18. But Samuel ministered before the Loixl, being a child-This notice of ills early services in the outer courts of tho tabernacle, wtia made to pave the way for the remarkable propliecy regarding the high priest's fahiily. girded with a linen ephod—A small shoulder-garment or apron, used in llie sacred .service by the inferior priests and lAWites; sometimes also by Judges or eminent persons, and hence allowed to Samuel, who, though not a Levite, was devoled to God from his birth. 19. his mother made hiiii « little coat, and brought It to l>liu from year to year— .\ ware that he could not yet render any useful service to the tabernacle, slio undertook the expense of supplying him with wearing apparel. All weaving stull's, manulaclure of cloth, and maklngof suits were anciently tlie eiiiploym(>nt of women. 30. Ell bles Hcd Elkanah and IiIh wife —This blessing, like that whiili ho had formerly pronounced, hail a inopliellc virlu(>; which, ere long, nppeareil In the Incieiuse of llamiali's family {v. 21), and (ho growing qualifications of Sanuiel for the service of the sanctuary. 33. tho women that aHsembled at the door of the tabernacle—Thl6 was an institution of holy womt u
Chapter ii.
Ver. 1-11. Hannah's SoNo in Thankfulness to God.
1. Hannah prayed, and said—Praise and prayer are Inseparably conjoined in Scripture. (C'olossians 4. 2; 1 Timothy 2. 1.) Tills beautiful song was her trilnito of thanks for the Divine goodness In answering her petition, mine horn Is exalted In the Lord—Allusion Is lu're made (o a peculiarity in tiio dress of Eastern I'emiiles aliout Lebanon, which seems to have obtained anciently among the Israelite women, that of wearing a tin or silver horn, on the forehead, on which tlieir veil Is suspended. Wives, who have no clilldren, wear it projecting In an ol)lique direction, wlille those who becoine mothers lordiwith raise It a few inclies higher, inclining towards I lie i>crpendhailar, and by tills sllglit but ol>servable cliange In their head-dress, make known, wheriivcr ( hey go, I he maternal chariicter which tliey now bear. 5. they that were famngry cea Mcd i.e., to hunger, the barren hath biiiu