8 Then said H559 Elkanah H511 her husband H376 to her, Hannah, H2584 why weepest H1058 thou? and why eatest H398 thou not? and why is thy heart H3824 grieved? H3415 am not I better H2896 to thee than ten H6235 sons? H1121
And he shall be unto thee a restorer H7725 of thy life, H5315 and a nourisher H3557 of thine old age: H7872 for thy daughter in law, H3618 which loveth H157 thee, which is better H2896 to thee than seven H7651 sons, H1121 hath born H3205 him.
David H1732 therefore besought H1245 God H430 for the child; H5288 and David H1732 fasted, H6684 H6685 and went in, H935 and lay H7901 all night H3885 upon the earth. H776 And the elders H2205 of his house H1004 arose, H6965 and went to him, to raise him up H6965 from the earth: H776 but he would H14 not, neither did he eat H1262 bread H3899 with them.
And Hazael H2371 said, H559 Why weepeth H1058 my lord? H113 And he answered, H559 Because I know H3045 the evil H7451 that thou wilt do H6213 unto the children H1121 of Israel: H3478 their strong holds H4013 wilt thou set H7971 on fire, H784 and their young men H970 wilt thou slay H2026 with the sword, H2719 and wilt dash H7376 their children, H5768 and rip up H1234 their women with child. H2030
To him that is afflicted H4523 pity H2617 should be shewed from his friend; H7453 but he forsaketh H5800 the fear H3374 of the Almighty. H7706
Then will I go H935 unto the altar H4196 of God, H430 unto God H410 my exceeding H8057 joy: H1524 yea, upon the harp H3658 will I praise H3034 thee, O God H430 my God. H430
Sing, H7442 O barren, H6135 thou that didst not bear; H3205 break forth H6476 into singing, H7440 and cry aloud, H6670 thou that didst not travail with child: H2342 for more H7227 are the children H1121 of the desolate H8074 than the children H1121 of the married wife, H1166 saith H559 the LORD. H3068
For the LORD H3068 hath called H7121 thee as a woman H802 forsaken H5800 and grieved H6087 in spirit, H7307 and a wife H802 of youth, H5271 when thou wast refused, H3988 saith H559 thy God. H430
And G2532 they G1565 say G3004 unto her, G846 Woman, G1135 why G5101 weepest thou? G2799 She saith G3004 unto them, G846 Because G3754 they have taken away G142 my G3450 Lord, G2962 and G2532 I know G1492 not G3756 where G4226 they have laid G5087 him. G846
Jesus G2424 saith G3004 unto her, G846 Woman, G1135 why G5101 weepest thou? G2799 whom G5101 seekest thou? G2212 She, G1565 supposing G1380 G3754 him to be G2076 the gardener, G2780 saith G3004 unto him, G846 Sir, G2962 if G1487 thou G4771 have borne G941 him G846 hence, G941 tell G2036 me G3427 where G4226 thou hast laid G5087 him, G846 and I G2504 will take G142 him G846 away. G142
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 1 Samuel 1
Commentary on 1 Samuel 1 Matthew Henry Commentary
An Exposition, With Practical Observations, of
The First Book of Samuel
Chapter 1
The history of Samuel here begins as early as that of Samson did, even before he was born, as afterwards the history of John the Baptist and our blessed Saviour. Some of the scripture-worthies drop out of the clouds, as it were, and their first appearance is in their full growth and lustre. But others are accounted for from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception. What God says of the prophet Jeremiah is true of all: "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee,' Jer. 1:5. But some great men were brought into the world with more observation than others, and were more early distinguished from common persons, as Samuel for one. God, in this matter, acts as a free agent. The story of Samson introduces him as a child of promise, Jdg. 13. But the story of Samuel introduces him as a child of prayer. Samson's birth was foretold by an angel to his mother; Samuel was asked of God by his mother. Both together intimate what wonders are produced by the word and prayer. Samuel's mother was Hannah, the principal person concerned in the story of this chapter.
1Sa 1:1-8
We have here an account of the state of the family into which Samuel the prophet was born. His father's name was Elkanah, a Levite, and of the family of the Kohathites (the most honourable house of that tribe) as appears, 1 Chr. 6:33, 34. His ancestor Zuph was an Ephrathite, that is, of Bethlehem-Judah, which was called Ephrathah, Ruth 1:2. There this family of the Levites was first seated, but one branch of it, in process of time, removed to Mount Ephraim, from which Elkanah descended. Micah's Levite came from Bethlehem to Mount Ephraim, Jdg. 17:8. Perhaps notice is taken of their being originally Ephrathites to show their alliance to David. This Elkanah lived at Ramah, or Ramathaim, which signifies the double Ramah, the higher and lower town, the same with Arimathea of which Joseph was, here called Ramathaim-zophim. Zophim signifies watchmen; probably they had one of the schools of the prophets there, for prophets are called watchmen: the Chaldee paraphrase calls Elkanah a disciple of the prophets. But it seems to me that it was in Samuel that prophecy revived, before his time there being, for a great while, no open vision, ch. 3:1. Nor is there any mention of a prophet of the Lord from Moses to Samuel, except Jdg. 6:8. So that we have no reason to think that there was any nursery or college of prophets here till Samuel himself founded one, ch. 19:19, 20. This is the account of Samuel's parentage, and the place of his nativity. Let us now take notice of the state of the family.
1Sa 1:9-18
Elkanah had gently reproved Hannah for her inordinate grief, and here we find the good effect of the reproof.
1Sa 1:19-28
Here is,