1 Samuel 1:8 Kommentar

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. I. Here is her affliction - she was childless, and this affliction aggravated by her rival's insolence, but in some measure balanced by her husband's kindness (Sa1 1:1-8). II. The prayer and vow she made to God under this affliction, in which Eli the high priest at first censured her, but afterwards encouraged her (Sa1 1:9-18). III. The birth and nursing of Samuel (Sa1 1:19-23) IV. The presenting of him to the Lord (Sa1 1:24-28).

This chapter gives an account of the parents of Samuel, of the trouble his mother met with from her rival, and comfort from her husband, Sa1 1:1, of her prayer to God for a son, and of her vow to him, should one be given her, Sa1 1:9 of the notice Eli took of her, and of his censure on her, which he afterwards retracted, and comforted her, Sa1 1:12 of her conception and the birth of her son, the nursing and weaning of him, Sa1 1:19 and of the presentation of him to the Lord, with a sacrifice, Sa1 1:24.

Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou?.... Since it was a time of rejoicing, as every festival was, especially at the ingathering of the fruits of the earth: and why eatest thou not? since they were at a feast, and she had the best part and portion of the provision: and why is thy heart grieved? to such a degree that she could neither eat nor drink: am not I better to thee than ten sons? which, as Jarchi says, Peninnah had borne to him; his meaning is, that the share she had in his love and affections ought to have been esteemed by her more than if she had ten or many children by him; and it suggests that Peninnah would have been glad to have such a share in his affections as Hannah had; and it would have been more eligible to her, than to have borne him so many children as she had.

Thus a Godward fast is a work of reverential awe. By its means also Hannah the wife of Elkanah making suit, barren as she had been beforetime, easily obtained from God the filling of her belly, empty of food, with a son, indeed, and a prophet.

Would you like to understand what watchfulness in prayer is? Go to Hannah, listen to her very words, “Adonai Eloi Sabaoth.” No, rather, hear what preceded those words; “they all rose up,” says the history, “from the table,” and she did not give herself right away to sleep or to repose. She appears to me even when she was sitting at the table to have partaken lightly and not to have been made heavy with food. Otherwise she could never have shed so many tears. When we are fasting and foodless, we hardly pray in such a manner, or rather never pray in this way. Much more Hannah would not ever have prayed in this fashion after a meal, unless even at the meal she had been like those that do not eat. Let men be ashamed at the example of this woman. Let those be ashamed who are suing and grasping for a kingdom, at her, praying and weeping for a little child.

19. Therefore, as if the Redeemer speaks to the mind of the teacher through the consolation of inner inspiration: You complain in vain about the lost gain of preaching, you who receive more abundant fruit the more you extend the affection of charity even to enemies. Therefore you grieve over that which should have made you rejoice. And because He Himself is the reward of the elect, He asks saying: Am I not better to you than ten sons? For Anna would have borne ten sons if the primitive Church had begotten the Jewish people, placed under the Decalogue of the Law, in faith. And because some benefit others by preaching, who in many ways displease the Creator, it is shown by reason that Anna's husband is better than ten sons. Moreover, by this inquiry as to why she weeps, the perdition of Judea itself can be signified. As if to say: She is mourned over uselessly, she who is by no means pardoned through the prayer of the righteous. Therefore when He subsequently asks: Why do you not eat? Certainly joy over the conversion of the Gentiles is intimated to her. As if to say: Since you must give birth to the whole world, you do not rejoice in vain that she who was cast off does not abandon the darkness of error. There follows: (Verses 9 and 10.) Therefore Anna rose up after she had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, while Eli the priest was sitting on a seat before the doorposts of the temple of the Lord, and being bitter in soul she prayed to the Lord, weeping copiously.

(Moral Exposition) To these banquets indeed he was exhorting his weeping spouse when he said: "Why are you sad, O my soul, and why do you trouble me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise him, the salvation of my countenance and my God" (Psalm 43:5). This same exhortation is recognized here as well, because she is asked by her husband why she weeps, and why she does not eat, and why she has an afflicted heart. As if he were saying: Why are you saddened about not having attained the perfection of contemplation, which if you do not obtain while still a beginner, you will obtain as you progress? Hence she who, afflicted by her rival, had refused to eat, when encouraged by her husband did eat; because she who by sounder counsel despises lowly things, holds the perfection of contemplation in hope, which she does not yet hold in the power of experience. For to contemplation that is nearly failing and collapsed, the joy of renewed hope is food. Therefore at the voice of her husband Anna is refreshed, when the intention of contemplation, shaken by temptation, is roused to hope of her progress by him who had begun to love her. Wherefore, having taken food, she rose, poured out prayers to almighty God, and vowed to him a male child, if she should deserve to receive one from him.

Then Elkanah, her husband, said to her: "Anna, why do you weep?" etc. Ten sons symbolize the receivers or observers of the law's decalogue. Therefore, the Lord consoles the Church, so that it does not bear grievously that the legislation, the promises, the covenant, and the entrusted utterances of God were given not to it but to the Synagogue; but let it be cheered and exult with the greatest joy, that it has now deserved to receive a greater gift and better grace than all these, the advent of the Mediator of God and men, the man Jesus Christ, whom it did not know to expect or hope for. This lesson not only figuratively expresses the different states of the two peoples, but also the differing merits of the dissenting persons in each of those peoples, and the different rewards of merits. For Christ has always loved, and will love, the humble tears of penitents more than the rigid justice of the proud; and, neglecting the Pharisee's arrogance, who exalts himself as if fertile with the progeny of ten sons due to his fulfillment of legal commands, he deigns rather to regard the lamentations of the penitent publican.

Some account of Elkanah and his two wives, Peninnah and Hannah, Sa1 1:1, Sa1 1:2. His annual worship at Shiloh and the portions he gave at such times to his wives, Sa1 1:3-5. Hannah, being barren, is reproached by Peninnah, especially in their going up to Shiloh; at which she is sorely grieved, Sa1 1:6, Sa1 1:7. Elkanah comforts her, Sa1 1:8. Her prayer and vow in the temple, that if God would give her a son, she would consecrate him to His service, Sa1 1:9-11. Eli, the high priest, indistinctly hearing her pray, charges her with being drunk, Sa1 1:12-14. Her defense of her conduct, Sa1 1:15, Sa1 1:16. Eli, undeceived, blesses her; on which she takes courage, Sa1 1:17, Sa1 1:18. Hannah and Elkanah return home; she conceives, bears a son, and calls him Samuel, Sa1 1:19, Sa1 1:20. Elkanah and his family go again to Shiloh to worship; but Hannah stays at home to nurse her child, purposing, as soon as he is weaned, to go and offer him to the Lord, according to her vow, Sa1 1:21-23. When weaned, she takes him to Shiloh, presents hear child to Eli to be consecrated to the Lord, and offers three bullocks, an ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, for his consecration, Sa1 1:24-28.

Am not I better to thee than ten sons? - Ten, a certain for an uncertain number. Is not my especial affection to thee better than all the comfort thou couldst gain, even from a numerous family?

OF ELKANAH AND HIS TWO WIVES. (Sa1 1:1-8) a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim--The first word being in the dual number, signifies the double city--the old and new town of Ramah (Sa1 1:19). There were five cities of this name, all on high ground. This city had the addition of Zophim attached to it, because it was founded by Zuph, "an Ephrathite," that is a native of Ephratha. Beth-lehem, and the expression "of Ramathaim-zophim" must, therefore, be understood as Ramah in the land of Zuph in the hill country of Ephratha. Others, considering "mount Ephraim" as pointing to the locality in Joseph's territory, regard "Zophim" not as a proper but a common noun, signifying watchtowers, or watchmen, with reference either to the height of its situation, or its being the residence of prophets who were watchmen (Eze 3:17). Though a native of Ephratha or Beth-lehem-judah (Rut 1:2), Elkanah was a Levite (Ch1 6:33-34). Though of this order, and a good man, he practised polygamy. This was contrary to the original law, but it seems to have been prevalent among the Hebrews in those days, when there was no king in Israel, and every man did what seemed right in his own eyes [Jdg 21:25].

I. History of the People of Israel Under the Prophet Samuel - 1 Samuel 1-7 The call of Samuel to be the prophet and judge of Israel formed a turning-point in the history of the Old Testament kingdom of God. As the prophet of Jehovah, Samuel was to lead the people of Israel out of the times of the judges into those of the kings, and lay the foundation for a prosperous development of the monarchy. Consecrated like Samson as a Nazarite from his mother's womb, Samuel accomplished the deliverance of Israel out of the power of the Philistines, which had been only commenced by Samson; and that not by the physical might of his arm, but by the spiritual power of his word and prayer, with which he led Israel back from the worship of dead idols to the Lord its God. And whilst as one of the judges, among whom he classes himself in Sa1 12:11, he brought the office of judge to a close, and introduced the monarchy; as a prophet, he laid the foundation of the prophetic office, inasmuch as he was the fist to naturalize it, so to speak, in Israel, and develope it into a power that continued henceforth to exert the strongest influence, side by side with the priesthood and monarchy, upon the development of the covenant nation and kingdom of God. For even if there were prophets before the time of Samuel, who revealed the will of the Lord at times to the nation, they only appeared sporadically, without exerting any lasting influence upon the national life; whereas, from the time of Samuel onwards, the prophets sustained and fostered the spiritual life of the congregation, and were the instruments through whom the Lord made known His purposes to the nation and its rulers. To exhibit in its origin and growth the new order of things which Samuel introduced, or rather the deliverance which the Lord sent to His people through this servant of His, the prophetic historian goes back to the time of Samuel's birth, and makes us acquainted not only with the religious condition of the nation, but also with the political oppression under which it was suffering at the close of the period of the judges, and during the high-priesthood of Eli. At the time when the pious parents of Samuel were going year by year to the house of God at Shiloh to worship and offer sacrifice before the Lord, the house of God was being profaned by the abominable conduct of Eli's sons (1 Samuel 1-2). When Samuel was called to be the prophet of Jehovah, Israel lost the ark of the covenant, the soul of its sanctuary, in the war with the Philistines (1 Samuel 3-4). And it was not till after the nation had been rendered willing to put away its strange gods and worship Jehovah alone, through the influence of Samuel's exertions as prophet, that the faithful covenant God gave it, in answer to Samuel's intercession, a complete victory over the Philistines (1 Samuel 7). In accordance with these three prominent features, the history of the judicial life of Samuel may be divided into three sections, viz.: 1 Samuel 1-2; 3-6; 7.