seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
1 Samuel 1: 1 There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 2 He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.
3 Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the Lord Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the Lord. 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. 5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the Lord had closed her womb. 6 Because the Lord had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. 7 This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat. 8 Her husband Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?”
9 Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the Lord’s house. 10 In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. 11 And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”
12 As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk 14 and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.”
15 “Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. 16 Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.”
17 Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.”
18 She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.
19 Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. 20 So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.”
Here's a link to the commentary I read.Elkanah: He was a descendant of Zuph, and his family line shows he was a Levite (1 Chronicles 6:16-30). He is called an Ephraimite here because his family lived in a Levitical city in the boundaries of Ephraim, not because he was of the tribe of Ephraim.
Also the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, were there: These priests are mentioned by name because they were known as notoriously wicked priests (1 Samuel 2:17, 24). Their mention here shows how godly Elkanah was. Even though the priests 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.
She made a vow: Hannah promised her son to the work of the LORD, vowing he would be a Nazirite from birth (I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head). According to Numbers 6, the vow of a Nazirite included the following:
I would suggest that you go back and read the whole commentary. I felt convicted, then blessed, reading this.Why is it, when there are two wives in the Bible... one is barren and one is a super baby maker?
Just throwing this out there... but did some husbands like having a knockout arm candy.... so, they didn't sleep with them?
I had two miscarriages before I carried my oldest to term. It didn't bother me that I didn't have a baby and all my friends were pregnant their second or third. It didn't bother me... until I lost the first one. The second one affected me even worse. I was 25 when I had my first live birth. I had another miscarriage between my second and third.
When I read a woman is upset because she is barren and the other wife is popping out babies like they were farts, it touches me. I know what she is going through.
On to the prayers.... the priest saw Hannah crying and wording... but he didn't hear words. He figured she was drunk.
She asked God for his help. Next thing you know... She's pregnant.
She made a vow to God.... will she keep it? She'll make sure this baby never tastes wine, and never has his head shaved, and she'll give him to the service of the Lord.
That's a hefty promise to keep.
Hannah prayed and she didn't care how "proper" she looked pouring out her heart to God.
Hannah wasn't drunk!
