1 Samuel Hannah Gives Birth to Samuel have this way year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the LORD’s house, Peninnah would up- 1:1 There was a man from Ramathaim Zo- set her so that she would weep and refuse to eat. phim, from the hill country of Ephraim, whose 1:8 Finally her husband Elkanah said to her, “Han- name was Elkanah. He was the son of Jeroham, nah, why do you weep and not eat? Why are you the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, so sad?0 Am I not better to you than ten11 sons?” an Ephraimite. 1: He had two wives; the name of 1:9 On one occasion in Shiloh, after they the first was Hannah and the name of the second had finished eating and drinking, Hannah got was Peninnah. Now Peninnah had children, but up.12 (Now at the time Eli the priest was sitting Hannah was childless. 13 in his chair by the doorpost of the LORD’s tem- 1:3 Year after year this man would go up ple.) 1:10 She was very upset14 as she prayed to from his city to worship and to sacrifice to the 15 the LORD, and she was weeping uncontrollably. LORD of hosts at Shiloh. It was there that the two 1:11 She made a vow saying, “O LORD of hosts, sons of Eli, Hophni and Phineas, served as the if you will look with compassion16 on the suffer- LORD’s priests. 1:4 Whenever the day came for ing of your female servant,17 remembering me Elkanah to sacrifice, he used to give meat por- and not forgetting your servant, and give a male tions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and child18 to your servant, then I will dedicate him daughters. 1:5 But he would give a double por- to the LORD all the days of his life. His hair will tion to Hannah, because he especially loved her. never be cut.” Now the LORD had not enabled her to have chil- dren. 1:6 Her rival wife used to upset her and make her worry, for the LORD had not enabled her to have children. 1:7 Peninnah would be- tc The translation follows the MT. The LXX reads “a man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite”; this is followed by a number of the rival wife who caused Hannah anxiety. In light of v. 6 one expects the statement of v. 7 to refer to the ongoing actions צוֹפִ ים recent English translations. It is possible the MT reading at the begin- of the rival wife: “she used to behave in this way year after (מ) tsofim) arose from dittography of the mem) ning of the following word. year.” Some scholars have proposed retaining the masculine tn Heb “from days to days.” form but changing the vocalization of the verb so as to read a ye’aseh, “so it used to be ,יֵעֲשֶׂ ה ,.Niphal rather than a Qal (i.e ,appayim’) אַפָּיִם tn The exact sense of the Hebrew word “two faces”) is not certain here. It is most likely used with the done”). But the problem here is lack of precedent for such preceding expression (“one portion of two faces”) to mean a use of the Niphal of this verb. It seems best in light of the a portion double than normally received. Although evidence context to understand the reference to be to Hannah’s rival for this use of the word derives primarily from Aramaic rather Peninnah and to read here, with the Syriac Peshitta, a femi- than from Hebrew usage, it provides an understanding that nine form of the verb (“she used to do”). In the translation the referent (Peninnah) has been specified for clarity. fits the context here better than other suggestions for the word do. The meaning “double” is therefore adopted in the tn Heb “she”; the referent (Hannah) has been specified in the translation for clarity. present translation. Other possibilities for the meaning of the word include the following: “heavily” (cf. Vulg., tristis) and “wor- tn Heb “she”; the referent (Peninnah) has been specified thy” or “choice” (cf. KJV and Targum). Some scholars have in the translation for clarity. 0 ”?efes) and tn Heb “why is your heart displeased’) אֶפֶ ס followed the LXX here, emending the word to translating it as “but” or “however.” This seems unnecessary. 11 sn Like the number seven, the number ten is sometimes The translators of the LXX may simply have been struggling to used in the OT as an ideal number (see, for example, Dan make sense of the word rather than following a Hebrew text 1:20, Zech 8:23). that was different from the MT here. 12 tc The LXX adds “and stood before the Lord,” but this tn Heb “for Hannah he loved.” Repetition of the proper is probably a textual expansion due to the terseness of the name would seem redundant in contemporary English, so statement in the Hebrew text. the pronoun (“her”) has been used here for clarity. The trans- 13 tn Or perhaps, “on his throne.” See Joüon 2:506-7 §137.f. lation also adds the adverb “especially” to clarify the meaning tn Heb “she [was in] bitterness of soul.” of the text. Without this addition one might get the impression 15 tn Heb “and weeping, she was weeping.” The infinitive that only Hannah, not Peninnah, was loved by her husband. absolute emphasizes the extent of her sorrow. The imperfect But the point of the text is that Hannah was his favorite. verbal form emphasizes the continuation of the action in past tn Heb “and the LORD had closed her womb.” So also in v. time. 6. The disjunctive clause provides supplemental information 16 tn Heb “if looking you look.” The expression can refer, that is pertinent to the story. as here, to looking favorably upon another, in this case with tn Heb “and her rival wife grieved her, even [with] grief so compassion. as to worry her.” 17 tn Heb “handmaid.” The use of this term (translated two more times in this verse and once each in vv. 16, 17 simply as יַעֲשֶׂ ה tn The MT has a masculine form of the verb here (ya’aseh, “he used to do”); the subject in that case would pre- “servant” for stylistic reasons) is an expression of humility. sumably be Elkanah. But this leads to an abrupt change of 18 tn Heb “seed of men.” subject in the following part of the verse, where the subject is 19 tn Heb “a razor will not go up upon his head.” 504 505 1 SAMUEL : 1:1 As she continued praying to the LORD, “Once the boy is weaned, I will bring him and Eli was watching her mouth. 1:13 Now Hannah appear before the LORD, and he will remain there was speaking from her heart. Although her lips from then on.” were moving, her voice was inaudible. Eli there- 1:3 So her husband Elkanah said to her, “Do fore thought she was drunk. 1:14 So he said to her, what you think best.12 Stay until you have weaned “How often do you intend to get drunk? Put away him. May the LORD fulfill his promise.”13 your wine!” So the woman stayed and nursed her son until 1:15 But Hannah replied, “That’s not the way she had weaned him. 1:4 Once she had weaned it is, my lord! I am under a great deal of stress. him, she took him up with her, along with three I have drunk neither wine nor beer. Rather, I have bulls, an ephah14 of flour, and a container15 of poured out my soul to the LORD. 1:16 Don’t con- wine. She brought him to the LORD’s house at Shi- sider your servant a wicked woman, for until now loh, even though he was young.16 1:5 Once the I have spoken from my deep pain and anguish.” bull had been slaughtered, they brought the boy to 1:17 Eli replied, “Go in peace, and may the Eli. 1:6 She said, “Just as surely as you are alive, God of Israel grant the request that you have asked my lord, I am the woman who previously stood of him.” 1:18 She said, “May I, your servant, find here with you in order to pray to the LORD. 1:7 I favor in your sight.” So the woman went her way prayed for this boy, and the LORD has given me the and got something to eat. Her face no longer request that I asked of him. 1:8 Now I dedicate looked sad. him to the LORD. From this time on he is dedicat- 1:19 They got up early the next morning and ed to the LORD.” Then they17 worshiped the LORD after worshiping the LORD, they returned to their there. home at Ramah. Elkanah had marital relations Hannah Exalts the Lord in Prayer with his wife Hannah, and the LORD remembered her. 1:0 After some time Hannah became pregnant :1 Hannah prayed,18 and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, 0 “My heart rejoices in the LORD; thinking, “I asked the LORD for him. my horn19 is exalted high because of the Hannah Dedicates Samuel to the Lord LORD. I loudly denounce0 my enemies, 1:1 This man Elkanah went up with all his for I am happy that you delivered me.21 family to make the yearly sacrifice to the LORD : No one is holy22 like the LORD! and to keep his vow, 1:22 but Hannah did not go There is no one other than you! up with them.11 Instead she told her husband, 12 tn Heb “what is good in your eyes.” tc Heb “before.” Many medieval Hebrew manuscripts 13 tn Heb “establish his word.” This apparently refers to the read “to.” promise inherent in Eli’s priestly blessing (see v.