1 Samuel 1
David Guzik · Citado em PreceptAustin
1 Samuel 1
Guzik writes that "At this strategic time and place, God began His plan as He almost always does – with a person He will use. God can do His work by Himself, or by angels, or by any number of other means; but His normal method is to find a certain man and work through him." More to the point He would find a certain woman and work through her to bring about His sovereign plan. Hoffner comments that "The name Elkanah recalls Ge 14:18–24 (esp. Ge 14:22), where plays on the names of Elkanah and Eli can be found in the description of Yahweh as אֵ֣ל עֶלְיֹ֔ון קֹנֵ֖ה שָׁמַ֥יִם וָאָֽרֶץ (el elyown qoneh shamayim wa'arets) (“God Most High, Creator [קֹנֵ֖ה, qoneh] of heavens and earth”). This intertextual link suggests that Elkanah is important to the fulfillment of Yahweh’s covenant, with Abraham as a facilitator: As Melchizedek honored Abraham and Abraham’s God and thus received Yahweh’s reward in the tithe of the plunder given him by Abraham, so Elkanah will honor Hannah’s vow to Yahweh and will become the father of the great prophet Samuel. Through Elkanah is established the lineage of the prophet Samuel, who is the protagonist until David appears. Warren
1 Samuel 1
Guzik - According to the Law of Moses, Israelites could not worship God through sacrifice at any time and in any way they pleased. They were to bring sacrifices to the tabernacle and the priests, which at this time were at Shiloh....Even though the priests (Hophni and Phinehas) were wicked, he still offered sacrifices to the Lord, knowing that the wickedness of the priest did not make his own service to the Lord invalid. Bergen - By leading his family in annual trips to Shiloh, Elkanah is shown to be a man both submissive to the Torah and strong in his domestic leadership. His example contrasts sharply with Eli, another member of the tribe of Levi, who failed to provide proper leadership in either religious or family matters (cf. 1Sa 2:29). (Borrow 1 & 2 Samuel - New American Commentary) To the LORD of hosts (Hebrew - tsaba; Lxx - Sabaoth) in Shiloh This first mention of LORD in Samuel - see study of Jehovah. This is also the first mention of the great Name LORD of hosts. See study of Jehovah Sabaoth, LORD of hosts (of armies) and Jehovah Sabaoth: Pt2). This great Name depicts Jehovah's dominion over spiritual entities (hosts) and therefore His unrivaled authority in the Universe! This is the Name that Hannah runs into and by which she would be "lifted up" (Pr 18:10+ where sagab means lifted up, elevated, safe). See Shiloh on map, located north of Samuel's home town of Raman. LORD of hosts. in 1-2 Samuel - 1 Sam. 1:3; 1 Sam. 1:11; 1 Sam. 4:4; 1 Sam. 15:2; 1 Sam. 17:45; 2 Sam. 6:2; 2 Sam. 6:18; 2 Sam. 7:8; 2 Sam. 7:26; 2 Sam. 7:27; Bergen on Shiloh - Shiloh (modern Seilun, nine miles north of Bethel) had functioned as the early center of the Israelite worship of Yahweh since the days of Joshua. It was there that the Tent of Meeting (ʾōhel môʿēd) was set up (Josh 18:1), and covenant-related activities—for example, the determination of tribal allotments within the Promised Land, celebration of annual festivals, and calls to holy war—were carried out (cf. Josh 18:8; 19:51; 21:1–2; 22:9, 12; Judg 18:31; 21:12, 19, 21). Even in Eli’s day the Tent of Meeting was still in use at Shiloh (cf. 2:22), but it had been augmented by a more permanent architectural structure (cf. 1:7, 9; 3:15) that served as the center of Yahwistic activity. (Borrow 1 & 2 Samuel - New American Commentary) And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests to the LORD there - Eli was the head but is here not called priest probably because of his age (cf Nu 4:15, Nu 8:23-26) The writer is setting the stage for these two scoundrels who would soon "drop off the stage" so to speak. We will discuss it later, but it is interesting that Eli who seems to be (somewhat) godly and Samuel was clearly godly but sadly both had ungodly sons. Godly parents do not guarantee godly sons. Hosts (army/armies, war, service) (06635) tsaba from tsaba = to go forth to war, to wage war, to serve) is a masculine noun meaning troops or army (2Ki 5:1) and so has to do with war or warfare in many of the OT passages. The TWOT says the root verb tsaba "has to do with fighting, e.g. Israel warring against Midian (Nu 31:7). It has also a wider use in the sense of rendering service." And so in a group of uses in Numbers (Nu 4:3, 23, 30, 35, 39, 43, 8:24-25) tsaba has to do with service related to the Tent of Meeting (or Tabernacle). So one might say tsaba is used in contexts of warfare or worship! Shiloh (07787) (Shiloh from shalah = to draw out, extract) the place (see note on Shiloh the prophecy) The geographic name "Shiloh" denotes one of the most significant sites in the early history of the Israelites. It was the first permanent home for the Ark after the conquest (Josh. 18) and was where Joshua divided the land among the tribes. The site is positively identified as modern-day Shilo (Wikipedia article) (Seilun, the Arabic equivalent of Hebrew Shiloh, was an old Arab town close to the possible sites of Shiloh). The site was a sacred place for the Canaanites before the conquest by the Israelites, witnessed by archaeological discovery of a large collection of discarded offering vessels and remnants of offerings from the Canaanite era. The earliest public building, a storage facility doubtless for offerings, belonging unambiguously to the Israelites, was discovered at Shiloh. This helps make sense of architectural features mentioned in the accounts of the tabernacle at Shiloh, as the tabernacle complex consisted of permanent structures (see picture). Some argue that a temple existed there also. The summit of the site was stripped to bedrock, leaving no definitive answer to that question. Shiloh was the home of Samuel, whom Hannah dedicated to service to Yahweh for God's grace in answering her prayer for a child (1 Sam. 1). Samuel was apparently adopted into the Elide (or at least into a general Levitical) lineage, as he performed the duties of a priest later in life, duties reserved for Levites. The high priest Eli was told that his sons would not be the future high priests, given their abuses of the people and the sanctuary (2:12ff). It was at Shiloh that Eli heard of his sons' deaths at the hands of the Philistines as they seized the Ark of the Covenant (ch. 4). The news caused Eli's death. There is unmistakable evidence of the Philistine destruction of Shiloh, as archaeologists discovered a burned level (including carbonized wheat in a storage silo). The town was never again a religious center, as the Ark never returned. Jeremiah was born at Anathoth, the home of Abiathar (Jer. 1:1). He is the lone prophet to mention Shiloh. Jeremiah was confronted in Jerusalem with Zion theology, in which the inhabitants felt that the city was inviolable because of the presence of Yahweh in the Temple. Yahweh responded through the mouth of Jeremiah to the line of thought by inviting those proponents to "Go now to my place which was in Shiloh... and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel" (Jer. 7:12). There probably was nothing standing in the city that was from the temple complex. ((Complete Biblical Library)) Shiloh - 31v - Gen. 49:10 (prophecy); All the rest refer to the place - Jos. 18:1; Jos. 18:8; Jos. 18:9; Jos. 18:10; Jos. 19:51; Jos. 21:2; Jos. 22:9; Jos. 22:12; Jdg. 18:31; Jdg. 21:12; Jdg. 21:19; Jdg. 21:21; 1 Sam. 1:3; 1 Sam. 1:9; 1 Sam. 1:24; 1 Sam. 2:14; 1 Sam. 3:21; 1 Sam. 4:3; 1 Sam. 4:4; 1 Sam. 4:12; 1 Sam. 14:3; 1 Ki. 2:27; 1 Ki. 14:2; 1 Ki. 14:4; Ps. 78:60; Jer. 7:12; Jer. 7:14; Jer. 26:6; Jer. 26:9; Jer. 41:5 ISBE - Shiloh - (The most usual form is shiloh, but it appears 8 times as shilo, and 3 times as Shilow; Selo, Selom): A town in the lot of Ephraim where Israel assembled under Joshua at the close of the war of conquest (Joshua 18:1). Here territory was allotted to the seven tribes who had not yet received their portions. A commission was sent out to "describe the land into seven portions"; this having been done, the inheritances were assigned by lot. Here also were assigned to the Levites their cities in the territories of the various tribes (Joshua 18-21). From Shiloh Reuben and Gad departed for their homes East of the Jordan; and here the tribes gathered for war against these two, having misunderstood their building of the great altar in the Jordan valley (Joshua 22). From Judges 18:31 we learn that in the period of the Judges the house of God was in Shiloh; but when the sanctuary was moved thither from Gilgal there is no indication. The maids of Shiloh were captured by the Benjamites on the occasion of a feast, while dancing in the vineyards; this having been planned by the other tribes to provide the Benjamites with wives without involving themselves in responsibility (21:21;). While the house of the Lord remained here it was a place of pilgrimage (1 Samuel 1:3). To Shiloh Samuel was brought and consecrated to God's service (1 Samuel 1:24). The sanctuary was presided over by Eli and his wicked sons; and through Samuel the doom of their house was announced. The capture of the ark by the Philistines, the fall of Hophni and Phinehas, and the death of the aged priest and his daughter-in-law followed with startling rapidity (1 Samuel 3; 1 Samuel 4). The sanctuary in Shiloh is called a "temple" (1 Samuel 1:9; 1 Samuel 3:3) with doorpost and doors (1 Samuel 1:9; 1 Samuel 3:15). It was therefore a more durable structure than the old tent. See TABERNACLE; TEMPLE. It would appear to have been destroyed, probably by the Philistines; and we find the priests of Eli's house at Nob, where they were massacred at Saul's order (1 Samuel 22:11). The disaster that befell Shiloh, while we have no record of its actual occurrence, made a deep impression on the popular mind, so that the prophets could use it as an effective illustration (Psalm 78:60 Jeremiah 7:12:14; Jeremiah 26:6). Here the blind old prophet Ahijah was appealed to in vain by Jeroboam's wife on behalf of her son (1 Kings 14:2, 4), and it was still occupied in Jeremiah's time (Jeremiah 41:5). The position of Shiloh is indicated in Judges 21:19, as "on the north of Beth-el, on the east side of the highway that goeth up from Beth-el to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah." This is very explicit, and points definitely to Seilun, a ruined site on a hill at the Northeast of a little plain, about 9 miles North of Beitin (Bethel), and 3 miles Southeast of Khan el-Lubban (Lebonah), to the East of the highway to Shechem (Nablus). The path to Seilun leaves the main road at Sinjil, going eastward to Turmus `Aya, then northward across the plain. A deep valley runs to the North of the site, cutting it off from the adjoining hills, in the sides of which are rock-hewn tombs. A good spring rises higher up the valley. There are now no vineyards in the district; but indications of their ancient culture are found in the terraced slopes around. The ruins on the hill are of comparatively modern buildings. At the foot of the hill is a mosque which is going quickly to ruin. A little distance to the Southeast is a building which seems to have been a synagogue. It is called by the natives Jami` el-`Arba`in, "mosque of the Forty." There are many cisterns. Just over the crest of the hill to the North, on a terrace, there is cut in the rock a rough quadrangle 400 ft. by 80 ft. in dimensions. This may have been the site of "the house of the Lord" which was in Shiloh. W. Ewing Note that Shiloh the place is to be distinguished from Shiloh, the Messianic Prophecy. For further discussion see What is the meaning of the term “Shiloh”? Is it a Messianic prophecy? | GotQuestions.org. ISBE - Shiloh adds SHILOH (1) - shi'-lo (shiloh): The prophecy in Gen 49:10, "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, .... until Shiloh come," etc., has been the subject of very diverse interpretations. the Revised Version margin gives as alternative renderings, " `Till he come to Shiloh having the obedience of the peoples' Or, according to the Syriac, `Till he come whose it is,' etc." (1) From the earliest times the passage has been regarded as Messianic, but the rendering in the text, which takes "Shiloh" as a proper name, bearing a meaning such as "peaceful" (compare Isa 9:6, "Prince of Peace"), labors under the difficulty that Shiloh is not found elsewhere as a personal name in the Old Testament, nor is it easy to extract from it the meaning desired. Further, the word was not personally applied to the Messiah in any of the ancient VSS, which rather assume a different reading (see below). Apart from a purely fanciful passage in the Talmud (compare Driver, Gen, 413), this application does not appear earlier than the version of Seb. Munster in the 16th century (1534). (2) The rendering, "till he come to Shiloh," where Shiloh is taken as the name of a place, not a person, is plausible, but is felt to yield no suitable sense in the context. It is, therefore, now also set aside by most recent scholars. (3) The 3rd rendering, which regards Shiloh as representing the Hebrew shelloh = shiloh for 'asher low, "whose (it is)," has in its favor the fact that this is evidently the reading presupposed in the Septuagint, the Peshitta, and the this is evidently the reading presupposed in the Septuagint, the Peshitta, and the Jewish Targums, and seems to be alluded to in Ezek 21:27, "until he come whose right it is." In this view the passage has still a Messianic reference, though critics argue that it must then be regarded as late in origin. Other interpretations need not detain us. QUESTION - Who was Eli in the Bible? ANSWER - Eli in the Bible was a Jewish priest living in the days of the judges and serving God at the tabernacle in Shiloh, a city near the hill country of Ephraim (1 Samuel 1:1, 3). Eli is best remembered for his blessing on Samuel’s mother and for his part in Samuel’s first prophecy. Eli had two wicked sons named Hophni and Phineas; they also served in the tabernacle but did not know the Lord (1 Samuel 2:12). They violated the Law by keeping and eating meat from the sacrifices that was not allocated to them. They also had sex with the women who served at the doorway to the tent of meeting (1 Samuel 2:22). The bad behavior of Eli’s sons was apparently widely known (1 Samuel 2:24), and the report came back to Eli. When he found out about these things, he rebuked his sons but failed to make them stop, allowing them to continue to profane the tabernacle (1 Samuel 2:25). Apparently, there was some lack of zeal on Eli’s part; some part of Eli’s heart was with his sons and not with the Lord. We know this because God sent a prophet to Eli to deliver a dire message concerning Eli’s household: “I will cut short your strength and the strength of your priestly house, so that no one in it will reach old age. . . . What happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be a sign to you—they will both die on the same day” (1 Samuel 2:31, 34). This was a terrible curse, because the Levites depended on the priesthood for their living (1 Samuel 2:36). Eli’s family line would be supplanted by another, more faithful priest: “I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his priestly house, and they will minister before my anointed one always” (1 Samuel 2:35). The priest God raised up was a boy named Samuel, who was dedicated to the tabernacle by his mother, Hannah, a formerly barren woman who had prayed for a child. Hannah spoke her prayer in Eli’s presence, and he had blessed her: “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him” (1 Samuel 1:17). God answered Hannah’s prayer, and she had a son. After Samuel was weaned, she gave him to the Lord’s service (1 Samuel 1:24–28). The young Samuel lived in the tabernacle, under the tutelage and care of Eli. Each year, Hannah brought Samuel a robe for him to wear in the house of the Lord (1 Samuel 2:19). Eli again blessed Hannah and her husband, asking God to give Hannah children to replace the one she had dedicated to the Lord (1 Samuel 2:20). Hannah eventually gave birth to three more sons and two daughters (verse 21). Later, when Samuel was a little older and Eli’s eyes were so weak that he could barely see, the Lord Himself spoke to Samuel. In the middle of the night, the Lord “came and stood” in Samuel’s room (1 Samuel 3:10) and told the young boy to deliver to Eli the message that it was almost time for the prophesied judgment to fall upon his family (verses 11–14). Eli humbly accepted God’s decree, and Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the Lord in Shiloh (1 Samuel 3:19–21). A short time after that, the Philistines came against Israel to attack them. Eli’s sons, Hophni and Phineas, went to battle, and they brought with them the Ark of the Covenant thinking it would guarantee protection against their enemies. However, God was not with them, and Eli’s two sons were killed, along with about 30,000 foot soldiers of Israel. In addition, the Ark was captured by the Philistines. When Eli heard the bad news, he fell off of his seat, and his neck was broken “for he was old and heavy” (1 Samuel 4:3, 10, 17–18). Meanwhile, Eli’s pregnant daughter-in-law, Phinehas’ wife, went into labor; she died during delivery, but not before she named her son “Ichabod, saying, ‘The Glory has departed from Israel’” (verse 21). Thus, Eli’s grandson, born on a day of death and defeat, was given a name meaning “No Glory.” Eli had been a priest in Israel and a judge for forty years. GotQuestions.org QUESTION - Who were Hophni and Phinehas? ANSWER - First Samuel offers much important information about the sins of Eli’s sons, Hophni and Phinehas. The summary of their lifestyle is given in the introduction to these men in 1 Samuel 2:12: “Eli’s sons were scoundrels; they had no regard for the LORD.” Because Eli’s sons did not know or regard God, they acted in wicked ways. First, we are told that Eli’s sons took a three-pronged fork and ate whatever meat they brought out of the pot when sacrificing an animal. This was in contradiction with the law for priests, who were commanded to eat the breast and upper thigh of the animals (Leviticus 7:30–34). Second, Eli’s sons were sleeping with the women who were dedicated to the service of the tabernacle (1 Samuel 2:22). This was against God’s law forbidding adultery (Exodus 20:14). A “man of God” came to Eli and revealed the judgment that would come upon Eli’s sons for these actions. The sign that the judgment was divine was included: “What happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be a sign to you—they will both die on the same day” (1 Samuel 2:34). Soon after this time, Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, took the Ark of the Covenant out to battle against the Philistines. The Israelites were defeated, and judgment befell Eli’s sons, as 1 Samuel 4:10–11 states: “The Philistines fought, and the Israelites were defeated and every man fled to his tent. The slaughter was very great; Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers. The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.” Worse, when Eli heard the news, he fell backward from his seat, broke his neck, and died on the same day. The pregnant wife of Phinehas heard the news, and she went into labor and died while giving birth (1 Samuel 4:19–21). The son was named Ichabod, a name meaning “the glory has departed.” While these judgments may seem harsh to today’s reader, the holiness of God’s priests was demanded in the Law of Moses, along with the judgments that come upon those who disregarded God’s ways. In fact, two of Aaron’s sons were struck dead for presenting unauthorized offerings in the early days of the tabernacle’s use (Leviticus 10:1–2). Eli’s sons would have been aware of what happened to Aaron’s sons, yet they directly disregarded the warning in pursuit of personal satisfaction. In the aftermath of these judgments, Samuel became the spiritual leader of Israel, serving as judge, priest, and prophet and anointing both Saul and David as Israel’s first two kings. Even in these most difficult of times, God was at work to continue His plan to lead His people.GotQuestions.org 1 Samuel 1:4 When the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and her daughters; KJV 1 Samuel 1:4 And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions: NET 1 Samuel 1:4 Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he used to give meat portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. CSB 1 Samuel 1:4 Whenever Elkanah offered a sacrifice, he always gave portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to each of her sons and daughters. ESV 1 Samuel 1:4 On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. NIV 1 Samuel 1:4 Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. NLT 1 Samuel 1:4 On the days Elkanah presented his sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to Peninnah and each of her children. NRS 1 Samuel 1:4 On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters; YLT 1 Samuel 1:4 And the day cometh, and Elkanah sacrificeth, and he hath given to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions, sacrificed: Lev 3:4 7:15 De 12:5-7,17 16:11 1 Samuel 1 Resources - sermons and commentaries When the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and her daughters - So Peninnah had at least 2 or more sons and 2 or more daughters which Hannah had none. Bergen explains that "A climactic event in Israel’s religious celebrations was the slaying of sacrificial animals, followed by the consumption of a lavish meal. At religious festivals individuals were expected to present burnt offerings, grain offerings, drink offerings, and fellowship offerings (Num 29:39), though other offerings (e.g., sin, guilt, and vow) might also be given. Portions of the animals slain for fellowship offerings (šĕlāmîm) and other voluntary offerings would have been consumed in the sanctuary area by one who presented the animal. (Borrow 1 & 2 Samuel - New American Commentary) 1 Samuel 1:5 but to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, but the LORD had closed her womb. KJV 1 Samuel 1:5 But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the LORD had shut up her womb. NET 1 Samuel 1:5 But he would give a double portion to Hannah, because he especially loved her. Now the LORD had not enabled her to have children. CSB 1 Samuel 1:5 But he gave a double portion to Hannah, for he loved her even though the LORD had kept her from conceiving. ESV 1 Samuel 1:5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the LORD had closed her womb. NIV 1 Samuel 1:5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the LORD had closed her womb. NLT 1 Samuel 1:5 And though he loved Hannah, he would give her only one choice portion because the LORD had given her no children. NRS 1 Samuel 1:5 but to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the LORD had closed her womb. YLT 1 Samuel 1:5 and to Hannah he giveth a certain portion -- double, for he hath loved Hannah, and Jehovah hath shut her womb; a double portion, The Hebrew "a portion for two persons, a double portion;" Ge 43:34 45:22 he loved: Ge 29:30,31 De 21:15 shut up: Ge 20:18 30:2 THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD IN CONCEPTION But - Term of Contrast - What is writing contrasting? Remember that the "hinge" word "but" is a little word, but can open big doors of truth, so don't read over it without querying it with a "What is the contrast?" To Hannah he would give a double portion (Hebrew literally "two faces" - see NET note below), for he loved Hannah, but the LORD had closed her womb - NET = "But he would give a double portion to Hannah, because he especially loved her. Now the LORD had not enabled her to have children." The Septuagint has "Helkana loved Anna more than the other." Double portion was normally the way to distinguish the firstborn son who became the leader of the family. Elkanah clearly showed favor to Hannah. and clearly the other wife took notice (a good reason to just have ONE wife - that's enough for most men!) The NET version helps us understand it was not that he did not love Peninnah, but he "especially loved" Hannah. The hand of Jehovah had caused Hannah to be barren, but as we will see her obstacle became her opportunity to seek the Lord's favor. Let your obstacles become God's opportunity! THOUGHT - Isn't this the "silver lining" regarding our troubles and afflictions? They drive us (or should drive us) to our knees to beseech the Lord for His intervention. This is especially true in situations which humanly speaking seem hopeless (like a barren womb). Hannah gives us all a great example of what to do with our trials and afflictions. Take them to the Lord in prayer. NET Note has a lengthy explanation on "double portion" - 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 (NET) translation. Other possibilities for the meaning of the word include the following: “heavily” (cf. Vulg., tristis) and “worthy” or “choice” (cf. KJV and Targum). Some scholars have followed the LXX here, emending the word to אֶפֶס (’efes) and translating it as “but” or “however.” This seems unnecessary. The translators of the LXX may simply have been struggling to make sense of the word rather than following a Hebrew text that was different from the MT here. Bob
1 Samuel 1
Guzik - It is possible for problems at home to make your time at the house of God miserable. Hannah is at the house of the Lord with a blessed double portion in front of her and she can’t enjoy it.