The Birth of Samuel
1 Samuel 1Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim Zophim, of the hill country of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. He had two wives. The name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. This man went up out of his city from year to year to worship and to sacrifice to YHWH of Armies in Shiloh. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, priests to YHWH, were there. When the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he gave portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and her daughters; but he gave a double portion to Hannah, for he loved Hannah, but YHWH had shut up her womb. Her rival provoked her severely, to irritate her, because YHWH had shut up her womb. So year by year, when she went up to the house of YHWH, her rival provoked her. Therefore she wept, and didn’t eat. Elkanah her husband said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? Why don’t you eat? Why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”
Hannah’s Vow
So Hannah rose up after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his seat by the doorpost of the temple of YHWH. She was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to YHWH, weeping bitterly. She vowed a vow, and said, “YHWH Almighty, if you will indeed look at the affliction of your servant and remember me, and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a boy, then I will give him to YHWH all the days of his life, and no razor will ever come on his head.”
As she continued praying before YHWH, Eli saw her mouth. Now Hannah spoke in her heart. Only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk. Eli said to her, “How long will you be drunk? Get rid of your wine!”
Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit. I have not been drinking wine or beer, but I poured out my soul before YHWH. Don’t consider your servant a wicked woman; for I have been speaking out of the abundance of my complaint and my provocation.”
Then Eli answered, “Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of him.”
She said, “Let your servant find favor in your sight.” So the woman went her way and ate; and her facial expression wasn’t sad any more.
They rose up in the morning early and worshiped YHWH, then returned and came to their house to Ramah. Then Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and YHWH remembered her.
When the time had come, Hannah conceived, and bore a son; and she named him Samuel,+1:20 Samuel sounds like the Hebrew for “heard by God.” saying, “Because I have asked him of YHWH.”
Hannah Dedicates Samuel
The man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer to YHWH the yearly sacrifice and his vow. But Hannah didn’t go up, for she said to her husband, “Not until the child is weaned; then I will bring him, that he may appear before YHWH, and stay there forever.”
Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems good to you. Wait until you have weaned him; only may YHWH establish his word.”
So the woman waited and nursed her son until she weaned him. When she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bulls, and one ephah+1:24 1 ephah is about 22 liters or about 2/3 of a bushel of meal, and a container of wine, and brought him to the house of YHWH in Shiloh. The child was young. They killed the bull, and brought the child to Eli. She said, “Oh, my lord, as your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here, praying to YHWH. I prayed for this child, and YHWH has given me my petition which I asked of him. Therefore I have also given him to YHWH. As long as he lives he is given to YHWH.” He worshiped YHWH there.