1 Samuel 2
Bob Utley · You Can Understand the Bible
1 Samuel 2
NJB (MT versing) Hannah's Song of Thanksgiving Hannah's Prayer The Song of Hannah Hannah's Prayer Song of Hannah 2:1-10 (1-10) 2:1-11 (1-10) 2:1-10 (1) (2-8) (9-10) 2:1-10 (1) (2-10) 2:1-10 (1) (2) (3) (4-5) (6-7) (8) (9-10b) (10c-e) 2:11 2:11 2:11 2:11 The Sin of Eli's Sons The Wicked Sons of Eli The Sons of Eli The Sons of Eli The Sons of Eli 2:12-17 2:12-17 2:12-17 2:12-15 2:12-17 2:16 2:17 Samuel Before the Lord as a Boy Samuel's Childhood Ministry Samuel at Shiloh Samuel at Shiloh 2:18-20 2:18-21 2:18-20 2:18-20b 2:18-21 2:20c 2:21 2:21 2:21 Eli Rebukes His Sons Prophecy Against Eli's Household Eli and His Sons More About the Sons of Eli 2:22-25 2:22-26 2:22-25 2:22-25b 2:22-25 2:25c 2:26 2:26 2:26 2:26 The Condemnation of the House of Eli The Prophecy Against Eli's Family Punishment Foretold 2:27-36 2:27-36 2:27-36 2:27-36 2:27-33 2:34-36 Etc. CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS This chapter starts out with a wonderful poetic prayer of Hannah. Poetry was viewed as an appropriate way to express God's greatness. SPECIAL TOPIC: HEBREW POETRY The second part of this chapter documents the evil actions of Eli's sons concerning sacrificial procedures the inaction of Eli the evil sexual exploitations of young female worshippers by Eli's sons YHWH's rejection Eli's sons Eli's descendants serving as priests the rise and preeminence of Samuel
1 Samuel 2:1-10
2:1 Notice how Hannah describes herself. heart (See SPECIAL TOPIC: HEART.) horn (lit. "strength," BDB 901, cf. v. 31) mouth These are all ways of expressing personhood in Hebrew poetry. SPECIAL TOPIC: HEBREW POETRY ▣ "Your salvation" In the OT this refers to physical deliverance (i.e., here, from barrenness). SPECIAL TOPIC: SALVATION (OT Term) 2:2 "There is no one. . ." This is an affirmation of monotheism, which was the unique theological heart of Israel's faith (i.e., Deut. 6:4-6). So different from the polytheism of the ANE. SPECIAL TOPIC: MONOTHEISM ▣ "holy" See SPECIAL TOPIC: HOLY and SPECIAL TOPIC: THE HOLY ONE. ▣ "rock" This title (BDB 849) was used of God in Deut. 32:15,18,30, and Ps. 18:1-2; 19:14; 2 Sam. 22:2ff; Ps. 78:35; Isa. 44:8). It speaks of the strength, stability, the unchanging nature of the one true God God as a mighty, impregnable fortress 2:3a "so very proudly" The MT has the FEMININE ADJECTIVE (BDB 147) doubled for emphasis. It is paralleled with "arrogance" (BDB 801) in the next line. 2:3c-d YHWH as humankind's creator knows them (cf. 1 Sam. 16:7; 1 Kgs. 8:39; 1 Chr. 28:9; Ps. 7:9; Jer. 11:20; 17:10; 20:12). Not only does YHWH fully know His creatures, He tests them. In this context of Eli's faithless sons vs. faithful Samuel, this poem must be referring to Israelites and not all human beings. The truth of YHWH's knowledge of all humans is still truth! SPECIAL TOPIC: GOD TESTS HIS PEOPLE 2:4-5 This is common "reversal" language. mighty vs. feeble full vs. hungry fruitful vs. barren YHWH cares for and helps the faithful under privileged but He judges the proud, powerful, and arrogant. 2:5 "seven" This is the perfect number in Scripture. SPECIAL TOPIC: SYMBOLIC NUMBERS IN SCRIPTURE, #4 2:6-10 The contrast between humans continues. YHWH's sovereignty is reaffirmed (see full note at 1 Sam. 1:5). death by divine act vs. life rich vs. poor the exalted vs. the low nobles vs. the poor and needy does not guide the wicked vs. guides the godly ones 2:6 "The Lord kills and makes alive" In the context of monotheism, this statement asserts the full and complete sovereignty of Israel's God (cf. Deut. 32:39; 2 Kgs. 5:7). Life is in His hands and His hands alone! ▣ "He brings down to Sheol and raises up" This is a parallel affirmation to 1 Sam. 2:6a. See SPECIAL TOPIC: SHEOL. The "raises up" is not a reference to resurrection but healing (cf. Ps. 103:3-4). SPECIAL TOPIC: HEALING 2:8 "the pillars of the earth are the Lord's" This is imagery for YHWH as creator. The ANE viewed the dry land as resting on pillars sunk into the oceans (cf. 2 Sam. 22:16; 1 Chr. 16:30; Job 9:6; 38:4-6; Ps. 24:2; 75:3; 104:3a,5). 2:9 "He keeps the feet of His godly ones" The Hebrews believed YHWH guided the lives of the faithful. The imagery is a clear, smooth, straight path (i.e., Ps. 56:13; 89:15; 116:8; 119:105; Isa. 2:5; 1 John 1:7). Life is not a matter of fate, chance, or luck but the loving presence of the God of creation; to those who know Him! ▣ "For not by might shall a man prevail" Human effort, human power, human intellect do not bring success; only faith in the faithful God of creation and His salvation (i.e., Zech. 4:6). 2:10a The UBS Text Project, p. 149, shows the two ways to understand this line of poetry. MT (Qere) "against him" ‒ עלו NRSV, NJB, NEB ‒ עלו (an ancient divine name, "Most High") UBS gives an "A" rating to the suggestion of the Masorectic scholars, Qere reading. ▣ "He will thunder in the heavens" Thunder was ANE imagery of God's voice (cf. 1 Sam. 7:10; Ps. 18:13-14; 104:7). The power of nature was in YHWH's hands. See SPECIAL TOPIC: NATURAL RESOURCES. The "heavens" can be viewed in one of two ways. the atmosphere above the earth where clouds move, birds fly (see SPECIAL TOPIC: HEAVEN) the place where YHWH dwells (see SPECIAL TOPIC: THE HEAVENS AND THE THIRD HEAVEN) ▣ "The Lord will judge to the ends of the earth" In context this refers to Israel (see next two poetic lines), It is surely true that this is a universal truth (i.e., Ps. 96:13; 98:9; see SPECIAL TOPIC: JUDGMENT IN THE NT), but here it refers to Palestine. SPECIAL TOPIC: LAND, COUNTRY, EARTH ▣ "His anointed" Here it refers to His chosen king (i.e., Saul). Ultimately it refers to the Davidic Messiah. SPECIAL TOPIC: "ANOINTING" IN THE BIBLE SPECIAL TOPIC: MESSIAH
1 Samuel 2:12-17
2:12 "worthless men" "corrupt" NRSV, TEV, NJB, REB, JPSOA "scoundrels" "pestilent" Peshitta, NET "wicked men" This is literally "sons of Belial," which was an idiom for "worthless," "good-for-nothing" (i.e., Jdgs. 19:23; 20:13; 1 Sam. 2:12; 10:27; 25:17; 2 Sam. 16:7; 1 Kgs. 21:10,13; 2 Chr. 13:7). See full note at 2 Sam. 20:1. Though different words are used in v. 9, the same contrast between the godly ones (i.e, Samuel and other faithful followers) the wicked ones (i.e., Eli's sons) is stated. There are two kinds of Israelites! ▣ "they did not know the Lord" This is a play on the word "know" (cf. Jdgs. 2:10). SPECIAL TOPIC: KNOW 2:13-17 These two privileged priests abused their position (cf. vv. 22, 29). They knew the proper procedures but chose to violate them for selfish purposes! 2:13 NASB, NRSV, TEV, NJB, REB, JPSOA "three-pronged fork" "three-pronged fleshhook" "three-pronged meat hook" This word (מזלג, BDB 272, KB 565) appears only here, vv. 13, 14. A similar work, "forks" (מזלגה, BDB 272) appears in Exod. 27:3; 38:3; Num. 4:14; 1 Chr. 28:17; 2 Chr. 4:16.
1 Samuel 2:18-20
2:18 "linen ephod" See SPECIAL TOPIC: LINEN and SPECIAL TOPIC: EPHOD.
1 Samuel 2:21
2:21 YHWH blessed Hannah's obedience to her vow and her faith in Him by opening her womb! See full note at 1 Sam. 1:5.
1 Samuel 2:22-25
2:22 Eli knew what his sons were doing but refused to do whatever it took to stop them! So, YHWH will stop them (cf. v. 25). ▣ "they lay with women" These could have been single women or married women, but they were probably single temple servants (cf. Exod. 38:8). SPECIAL TOPIC: ADULTERY SPECIAL TOPIC: HUMAN SEXUALITY
1 Samuel 2:26
2:26 This description of a normal maturation process is also used of Jesus in Luke 2:52.
1 Samuel 2:27-36
2:27 "a man of God" Notice this prophet is unnamed (Deut. 33:1; Josh 14:6; 1 Sam. 9:6-8; 1 Kgs. 12:22; 13:1; 17:24; Jdgs. 13:6,8,10,11). Eli was the chief priest at Shiloh but because of his lack of reverence toward YHWH (i.e., his sons' acts), YHWH used a prophet to communicate to him. SPECIAL TOPIC: PROPHETS (OT) ▣ "Did I not indeed reveal Myself" This is an INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE and a PERFECT VERB from the same root (BDB 162, KB 191), which denotes intensity. SPECIAL TOPIC: THE BIBLE (it's uniqueness and inspiration) 2:29 NASB, NKJV "kick at" NRSV, TEV "look" "trample on" "show disrespect" "maliciously trample upon" "look with greedy eye" "deal wrongly" "scorning" The VERB "kicked" (BDB 127, KB 142, Qal IMPERFECT) is found only here and Deut. 32:15. There are several allusions in 1 Samuel 2 to Deuteronomy 32. KB mentions that in MIDDLE Hebrew it meant to trample to stamp to spurn The UBS Text Project, p. 152, gives "kick" a "B" rating (some doubt). ▣ Notice the number of "My's" in the NASB that denote YHWH's ownership. My sacrifice My offering My dwelling My people By violating the sacrificial procedures given by YHWH in Leviticus, these wicked sons of Eli showed dishonor (as did Aaron's son in Lev. 10:1-7). 2:30 There are consequences to both covenant obedience and disobedience, both in time and in eternity (i.e., Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28). ▣ "walk" This is ANE imagery for lifestyle actions. ▣ "forever" SPECIAL TOPIC: FOREVER ('olam). 2:31-34 This is a temporal prophecy about the judgment of the priests from Eli's family (i.e., death of the priests at Nob by Saul's order; only one left, v. 36). 2:35 This probably refers to Zadok (cf. 1 Chr. 6:8-15), not Samuel. Samuel may not have been from the tribe of Levi. 2:36 NASB, NKJV, NRSV, REB, Peshitta "a piece of silver" NJB, LXX "a silver coin" "a money fee" "payment of money" This word (BDB 8) occurs only here. BDB suggests "payment." The same root in Akkadian means "wages." The LXX thinks the root is related to "Gerah," which was a small Hebrew coin (BDB 176 II). SPECIAL TOPIC: ANE WEIGHTS AND VOLUMES