1:12 As she continued praying to 7 the Lord, Eli was watching her mouth. 1:13 Now Hannah was speaking from her heart. Although her lips were moving, her voice was inaudible. Eli therefore thought she was drunk. 1:14 So he 8 said to her, “How often do you intend to get drunk? Put away your wine!”
1:15 But Hannah replied, “That’s not the way it is, 9 my lord! I am under a great deal of stress. 10 I have drunk neither wine nor beer. Rather, I have poured out my soul to 11 the Lord. 1:16 Don’t consider your servant a wicked woman, 12 for until now I have spoken from my deep pain and anguish.”
1:17 Eli replied, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant the request that you have asked of him.” 1:18 She said, “May I, your servant, find favor in your sight.” So the woman went her way and got something to eat. 13 Her face no longer looked sad.
1:1 There was a man from Ramathaim Zophim, 14 from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah. He was the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 1:2 He had two wives; the name of the first was Hannah and the name of the second was Peninnah. Now Peninnah had children, but Hannah was childless.
1:3 Year after year 15 this man would go up from his city to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh. It was there that the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phineas, served as the Lord’s priests. 1:4 Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he used to give meat portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. 1:5 But he would give a double 16 portion to Hannah, because he especially loved her. 17 Now the Lord had not enabled her to have children. 18 1:6 Her rival wife used to upset her and make her worry, 19 for the Lord had not enabled her to have children. 1:7 Peninnah 20 would behave this way year after year. Whenever Hannah 21 went up to the Lord’s house, Peninnah 22 would upset her so that she would weep and refuse to eat. 1:8 Finally her husband Elkanah said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep and not eat? Why are you so sad? 23 Am I not better to you than ten 24 sons?”
1:9 On one occasion in Shiloh, after they had finished eating and drinking, Hannah got up. 25 (Now at the time Eli the priest was sitting in his chair 26 by the doorpost of the Lord’s temple.) 1:10 She was very upset 27 as she prayed to the Lord, and she was weeping uncontrollably. 28 1:11 She made a vow saying, “O Lord of hosts, if you will look with compassion 29 on the suffering of your female servant, 30 remembering me and not forgetting your servant, and give a male child 31 to your servant, then I will dedicate him to the Lord all the days of his life. His hair will never be cut.” 32
1:12 As she continued praying to 33 the Lord, Eli was watching her mouth. 1:13 Now Hannah was speaking from her heart. Although her lips were moving, her voice was inaudible. Eli therefore thought she was drunk. 1:14 So he 34 said to her, “How often do you intend to get drunk? Put away your wine!”
1:15 But Hannah replied, “That’s not the way it is, 35 my lord! I am under a great deal of stress. 36 I have drunk neither wine nor beer. Rather, I have poured out my soul to 37 the Lord. 1:16 Don’t consider your servant a wicked woman, 38 for until now I have spoken from my deep pain and anguish.”
1:17 Eli replied, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant the request that you have asked of him.” 1:18 She said, “May I, your servant, find favor in your sight.” So the woman went her way and got something to eat. 39 Her face no longer looked sad.
1:19 They got up early the next morning and after worshiping the Lord, they returned to their home at Ramah. Elkanah had marital relations with 40 his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered 41 her. 1:20 After some time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, thinking, “I asked the Lord for him. 42
1:21 This man Elkanah went up with all his family to make the yearly sacrifice to the Lord and to keep his vow, 1:22 but Hannah did not go up with them. 43 Instead she told her husband, “Once the boy is weaned, I will bring him and appear before the Lord, and he will remain there from then on.”
1:23 So her husband Elkanah said to her, “Do what you think best. 44 Stay until you have weaned him. May the Lord fulfill his promise.” 45
So the woman stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him. 1:24 Once she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with three bulls, an ephah 46 of flour, and a container 47 of wine. She brought him to the Lord’s house at Shiloh, even though he was young. 48 1:25 Once the bull had been slaughtered, they brought the boy to Eli. 1:26 She said, “Just as surely as you are alive, my lord, I am the woman who previously stood here with you in order to pray to the Lord. 1:27 I prayed for this boy, and the Lord has given me the request that I asked of him. 1:28 Now I dedicate him to the Lord. From this time on he is dedicated to the Lord.” Then they 49 worshiped the Lord there.
2:1 Hannah prayed, 50
“My heart rejoices in the Lord;
my horn 51 is exalted high because of the Lord.
I loudly denounce 52 my enemies,
for I am happy that you delivered me. 53
2:2 No one is holy 54 like the Lord!
There is no one other than you!
There is no rock 55 like our God!
2:3 Don’t keep speaking so arrogantly, 56
letting proud talk come out of your mouth!
For the Lord is a God who knows;
he 57 evaluates what people do.
2:4 The bows of warriors are shattered,
but those who stumble find their strength reinforced.
2:5 Those who are well-fed hire themselves out to earn food,
but the hungry no longer lack.
Even 58 the barren woman gives birth to seven, 59
but the one with many children withers away. 60
2:6 The Lord both kills and gives life;
he brings down to the grave 61 and raises up.
2:7 The Lord impoverishes and makes wealthy;
he humbles and he exalts.
2:8 He lifts the weak 62 from the dust;
he raises 63 the poor from the ash heap
to seat them with princes
and to bestow on them an honored position. 64
The foundations of the earth belong to the Lord,
and he has placed the world on them.
2:9 He watches over 65 his holy ones, 66
but the wicked are made speechless in the darkness,
for it is not by one’s own strength that one prevails.
2:10 The Lord shatters 67 his adversaries; 68
he thunders against them from 69 the heavens.
The Lord executes judgment to the ends of the earth.
He will strengthen 70 his king
and exalt the power 71 of his anointed one.” 72
2:11 Then Elkanah went back home to Ramah. But the boy was serving the Lord under the supervision of 73 Eli the priest.
2:12 The sons of Eli were wicked men. 74 They did not recognize the Lord’s authority. 75 2:13 Now the priests would always treat the people in the following way: 76 Whenever anyone was making a sacrifice, while the meat was boiling, the priest’s attendant would come with a three-pronged fork 77 in his hand. 2:14 He would jab it into the basin, kettle, caldron, or pot, and everything that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is what they used to do to all the Israelites 78 when they came there to Shiloh.
2:15 Even before they burned the fat, the priest’s attendant would come and say to the person who was making the sacrifice, “Hand over some meat for the priest to roast! He won’t take boiled meat from you, but only raw.” 79 2:16 If the individual said to him, “First let the fat be burned away, and then take for yourself whatever you wish,” he would say, “No! 80 Hand it over right now! If you don’t, I will take it forcibly!”
2:17 The sin of these young men was very great in the Lord’s sight, for they 81 treated the Lord’s offering with contempt.
2:18 Now Samuel was ministering before the Lord. The boy was dressed in a linen ephod. 2:19 His mother used to make him a small robe and bring it up to him at regular intervals when she would go up with her husband to make the annual sacrifice. 2:20 Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife saying, “May the Lord raise up for you descendants 82 from this woman to replace the one that she 83 dedicated to the Lord.” Then they would go to their 84 home. 2:21 So the Lord graciously attended to Hannah, and she was able to conceive and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. The boy Samuel grew up at the Lord’s sanctuary. 85
2:22 Now Eli was very old when he heard about everything that his sons used to do to all the people of Israel 86 and how they used to have sex with 87 the women who were stationed at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 2:23 He said to them, “Why do you behave in this way? For I hear about these evil things from all these 88 people. 2:24 This ought not to be, 89 my sons! For the report that I hear circulating among the Lord’s people is not good. 2:25 If a man sins against a man, one may appeal to God on his behalf. But if a man sins against the Lord, who then will intercede for him?” But Eli’s sons 90 would not listen to their father, for the Lord had decided 91 to kill them.
2:26 Now the boy Samuel was growing up and finding favor both with the Lord and with people.
2:27 A man of God came to Eli and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Did I not plainly 92 reveal myself to your ancestor’s 93 house when they were in Egypt in the house of Pharaoh? 2:28 I chose your ancestor 94 from all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer sacrifice on my altar, to burn incense, and to bear the ephod before me. I gave to your ancestor’s house all the fire offerings made by the Israelites. 2:29 Why are you 95 scorning my sacrifice and my offering that I commanded for my dwelling place? 96 You have honored your sons more than you have me by having made yourselves fat from the best parts of all the offerings of my people Israel.’
2:30 Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, says, ‘I really did say 97 that your house and your ancestor’s house would serve 98 me forever.’ But now the Lord says, ‘May it never be! 99 For I will honor those who honor me, but those who despise me will be cursed! 2:31 In fact, days are coming when I will remove your strength 100 and the strength 101 of your father’s house. There will not be an old man in your house! 2:32 You will see trouble in my dwelling place! 102 Israel will experience blessings, 103 but there will not be an old man in your 104 house for all time. 105 2:33 Any one of you that I do not cut off from my altar, I will cause your 106 eyes to fail 107 and will cause you grief. 108 All of those born to your family 109 will die in the prime of life. 110 2:34 This will be a confirming sign for you that will be fulfilled through your two sons, 111 Hophni and Phinehas: in a single day they both will die! 2:35 Then I will raise up for myself a faithful priest. He will do what is in my heart and soul. I will build for him a secure dynasty 112 and he will serve my chosen one for all time. 113 2:36 Everyone who remains in your house will come to bow before him for a little money 114 and for a scrap of bread. Each will say, ‘Assign me to a priestly task so I can eat a scrap of bread.’”
3:1 Now the boy Samuel continued serving the Lord under Eli’s supervision. 115 Word from the Lord was rare in those days; revelatory visions were infrequent.
3:2 Eli’s eyes had begun to fail, so that he was unable to see well. At that time he was lying down in his place, 3:3 and the lamp of God had not yet been extinguished. Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord as well; the ark of God was also there. 3:4 The Lord called to Samuel, and he replied, “Here I am!” 3:5 Then he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But Eli 116 said, “I didn’t call you. Go back and lie down.” So he went back and lay down. 3:6 The Lord again called, “Samuel!” So Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But Eli 117 said, “I didn’t call you, my son. Go back and lie down.”
3:7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord; the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. 3:8 Then the Lord called Samuel a third time. So he got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me!” Eli then realized that it was the Lord who was calling the boy. 3:9 So Eli said to Samuel, “Go back and lie down. When he calls you, say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” So Samuel went back and lay down in his place.
3:10 Then the Lord came and stood nearby, calling as he had previously done, “Samuel! Samuel!” Samuel replied, “Speak, for your servant is listening!” 3:11 The Lord said to Samuel, “Look! I am about to do something in Israel; 118 when anyone hears about it, both of his ears will tingle. 3:12 On that day I will carry out 119 against Eli everything that I spoke about his house – from start to finish! 3:13 You 120 should tell him that I am about to judge his house forever because of 121 the sin that he knew about. For his sons were cursing God, 122 and he did not rebuke them. 3:14 Therefore I swore an oath to the house of Eli, ‘The sin of the house of Eli can never be forgiven by sacrifice or by grain offering.’”
3:15 So Samuel lay down until morning. Then he opened the doors of the Lord’s house. But Samuel was afraid to tell Eli about the vision. 3:16 However, Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son!” He replied, “Here I am.” 3:17 Eli 123 said, “What message did he speak to you? Don’t conceal it from me. God will judge you severely 124 if you conceal from me anything that he said to you!”
3:18 So Samuel told him everything. He did not hold back anything from him. Eli 125 said, “The Lord will do what he pleases.” 126 3:19 Samuel continued to grow, and the Lord was with him. None of his prophecies fell to the ground unfulfilled. 127 3:20 All Israel from Dan to Beer Sheba realized that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the Lord. 3:21 Then the Lord again appeared in Shiloh, for it was in Shiloh that the Lord had revealed himself to Samuel 128 through the word of the Lord. 129 4:1 Samuel revealed the word of the Lord 130 to all Israel.
Then the Israelites went out to fight the Philistines. 131 They camped at Ebenezer, 132 and the Philistines camped at Aphek. 4:2 The Philistines arranged their forces to fight 133 Israel. As the battle spread out, 134 Israel was defeated by 135 the Philistines, who 136 killed about four thousand men in the battle line in the field.
4:3 When the army 137 came back to the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why did the Lord let us be defeated today by 138 the Philistines? Let’s take with us the ark of the covenant of the Lord from Shiloh. When it is with us, it will save us 139 from the hand of our enemies.
4:4 So the army 140 sent to Shiloh, and they took from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts who sits between the cherubim. Now the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phineas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. 4:5 When the ark of the covenant of the Lord arrived at the camp, all Israel shouted so loudly 141 that the ground shook.
4:6 When the Philistines heard the sound of the shout, they said, “What is this loud shout in the camp of the Hebrews?” Then they realized that the ark of the Lord had arrived at the camp. 4:7 The Philistines were scared because they thought that gods had come to the camp. 142 They said, “Too bad for 143 us! We’ve never seen anything like this! 4:8 Too bad for us! Who can deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all sorts of plagues in the desert! 4:9 Be strong and act like men, you Philistines, or else you will wind up serving the Hebrews the way they have served you! Act like men and fight!”
4:10 So the Philistines fought. Israel was defeated; they all ran home. 144 The slaughter was very great; thirty thousand foot soldiers fell in battle. 4:11 The ark of God was taken, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phineas, were killed.
4:12 On that day 145 a Benjaminite ran from the battle lines and came to Shiloh. His clothes were torn and dirt was on his head. 4:13 When he arrived in Shiloh, Eli was sitting in his chair watching by the side of 146 the road, for he was very worried 147 about the ark of God. As the man entered the city to give his report, 148 the whole city cried out.
4:14 When Eli heard the outcry, 149 he said, “What is this commotion?” 150 The man quickly came and told Eli. 4:15 Now Eli was ninety-eight years old and his eyes looked straight ahead; 151 he was unable to see.
4:16 The man said to Eli, “I am the one who came from the battle lines! Just today I fled from the battle lines!” Eli 152 asked, “How did things go, my son?” 4:17 The messenger replied, “Israel has fled from 153 the Philistines! The army has suffered a great defeat! Your two sons, Hophni and Phineas, are dead! The ark of God has been captured!”
4:18 When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli 154 fell backward from his chair beside the gate. He broke his neck and died, for he 155 was old and heavy. He had judged Israel for forty years.
4:19 His daughter-in-law, the wife of Phineas, was pregnant and close to giving birth. When she heard that the ark of God was captured and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she doubled over and gave birth. But her labor pains were too much for her. 4:20 As she was dying, the women who were there with her said, “Don’t be afraid! You have given birth to a son!” But she did not reply or pay any attention. 156
4:21 She named the boy Ichabod, 157 saying, “The glory has departed from Israel,” referring to the capture of the ark of God and the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband. 4:22 She said, “The glory has departed from Israel, because the ark of God has been captured.”
5:1 Now the Philistines had captured the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. 5:2 The Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the temple of Dagon, where they positioned it beside Dagon. 5:3 When the residents of Ashdod got up early the next day, 158 Dagon was lying on the ground before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and set him back in his place. 5:4 But when they got up early the following day, Dagon was again lying on the ground before the ark of the Lord. The head of Dagon and his two hands were sheared off and were lying at the threshold. Only Dagon’s body was left intact. 159 5:5 (For this reason, to this very day, neither Dagon’s priests nor anyone else who enters Dagon’s temple step on Dagon’s threshold in Ashdod.)
5:6 The Lord attacked 160 the residents of Ashdod severely, bringing devastation on them. He struck the people of 161 both Ashdod and the surrounding area with sores. 162 5:7 When the people 163 of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel should not remain with us, for he has attacked 164 both us and our god Dagon!”
5:8 So they assembled 165 all the leaders of the Philistines and asked, “What should we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” They replied, “The ark of the God of Israel should be moved to Gath.” So they moved the ark of the God of Israel.
5:9 But after it had been moved the Lord attacked 166 that city as well, causing a great deal of panic. He struck all the people of that city 167 with sores. 168 5:10 So they sent the ark of God to Ekron.
But when the ark of God arrived at Ekron, the residents of Ekron cried out saying, “They have brought the ark of the God of Israel here 169 to kill our 170 people!” 5:11 So they assembled 171 all the leaders of the Philistines and said, “Get the ark of the God of Israel out of here! Let it go back to its own place so that it won’t kill us 172 and our 173 people!” The terror 174 of death was throughout the entire city; God was attacking them very severely there. 175 5:12 The people 176 who did not die were struck with sores; the city’s cry for help went all the way up to heaven.
6:1 When the ark of the Lord had been in the land 177 of the Philistines for seven months, 178 6:2 the Philistines called the priests and the omen readers, saying, “What should we do with the ark of the Lord? Advise us as to how we should send it back to its place.”
6:3 They replied, “If you are going to send the ark of 179 the God of Israel back, don’t send it away empty. Be sure to return it with a guilt offering. Then you will be healed, and you will understand why his hand is not removed from you.” 6:4 They inquired, “What is the guilt offering that we should send to him?”
They replied, “The Philistine leaders number five. So send five gold sores and five gold mice, for it is the same plague that has afflicted both you and your leaders. 6:5 You should make images of the sores and images of the mice 180 that are destroying the land. You should honor the God of Israel. Perhaps he will release his grip on you, your gods, and your land. 181 6:6 Why harden your hearts like the Egyptians and Pharaoh did? 182 When God 183 treated them harshly, didn’t the Egyptians send the Israelites on their way? 184 6:7 So now go and make a new cart. Get two cows that have calves and that have never had a yoke placed on them. Harness the cows to the cart and take their calves from them back to their stalls. 6:8 Then take the ark of the Lord and place it on the cart, and put in a chest beside it the gold objects you are sending to him as a guilt offering. You should then send it on its way. 6:9 But keep an eye on it. If it should go up by the way of its own border to Beth Shemesh, then he has brought this great calamity on us. But if that is not the case, then we will know that it was not his hand that struck us; rather, it just happened to us by accident.”
6:10 So the men did as instructed. 185 They took two cows that had calves and harnessed them to a cart; they also removed their calves to their stalls. 6:11 They put the ark of the Lord on the cart, along with the chest, the gold mice, and the images of the sores. 6:12 Then the cows went directly on the road to Beth Shemesh. They went along, mooing as they went; they turned neither to the right nor to the left. The leaders of the Philistines were walking along behind them all the way to the border of Beth Shemesh.
6:13 Now the residents of Beth Shemesh were harvesting wheat in the valley. When they looked up and saw the ark, they were pleased at the sight. 6:14 The cart was coming to the field of Joshua, who was from Beth Shemesh. It paused there near a big stone. Then they cut up the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the Lord. 6:15 The Levites took down the ark of the Lord and the chest that was with it, which contained the gold objects. They placed them near the big stone. At that time the people of Beth Shemesh offered burnt offerings and made sacrifices to the Lord. 6:16 The five leaders of the Philistines watched what was happening and then returned to Ekron on the same day.
6:17 These are the gold sores that the Philistines brought as a guilt offering to the Lord – one for each of the following cities: Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron. 6:18 The gold mice corresponded in number to all the Philistine cities of the five leaders, from the fortified cities to hamlet villages, to greater Abel, 186 where they positioned the ark of the Lord until this very day in the field of Joshua who was from Beth Shemesh.
6:19 But the Lord 187 struck down some of the people of Beth Shemesh because they had looked into the ark of the Lord; he struck down 50,070 188 of the men. The people grieved because the Lord had struck the people with a hard blow. 6:20 The residents of Beth Shemesh asked, “Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God? To whom will the ark 189 go up from here?”
6:21 So they sent messengers to the residents of Kiriath Jearim, saying, “The Philistines have returned the ark of the Lord. Come down here and take it back home with you.”
7:1 Then the people 190 of Kiriath Jearim came and took the ark of the Lord; they brought it to the house of Abinadab located on the hill. They consecrated Eleazar his son to guard the ark of the Lord.
7:2 It was quite a long time – some twenty years in all – that the ark stayed at Kiriath Jearim. All the people 191 of Israel longed for 192 the Lord. 7:3 Samuel said to all the people of Israel, “If you are really turning to the Lord with all your hearts, remove from among you the foreign gods and the images of Ashtoreth. 193 Give your hearts to the Lord and serve only him. Then he will deliver you 194 from the hand of the Philistines.” 7:4 So the Israelites 195 removed the Baals and images of Ashtoreth. They served only the Lord.
7:5 Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord on your behalf.” 7:6 After they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the Lord. They fasted on that day, and they confessed 196 there, “We have sinned against the Lord.” So Samuel led 197 the people of Israel at Mizpah.
7:7 When the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, the leaders of the Philistines went up against Israel. When the Israelites heard about this, they were afraid of the Philistines. 7:8 The Israelites said to Samuel, “Keep 198 crying out to the Lord our 199 God so that he may save us 200 from the hand of the Philistines!” 7:9 So Samuel took a nursing lamb 201 and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. Samuel cried out to the Lord on Israel’s behalf, and the Lord answered him.
7:10 As Samuel was offering burnt offerings, the Philistines approached to do battle with Israel. 202 But on that day the Lord thundered loudly against the Philistines. He caused them to panic, and they were defeated by 203 Israel. 7:11 Then the men of Israel left Mizpah and chased the Philistines, striking them down all the way to an area below Beth Car.
7:12 Samuel took a stone and placed it between Mizpah and Shen. 204 He named it Ebenezer, 205 saying, “Up to here the Lord has helped us.” 7:13 So the Philistines were defeated; they did not invade Israel again. The hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.
7:14 The cities that the Philistines had captured from Israel were returned to Israel, from Ekron to Gath. Israel also delivered their territory from the control 206 of the Philistines. There was also peace between Israel and the Amorites. 7:15 So Samuel led 207 Israel all the days of his life. 7:16 Year after year he used to travel the circuit of Bethel, 208 Gilgal, and Mizpah; he used to judge Israel in all of these places. 7:17 Then he would return to Ramah, because his home was there. He also judged 209 Israel there and built an altar to the Lord there.
8:1 In his old age Samuel appointed his sons as judges over Israel. 8:2 The name of his firstborn son was Joel, and the name of his second son was Abijah. They were judges in Beer Sheba. 8:3 But his sons did not follow 210 his ways. Instead, they made money dishonestly, accepted bribes, and perverted justice. 211
8:4 So all the elders of Israel gathered together and approached Samuel at Ramah. 8:5 They said to him, “Look, you are old, and your sons don’t follow your ways. So now appoint over us a king to lead 212 us, just like all the other nations have.”
8:6 But this request displeased Samuel, for 213 they said, “Give us a king to lead us.” So Samuel prayed to the Lord. 8:7 The Lord said to Samuel, “Do everything the people request of you. 214 For it is not you that they have rejected, but it is me that they have rejected as their king. 8:8 Just as they have done 215 from the day that I brought them up from Egypt until this very day, they have rejected me and have served other gods. This is what they are also doing to you. 8:9 So now do as they say. 216 But seriously warn 217 them and make them aware of the policies of the king who will rule over them.” 218
8:10 So Samuel spoke all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. 8:11 He said, “Here are the policies of the king who will rule over you: He will conscript your sons and put them in his chariot forces and in his cavalry; they will run in front of his chariot. 8:12 He will appoint for himself leaders of thousands and leaders of fifties, 219 as well as those who plow his ground, reap his harvest, and make his weapons of war and his chariot equipment. 8:13 He will take your daughters to be ointment makers, cooks, and bakers. 8:14 He will take your best fields and vineyards and give them to his own servants. 8:15 He will demand a tenth of your seed and of the produce of your vineyards and give it to his administrators 220 and his servants. 8:16 He will take your male and female servants, as well as your best cattle and your donkeys, and assign them for his own use. 8:17 He will demand a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will be his servants. 8:18 In that day you will cry out because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord won’t answer you in that day.” 221
8:19 But the people refused to heed Samuel’s warning. 222 Instead they said, “No! There will be a king over us! 8:20 We will be like all the other nations. Our king will judge us and lead us 223 and fight our battles.”
8:21 So Samuel listened to everything the people said and then reported it to the Lord. 224 8:22 The Lord said to Samuel, “Do as they say 225 and install a king over them.” Then Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Each of you go back to his own city.”
9:1 There was a Benjaminite man named Kish son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah of Benjamin. He was a prominent person. 9:2 He had a son named Saul, a handsome young man. There was no one among the Israelites more handsome than he was; he stood head and shoulders above all the people.
9:3 The donkeys of Saul’s father Kish wandered off, 226 so Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants with you and go 227 look for the donkeys.” 228 9:4 So Saul 229 crossed through the hill country of Ephraim, passing through the land of Shalisha, but they did not find them. So they crossed through the land of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then he crossed through the land of Benjamin, and still they did not find them.
9:5 When they came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, “Come on, let’s head back before my father quits worrying about the donkeys and becomes anxious about us!” 9:6 But the servant said to him, “Look, there is a man of God in this town. He is highly respected. Everything that he says really happens. 230 Now let’s go there. Perhaps he will tell us where we should go from here.” 231 9:7 So Saul said to his servant, “All right, 232 we can go. But what can we bring the man, since the food in our bags is used up? We have no gift to take to the man of God. What do we have?” 9:8 The servant went on to answer Saul, “Look, I happen to have in my hand a quarter shekel 233 of silver. I will give it to the man of God and he will tell us where we should go.” 234 9:9 (Now it used to be in Israel that whenever someone went to inquire of God he would say, “Come on, let’s go to the seer.” For today’s prophet used to be called a seer.) 9:10 So Saul said to his servant, “That’s a good idea! 235 Come on. Let’s go.” So they went to the town where the man of God was.
9:11 As they were going up the ascent to the town, they met some girls coming out to draw water. They said to them, “Is this where the seer is?” 9:12 They replied, “Yes, straight ahead! But hurry now, for he came to the town today, and the people are making a sacrifice at the high place. 9:13 When you enter the town, you can find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people won’t eat until he arrives, for he must bless the sacrifice. Once that happens, those who have been invited will eat. Now go on up, for 236 this is the time when you can find him!”
9:14 So they went up to the town. As they were heading for the middle of the town, Samuel was coming in their direction 237 to go up to the high place. 9:15 Now the day before Saul arrived, the Lord had told 238 Samuel: 9:16 “At this time tomorrow I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin. You must consecrate 239 him as a leader over my people Israel. He will save my people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have looked with favor on my people. Their cry has reached me!”
9:17 When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said, 240 “Here is the man that I told you about! He will rule over my people.” 9:18 As Saul approached Samuel in the middle of the gate, he said, “Please tell me where the seer’s house is.”
9:19 Samuel replied to Saul, “I am the seer! Go up in front of me to the high place! Today you will eat with me and in the morning I will send you away. I will tell you everything that you are thinking. 241 9:20 Don’t be concerned 242 about the donkeys that you lost three days ago, for they have been found. Whom does all Israel desire? Is it not you, and all your father’s family?” 243
9:21 Saul replied, “Am I not a Benjaminite, from the smallest of Israel’s tribes, and is not my family clan the smallest of all the tribes of Benjamin? Why do you speak to me in this way?”
9:22 Then Samuel brought 244 Saul and his servant into the room and gave them a place at the head of those who had been invited. There were about thirty people present. 9:23 Samuel said to the cook, “Give me the portion of meat that I gave to you – the one I asked you to keep with you.”
9:24 So the cook picked up the leg and brought it and set it in front of Saul. Samuel 245 said, “What was kept is now set before you! Eat, for it has been kept for you for this meeting time, from the time I said, ‘I have invited the people.’” So Saul ate with Samuel that day.
9:25 When they came down from the high place to the town, Samuel spoke with Saul on the roof. 9:26 They got up at dawn and Samuel called to Saul on the roof, “Get up, so I can send you on your way.” So Saul got up and the two of them – he and Samuel – went outside. 9:27 While they were going down to the edge of town, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to go on ahead of us.” So he did. 246 Samuel then said, 247 “You remain here awhile, so I can inform you of God’s message.”
10:1 Then Samuel took a small container of olive oil and poured it on Saul’s 248 head. Samuel 249 kissed him and said, “The Lord has chosen you 250 to lead his people Israel! You will rule over the Lord’s people and you will deliver them from the power of the enemies who surround them. This will be your sign that the Lord has chosen 251 you as leader over his inheritance. 252 10:2 When you leave me today, you will find two men near Rachel’s tomb at Zelzah on Benjamin’s border. They will say to you, ‘The donkeys you have gone looking for have been found. Your father is no longer concerned about the donkeys but has become anxious about you two! 253 He is asking, “What should I do about my son?”’
10:3 “As you continue on from there, you will come to the tall tree of Tabor. At that point three men who are going up to God at Bethel 254 will meet you. One of them will be carrying three young goats, one of them will be carrying three round loaves of bread, and one of them will be carrying a container of wine. 10:4 They will ask you how you’re doing and will give you two loaves of bread. You will accept them. 10:5 Afterward you will go to Gibeah of God, where there are Philistine officials. 255 When you enter the town, you will meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place. They will have harps, tambourines, flutes, and lyres, and they will be prophesying. 10:6 Then the spirit of the Lord will rush upon you and you will prophesy with them. You will be changed into a different person.
10:7 “When these signs have taken place, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God will be with you. 256 10:8 You will go down to Gilgal before me. I am going to join you there to offer burnt offerings and to make peace offerings. You should wait for seven days, until I arrive and tell you what to do.”
10:9 As Saul 257 turned 258 to leave Samuel, God changed his inmost person. 259 All these signs happened on that very day. 10:10 When Saul and his servant 260 arrived at Gibeah, a company of prophets was coming out to meet him. Then the spirit of God rushed upon Saul 261 and he prophesied among them. 10:11 When everyone who had known him previously saw him prophesying with the prophets, the people all asked one another, “What on earth has happened to the son of Kish? Does even Saul belong with the prophets?”
10:12 A man who was from there replied, “And who is their father?” Therefore this became a proverb: “Is even Saul among the prophets?” 10:13 When Saul 262 had finished prophesying, he went to the high place.
10:14 Saul’s uncle asked him and his servant, “Where did you go?” Saul 263 replied, “To look for the donkeys. But when we realized they were lost, 264 we went to Samuel.” 10:15 Saul’s uncle said, “Tell me what Samuel said to you.” 265 10:16 Saul said to his uncle, “He assured us that the donkeys had been found.” But Saul 266 did not tell him what Samuel had said about the matter of kingship.
10:17 Then Samuel called the people together before the Lord at Mizpah. 10:18 He said to the Israelites, “This is what the Lord God of Israel says, ‘I brought Israel up from Egypt and I delivered you from the power 267 of the Egyptians and from the power of all the kingdoms that oppressed you. 10:19 But today you have rejected your God who saves you from all your trouble and distress. You have said, “No! 268 Appoint a king over us.” Now take your positions before the Lord by your tribes and by your clans.’”
10:20 Then Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was chosen by lot. 10:21 Then he brought the tribe of Benjamin near by its families, and the family of Matri was chosen by lot. At last Saul son of Kish was chosen by lot. But when they looked for him, he was nowhere to be found. 10:22 So they inquired again of the Lord, “Has the man arrived here yet?” The Lord said, “He has hidden himself among the equipment.” 269
10:23 So they ran and brought him from there. When he took his position among the people, he stood head and shoulders above them all. 10:24 Then Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the one whom the Lord has chosen? Indeed, there is no one like him among all the people!” All the people shouted out, “Long live the king!”
10:25 Then Samuel talked to the people about how the kingship would work. 270 He wrote it all down on a scroll and set it before the Lord. Then Samuel sent all the people away to their homes. 10:26 Even Saul went to his home in Gibeah. With him went some brave men whose hearts God had touched. 10:27 But some wicked men 271 said, “How can this man save us?” They despised him and did not even bring him a gift. But Saul said nothing about it. 272
7:5 Then Samuel said, “Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord on your behalf.” 7:6 After they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the Lord. They fasted on that day, and they confessed 273 there, “We have sinned against the Lord.” So Samuel led 274 the people of Israel at Mizpah.
7:12 Samuel took a stone and placed it between Mizpah and Shen. 275 He named it Ebenezer, 276 saying, “Up to here the Lord has helped us.”
6:1 When the ark of the Lord had been in the land 280 of the Philistines for seven months, 281 6:2 the Philistines called the priests and the omen readers, saying, “What should we do with the ark of the Lord? Advise us as to how we should send it back to its place.”
6:3 They replied, “If you are going to send the ark of 282 the God of Israel back, don’t send it away empty. Be sure to return it with a guilt offering. Then you will be healed, and you will understand why his hand is not removed from you.” 6:4 They inquired, “What is the guilt offering that we should send to him?”
They replied, “The Philistine leaders number five. So send five gold sores and five gold mice, for it is the same plague that has afflicted both you and your leaders. 6:5 You should make images of the sores and images of the mice 283 that are destroying the land. You should honor the God of Israel. Perhaps he will release his grip on you, your gods, and your land. 284 6:6 Why harden your hearts like the Egyptians and Pharaoh did? 285 When God 286 treated them harshly, didn’t the Egyptians send the Israelites on their way? 287 6:7 So now go and make a new cart. Get two cows that have calves and that have never had a yoke placed on them. Harness the cows to the cart and take their calves from them back to their stalls. 6:8 Then take the ark of the Lord and place it on the cart, and put in a chest beside it the gold objects you are sending to him as a guilt offering. You should then send it on its way. 6:9 But keep an eye on it. If it should go up by the way of its own border to Beth Shemesh, then he has brought this great calamity on us. But if that is not the case, then we will know that it was not his hand that struck us; rather, it just happened to us by accident.”
6:10 So the men did as instructed. 288 They took two cows that had calves and harnessed them to a cart; they also removed their calves to their stalls. 6:11 They put the ark of the Lord on the cart, along with the chest, the gold mice, and the images of the sores. 6:12 Then the cows went directly on the road to Beth Shemesh. They went along, mooing as they went; they turned neither to the right nor to the left. The leaders of the Philistines were walking along behind them all the way to the border of Beth Shemesh.
6:13 Now the residents of Beth Shemesh were harvesting wheat in the valley. When they looked up and saw the ark, they were pleased at the sight. 6:14 The cart was coming to the field of Joshua, who was from Beth Shemesh. It paused there near a big stone. Then they cut up the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the Lord. 6:15 The Levites took down the ark of the Lord and the chest that was with it, which contained the gold objects. They placed them near the big stone. At that time the people of Beth Shemesh offered burnt offerings and made sacrifices to the Lord. 6:16 The five leaders of the Philistines watched what was happening and then returned to Ekron on the same day.
6:17 These are the gold sores that the Philistines brought as a guilt offering to the Lord – one for each of the following cities: Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron. 6:18 The gold mice corresponded in number to all the Philistine cities of the five leaders, from the fortified cities to hamlet villages, to greater Abel, 289 where they positioned the ark of the Lord until this very day in the field of Joshua who was from Beth Shemesh.
6:19 But the Lord 290 struck down some of the people of Beth Shemesh because they had looked into the ark of the Lord; he struck down 50,070 291 of the men. The people grieved because the Lord had struck the people with a hard blow. 6:20 The residents of Beth Shemesh asked, “Who is able to stand before the Lord, this holy God? To whom will the ark 292 go up from here?”
6:21 So they sent messengers to the residents of Kiriath Jearim, saying, “The Philistines have returned the ark of the Lord. Come down here and take it back home with you.”
21:4 The priest replied to David, “I don’t have any ordinary bread at my disposal. Only holy bread is available, and then only if your soldiers 298 have abstained from sexual relations with women.” 299 21:5 David said to the priest, “Certainly women have been kept away from us, just as on previous occasions when I have set out. The soldiers’ 300 equipment is holy, even on an ordinary journey. How much more so will they be holy today, along with their equipment!”
21:6 So the priest gave him holy bread, for there was no bread there other than the bread of the Presence. It had been removed from before the Lord in order to replace it with hot bread on the day it had been taken away. 21:7 (One of Saul’s servants was there that day, detained before the Lord. His name was Doeg the Edomite, who was in charge of Saul’s shepherds.) 21:8 David said to Ahimelech, “Is there no sword or spear here at your disposal? I don’t have my own sword or equipment in hand due to the urgency of the king’s instructions.”
21:9 The priest replied, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you struck down in the valley of Elah, is wrapped in a garment behind the ephod. If you wish, take it for yourself. Other than that, there’s nothing here.” David said, “There’s nothing like it! Give it to me!” 21:10 So on that day David arose and fled from Saul. He went to King Achish of Gath. 21:11 The servants of Achish said to him, “Isn’t this David, the king of the land? Isn’t he the one that they sing about when they dance, saying,
‘Saul struck down his thousands,
But David his tens of thousands’?”
21:12 David thought about what they said 301 and was very afraid of King Achish of Gath. 21:13 He altered his behavior in their presence. 302 Since he was in their power, 303 he pretended to be insane, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting his saliva run down his beard.
21:14 Achish said to his servants, “Look at this madman! Why did you bring him to me? 21:15 Do I have a shortage of fools, that you have brought me this man to display his insanity in front of me? Should this man enter my house?”
12:18 So Samuel called to the Lord, and the Lord made it thunder and rain that day. All the people were very afraid of both the Lord and Samuel. 12:19 All the people said to Samuel, “Pray to the Lord your God on behalf of us – your servants – so we won’t die, for we have added to all our sins by asking for a king.” 304
11:1 307 Nahash 308 the Ammonite marched 309 against Jabesh Gilead. All the men of Jabesh Gilead said to Nahash, “Make a treaty with us and we will serve you.”
11:2 But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, “The only way I will make a treaty with you is if you let me gouge out the right eye of every one of you and in so doing humiliate all Israel!”
11:3 The elders of Jabesh said to him, “Leave us alone for seven days so that we can send messengers throughout the territory of Israel. If there is no one who can deliver us, we will come out voluntarily to you.”
11:4 When the messengers went to Gibeah (where Saul lived) 310 and informed the people of these matters, all the people wept loudly. 311 11:5 Now Saul was walking behind the 312 oxen as he came from the field. Saul asked, “What has happened to the people? Why are they weeping?” So they told him about 313 the men of Jabesh.
11:6 The Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and he became very angry. 11:7 He took a pair 314 of oxen and cut them up. Then he sent the pieces throughout the territory of Israel by the hand of messengers, who said, “Whoever does not go out after Saul and after Samuel should expect this to be done to his oxen!” Then the terror of the Lord fell on the people, and they went out as one army. 315 11:8 When Saul counted them at Bezek, the Israelites were 300,000 316 strong and the men of Judah numbered 30,000. 317
11:9 They said to the messengers who had come, “Here’s what you should say to the men of Jabesh Gilead: ‘Tomorrow deliverance will come to you when the sun is fully up.’” When the messengers went and told the men of Jabesh Gilead, they were happy. 11:10 The men of Jabesh said, “Tomorrow we will come out to you 318 and you can do with us whatever you wish.” 319
11:11 The next day Saul placed the people in three groups. They went to the Ammonite camp during the morning watch and struck them 320 down until the hottest part of the day. The survivors scattered; no two of them remained together.
11:12 Then the people said to Samuel, “Who were the ones asking, ‘Will Saul reign over us?’ Hand over those men so we may execute them!” 11:13 But Saul said, “No one will be killed on this day. For today the Lord has given Israel a victory!” 11:14 Samuel said to the people, “Come on! Let’s go to Gilgal and renew the kingship there.” 11:15 So all the people went to Gilgal, where 321 they established Saul as king in the Lord’s presence. They offered up peace offerings there in the Lord’s presence. Saul and all the Israelites were very happy.
2:1 Hannah prayed, 325
“My heart rejoices in the Lord;
my horn 326 is exalted high because of the Lord.
I loudly denounce 327 my enemies,
for I am happy that you delivered me. 328
2:2 No one is holy 329 like the Lord!
There is no one other than you!
There is no rock 330 like our God!
2:3 Don’t keep speaking so arrogantly, 331
letting proud talk come out of your mouth!
For the Lord is a God who knows;
he 332 evaluates what people do.
2:4 The bows of warriors are shattered,
but those who stumble find their strength reinforced.
2:5 Those who are well-fed hire themselves out to earn food,
but the hungry no longer lack.
Even 333 the barren woman gives birth to seven, 334
but the one with many children withers away. 335
2:6 The Lord both kills and gives life;
he brings down to the grave 336 and raises up.
2:7 The Lord impoverishes and makes wealthy;
he humbles and he exalts.
2:8 He lifts the weak 337 from the dust;
he raises 338 the poor from the ash heap
to seat them with princes
and to bestow on them an honored position. 339
The foundations of the earth belong to the Lord,
and he has placed the world on them.
2:9 He watches over 340 his holy ones, 341
but the wicked are made speechless in the darkness,
for it is not by one’s own strength that one prevails.
2:10 The Lord shatters 342 his adversaries; 343
he thunders against them from 344 the heavens.
The Lord executes judgment to the ends of the earth.
He will strengthen 345 his king
and exalt the power 346 of his anointed one.” 347
2:11 Then Elkanah went back home to Ramah. But the boy was serving the Lord under the supervision of 348 Eli the priest.
2:12 The sons of Eli were wicked men. 349 They did not recognize the Lord’s authority. 350 2:13 Now the priests would always treat the people in the following way: 351 Whenever anyone was making a sacrifice, while the meat was boiling, the priest’s attendant would come with a three-pronged fork 352 in his hand. 2:14 He would jab it into the basin, kettle, caldron, or pot, and everything that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is what they used to do to all the Israelites 353 when they came there to Shiloh.
2:15 Even before they burned the fat, the priest’s attendant would come and say to the person who was making the sacrifice, “Hand over some meat for the priest to roast! He won’t take boiled meat from you, but only raw.” 354 2:16 If the individual said to him, “First let the fat be burned away, and then take for yourself whatever you wish,” he would say, “No! 355 Hand it over right now! If you don’t, I will take it forcibly!”
2:17 The sin of these young men was very great in the Lord’s sight, for they 356 treated the Lord’s offering with contempt.
2:18 Now Samuel was ministering before the Lord. The boy was dressed in a linen ephod. 2:19 His mother used to make him a small robe and bring it up to him at regular intervals when she would go up with her husband to make the annual sacrifice. 2:20 Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife saying, “May the Lord raise up for you descendants 357 from this woman to replace the one that she 358 dedicated to the Lord.” Then they would go to their 359 home. 2:21 So the Lord graciously attended to Hannah, and she was able to conceive and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. The boy Samuel grew up at the Lord’s sanctuary. 360
2:22 Now Eli was very old when he heard about everything that his sons used to do to all the people of Israel 361 and how they used to have sex with 362 the women who were stationed at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 2:23 He said to them, “Why do you behave in this way? For I hear about these evil things from all these 363 people. 2:24 This ought not to be, 364 my sons! For the report that I hear circulating among the Lord’s people is not good. 2:25 If a man sins against a man, one may appeal to God on his behalf. But if a man sins against the Lord, who then will intercede for him?” But Eli’s sons 365 would not listen to their father, for the Lord had decided 366 to kill them.
2:26 Now the boy Samuel was growing up and finding favor both with the Lord and with people.
2:27 A man of God came to Eli and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Did I not plainly 367 reveal myself to your ancestor’s 368 house when they were in Egypt in the house of Pharaoh? 2:28 I chose your ancestor 369 from all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer sacrifice on my altar, to burn incense, and to bear the ephod before me. I gave to your ancestor’s house all the fire offerings made by the Israelites. 2:29 Why are you 370 scorning my sacrifice and my offering that I commanded for my dwelling place? 371 You have honored your sons more than you have me by having made yourselves fat from the best parts of all the offerings of my people Israel.’
2:30 Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, says, ‘I really did say 372 that your house and your ancestor’s house would serve 373 me forever.’ But now the Lord says, ‘May it never be! 374 For I will honor those who honor me, but those who despise me will be cursed! 2:31 In fact, days are coming when I will remove your strength 375 and the strength 376 of your father’s house. There will not be an old man in your house! 2:32 You will see trouble in my dwelling place! 377 Israel will experience blessings, 378 but there will not be an old man in your 379 house for all time. 380 2:33 Any one of you that I do not cut off from my altar, I will cause your 381 eyes to fail 382 and will cause you grief. 383 All of those born to your family 384 will die in the prime of life. 385 2:34 This will be a confirming sign for you that will be fulfilled through your two sons, 386 Hophni and Phinehas: in a single day they both will die! 2:35 Then I will raise up for myself a faithful priest. He will do what is in my heart and soul. I will build for him a secure dynasty 387 and he will serve my chosen one for all time. 388 2:36 Everyone who remains in your house will come to bow before him for a little money 389 and for a scrap of bread. Each will say, ‘Assign me to a priestly task so I can eat a scrap of bread.’”
3:1 Now the boy Samuel continued serving the Lord under Eli’s supervision. 390 Word from the Lord was rare in those days; revelatory visions were infrequent.
3:2 Eli’s eyes had begun to fail, so that he was unable to see well. At that time he was lying down in his place, 3:3 and the lamp of God had not yet been extinguished. Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord as well; the ark of God was also there. 3:4 The Lord called to Samuel, and he replied, “Here I am!” 3:5 Then he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But Eli 391 said, “I didn’t call you. Go back and lie down.” So he went back and lay down. 3:6 The Lord again called, “Samuel!” So Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But Eli 392 said, “I didn’t call you, my son. Go back and lie down.”
3:7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord; the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. 3:8 Then the Lord called Samuel a third time. So he got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me!” Eli then realized that it was the Lord who was calling the boy. 3:9 So Eli said to Samuel, “Go back and lie down. When he calls you, say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” So Samuel went back and lay down in his place.
3:10 Then the Lord came and stood nearby, calling as he had previously done, “Samuel! Samuel!” Samuel replied, “Speak, for your servant is listening!” 3:11 The Lord said to Samuel, “Look! I am about to do something in Israel; 393 when anyone hears about it, both of his ears will tingle. 3:12 On that day I will carry out 394 against Eli everything that I spoke about his house – from start to finish! 3:13 You 395 should tell him that I am about to judge his house forever because of 396 the sin that he knew about. For his sons were cursing God, 397 and he did not rebuke them. 3:14 Therefore I swore an oath to the house of Eli, ‘The sin of the house of Eli can never be forgiven by sacrifice or by grain offering.’”
3:15 So Samuel lay down until morning. Then he opened the doors of the Lord’s house. But Samuel was afraid to tell Eli about the vision. 3:16 However, Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son!” He replied, “Here I am.” 3:17 Eli 398 said, “What message did he speak to you? Don’t conceal it from me. God will judge you severely 399 if you conceal from me anything that he said to you!”
3:18 So Samuel told him everything. He did not hold back anything from him. Eli 400 said, “The Lord will do what he pleases.” 401 3:19 Samuel continued to grow, and the Lord was with him. None of his prophecies fell to the ground unfulfilled. 402 3:20 All Israel from Dan to Beer Sheba realized that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the Lord. 3:21 Then the Lord again appeared in Shiloh, for it was in Shiloh that the Lord had revealed himself to Samuel 403 through the word of the Lord. 404 4:1 Samuel revealed the word of the Lord 405 to all Israel.
Then the Israelites went out to fight the Philistines. 406 They camped at Ebenezer, 407 and the Philistines camped at Aphek. 4:2 The Philistines arranged their forces to fight 408 Israel. As the battle spread out, 409 Israel was defeated by 410 the Philistines, who 411 killed about four thousand men in the battle line in the field.
4:3 When the army 412 came back to the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why did the Lord let us be defeated today by 413 the Philistines? Let’s take with us the ark of the covenant of the Lord from Shiloh. When it is with us, it will save us 414 from the hand of our enemies.
4:4 So the army 415 sent to Shiloh, and they took from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts who sits between the cherubim. Now the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phineas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. 4:5 When the ark of the covenant of the Lord arrived at the camp, all Israel shouted so loudly 416 that the ground shook.
4:6 When the Philistines heard the sound of the shout, they said, “What is this loud shout in the camp of the Hebrews?” Then they realized that the ark of the Lord had arrived at the camp. 4:7 The Philistines were scared because they thought that gods had come to the camp. 417 They said, “Too bad for 418 us! We’ve never seen anything like this! 4:8 Too bad for us! Who can deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all sorts of plagues in the desert! 4:9 Be strong and act like men, you Philistines, or else you will wind up serving the Hebrews the way they have served you! Act like men and fight!”
4:10 So the Philistines fought. Israel was defeated; they all ran home. 419 The slaughter was very great; thirty thousand foot soldiers fell in battle. 4:11 The ark of God was taken, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phineas, were killed.
4:12 On that day 420 a Benjaminite ran from the battle lines and came to Shiloh. His clothes were torn and dirt was on his head. 4:13 When he arrived in Shiloh, Eli was sitting in his chair watching by the side of 421 the road, for he was very worried 422 about the ark of God. As the man entered the city to give his report, 423 the whole city cried out.
4:14 When Eli heard the outcry, 424 he said, “What is this commotion?” 425 The man quickly came and told Eli. 4:15 Now Eli was ninety-eight years old and his eyes looked straight ahead; 426 he was unable to see.
4:16 The man said to Eli, “I am the one who came from the battle lines! Just today I fled from the battle lines!” Eli 427 asked, “How did things go, my son?” 4:17 The messenger replied, “Israel has fled from 428 the Philistines! The army has suffered a great defeat! Your two sons, Hophni and Phineas, are dead! The ark of God has been captured!”
4:18 When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli 429 fell backward from his chair beside the gate. He broke his neck and died, for he 430 was old and heavy. He had judged Israel for forty years.
4:19 His daughter-in-law, the wife of Phineas, was pregnant and close to giving birth. When she heard that the ark of God was captured and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she doubled over and gave birth. But her labor pains were too much for her. 4:20 As she was dying, the women who were there with her said, “Don’t be afraid! You have given birth to a son!” But she did not reply or pay any attention. 431
4:21 She named the boy Ichabod, 432 saying, “The glory has departed from Israel,” referring to the capture of the ark of God and the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband. 4:22 She said, “The glory has departed from Israel, because the ark of God has been captured.”
9:1 There was a Benjaminite man named Kish son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah of Benjamin. He was a prominent person. 9:2 He had a son named Saul, a handsome young man. There was no one among the Israelites more handsome than he was; he stood head and shoulders above all the people.
9:3 The donkeys of Saul’s father Kish wandered off, 433 so Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants with you and go 434 look for the donkeys.” 435 9:4 So Saul 436 crossed through the hill country of Ephraim, passing through the land of Shalisha, but they did not find them. So they crossed through the land of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then he crossed through the land of Benjamin, and still they did not find them.
9:5 When they came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, “Come on, let’s head back before my father quits worrying about the donkeys and becomes anxious about us!” 9:6 But the servant said to him, “Look, there is a man of God in this town. He is highly respected. Everything that he says really happens. 437 Now let’s go there. Perhaps he will tell us where we should go from here.” 438 9:7 So Saul said to his servant, “All right, 439 we can go. But what can we bring the man, since the food in our bags is used up? We have no gift to take to the man of God. What do we have?” 9:8 The servant went on to answer Saul, “Look, I happen to have in my hand a quarter shekel 440 of silver. I will give it to the man of God and he will tell us where we should go.” 441 9:9 (Now it used to be in Israel that whenever someone went to inquire of God he would say, “Come on, let’s go to the seer.” For today’s prophet used to be called a seer.) 9:10 So Saul said to his servant, “That’s a good idea! 442 Come on. Let’s go.” So they went to the town where the man of God was.
9:11 As they were going up the ascent to the town, they met some girls coming out to draw water. They said to them, “Is this where the seer is?” 9:12 They replied, “Yes, straight ahead! But hurry now, for he came to the town today, and the people are making a sacrifice at the high place. 9:13 When you enter the town, you can find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people won’t eat until he arrives, for he must bless the sacrifice. Once that happens, those who have been invited will eat. Now go on up, for 443 this is the time when you can find him!”
9:14 So they went up to the town. As they were heading for the middle of the town, Samuel was coming in their direction 444 to go up to the high place. 9:15 Now the day before Saul arrived, the Lord had told 445 Samuel: 9:16 “At this time tomorrow I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin. You must consecrate 446 him as a leader over my people Israel. He will save my people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have looked with favor on my people. Their cry has reached me!”
9:17 When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said, 447 “Here is the man that I told you about! He will rule over my people.” 9:18 As Saul approached Samuel in the middle of the gate, he said, “Please tell me where the seer’s house is.”
9:19 Samuel replied to Saul, “I am the seer! Go up in front of me to the high place! Today you will eat with me and in the morning I will send you away. I will tell you everything that you are thinking. 448 9:20 Don’t be concerned 449 about the donkeys that you lost three days ago, for they have been found. Whom does all Israel desire? Is it not you, and all your father’s family?” 450
9:21 Saul replied, “Am I not a Benjaminite, from the smallest of Israel’s tribes, and is not my family clan the smallest of all the tribes of Benjamin? Why do you speak to me in this way?”
9:22 Then Samuel brought 451 Saul and his servant into the room and gave them a place at the head of those who had been invited. There were about thirty people present. 9:23 Samuel said to the cook, “Give me the portion of meat that I gave to you – the one I asked you to keep with you.”
9:24 So the cook picked up the leg and brought it and set it in front of Saul. Samuel 452 said, “What was kept is now set before you! Eat, for it has been kept for you for this meeting time, from the time I said, ‘I have invited the people.’” So Saul ate with Samuel that day.
9:25 When they came down from the high place to the town, Samuel spoke with Saul on the roof. 9:26 They got up at dawn and Samuel called to Saul on the roof, “Get up, so I can send you on your way.” So Saul got up and the two of them – he and Samuel – went outside. 9:27 While they were going down to the edge of town, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to go on ahead of us.” So he did. 453 Samuel then said, 454 “You remain here awhile, so I can inform you of God’s message.”
10:1 Then Samuel took a small container of olive oil and poured it on Saul’s 455 head. Samuel 456 kissed him and said, “The Lord has chosen you 457 to lead his people Israel! You will rule over the Lord’s people and you will deliver them from the power of the enemies who surround them. This will be your sign that the Lord has chosen 458 you as leader over his inheritance. 459 10:2 When you leave me today, you will find two men near Rachel’s tomb at Zelzah on Benjamin’s border. They will say to you, ‘The donkeys you have gone looking for have been found. Your father is no longer concerned about the donkeys but has become anxious about you two! 460 He is asking, “What should I do about my son?”’
10:3 “As you continue on from there, you will come to the tall tree of Tabor. At that point three men who are going up to God at Bethel 461 will meet you. One of them will be carrying three young goats, one of them will be carrying three round loaves of bread, and one of them will be carrying a container of wine. 10:4 They will ask you how you’re doing and will give you two loaves of bread. You will accept them. 10:5 Afterward you will go to Gibeah of God, where there are Philistine officials. 462 When you enter the town, you will meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place. They will have harps, tambourines, flutes, and lyres, and they will be prophesying. 10:6 Then the spirit of the Lord will rush upon you and you will prophesy with them. You will be changed into a different person.
10:7 “When these signs have taken place, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God will be with you. 463 10:8 You will go down to Gilgal before me. I am going to join you there to offer burnt offerings and to make peace offerings. You should wait for seven days, until I arrive and tell you what to do.”
10:9 As Saul 464 turned 465 to leave Samuel, God changed his inmost person. 466 All these signs happened on that very day. 10:10 When Saul and his servant 467 arrived at Gibeah, a company of prophets was coming out to meet him. Then the spirit of God rushed upon Saul 468 and he prophesied among them. 10:11 When everyone who had known him previously saw him prophesying with the prophets, the people all asked one another, “What on earth has happened to the son of Kish? Does even Saul belong with the prophets?”
10:12 A man who was from there replied, “And who is their father?” Therefore this became a proverb: “Is even Saul among the prophets?” 10:13 When Saul 469 had finished prophesying, he went to the high place.
10:14 Saul’s uncle asked him and his servant, “Where did you go?” Saul 470 replied, “To look for the donkeys. But when we realized they were lost, 471 we went to Samuel.” 10:15 Saul’s uncle said, “Tell me what Samuel said to you.” 472 10:16 Saul said to his uncle, “He assured us that the donkeys had been found.” But Saul 473 did not tell him what Samuel had said about the matter of kingship.
10:17 Then Samuel called the people together before the Lord at Mizpah. 10:18 He said to the Israelites, “This is what the Lord God of Israel says, ‘I brought Israel up from Egypt and I delivered you from the power 474 of the Egyptians and from the power of all the kingdoms that oppressed you. 10:19 But today you have rejected your God who saves you from all your trouble and distress. You have said, “No! 475 Appoint a king over us.” Now take your positions before the Lord by your tribes and by your clans.’”
10:20 Then Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was chosen by lot. 10:21 Then he brought the tribe of Benjamin near by its families, and the family of Matri was chosen by lot. At last Saul son of Kish was chosen by lot. But when they looked for him, he was nowhere to be found. 10:22 So they inquired again of the Lord, “Has the man arrived here yet?” The Lord said, “He has hidden himself among the equipment.” 476
10:23 So they ran and brought him from there. When he took his position among the people, he stood head and shoulders above them all. 10:24 Then Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the one whom the Lord has chosen? Indeed, there is no one like him among all the people!” All the people shouted out, “Long live the king!”
10:25 Then Samuel talked to the people about how the kingship would work. 477 He wrote it all down on a scroll and set it before the Lord. Then Samuel sent all the people away to their homes. 10:26 Even Saul went to his home in Gibeah. With him went some brave men whose hearts God had touched. 10:27 But some wicked men 478 said, “How can this man save us?” They despised him and did not even bring him a gift. But Saul said nothing about it. 479
11:1 480 Nahash 481 the Ammonite marched 482 against Jabesh Gilead. All the men of Jabesh Gilead said to Nahash, “Make a treaty with us and we will serve you.”
11:2 But Nahash the Ammonite said to them, “The only way I will make a treaty with you is if you let me gouge out the right eye of every one of you and in so doing humiliate all Israel!”
11:3 The elders of Jabesh said to him, “Leave us alone for seven days so that we can send messengers throughout the territory of Israel. If there is no one who can deliver us, we will come out voluntarily to you.”
11:4 When the messengers went to Gibeah (where Saul lived) 483 and informed the people of these matters, all the people wept loudly. 484 11:5 Now Saul was walking behind the 485 oxen as he came from the field. Saul asked, “What has happened to the people? Why are they weeping?” So they told him about 486 the men of Jabesh.
11:6 The Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and he became very angry. 11:7 He took a pair 487 of oxen and cut them up. Then he sent the pieces throughout the territory of Israel by the hand of messengers, who said, “Whoever does not go out after Saul and after Samuel should expect this to be done to his oxen!” Then the terror of the Lord fell on the people, and they went out as one army. 488 11:8 When Saul counted them at Bezek, the Israelites were 300,000 489 strong and the men of Judah numbered 30,000. 490
11:9 They said to the messengers who had come, “Here’s what you should say to the men of Jabesh Gilead: ‘Tomorrow deliverance will come to you when the sun is fully up.’” When the messengers went and told the men of Jabesh Gilead, they were happy. 11:10 The men of Jabesh said, “Tomorrow we will come out to you 491 and you can do with us whatever you wish.” 492
11:11 The next day Saul placed the people in three groups. They went to the Ammonite camp during the morning watch and struck them 493 down until the hottest part of the day. The survivors scattered; no two of them remained together.
11:12 Then the people said to Samuel, “Who were the ones asking, ‘Will Saul reign over us?’ Hand over those men so we may execute them!” 11:13 But Saul said, “No one will be killed on this day. For today the Lord has given Israel a victory!” 11:14 Samuel said to the people, “Come on! Let’s go to Gilgal and renew the kingship there.” 11:15 So all the people went to Gilgal, where 494 they established Saul as king in the Lord’s presence. They offered up peace offerings there in the Lord’s presence. Saul and all the Israelites were very happy.
12:1 Samuel said to all Israel, “I have done 495 everything you requested. 496 I have given you a king. 497 12:2 Now look! This king walks before you. As for me, I am old and gray, though my sons are here with you. I have walked before you from the time of my youth till the present day. 12:3 Here I am. Bring a charge against me before the Lord and before his chosen king. 498 Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I wronged? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I taken a bribe so that I would overlook something? Tell me, 499 and I will return it to you!”
12:4 They replied, “You have not wronged us or oppressed us. You have not taken anything from the hand of anyone.” 12:5 He said to them, “The Lord is witness against you, and his chosen king 500 is witness this day, that you have not found any reason to accuse me.” 501 They said, “He is witness!”
12:6 Samuel said to the people, “The Lord is the one who chose Moses and Aaron and who brought your ancestors 502 up from the land of Egypt. 12:7 Now take your positions, so I may confront you 503 before the Lord regarding all the Lord’s just actions toward you and your ancestors. 504 12:8 When Jacob entered Egypt, your ancestors cried out to the Lord. The Lord sent Moses and Aaron, and they led your ancestors out of Egypt and settled them in this place.
12:9 “But they forgot the Lord their God, so he gave 505 them into the hand of Sisera, the general in command of Hazor’s 506 army, 507 and into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them. 12:10 Then they cried out to the Lord and admitted, 508 ‘We have sinned, for we have forsaken the Lord and have served the Baals and the images of Ashtoreth. 509 Now deliver us from the hand of our enemies so that we may serve you.’ 510 12:11 So the Lord sent Jerub-Baal, 511 Barak, 512 Jephthah, and Samuel, 513 and he delivered you from the hand of the enemies all around you, and you were able to live securely.
12:12 “When you saw that King Nahash of the Ammonites was advancing against you, you said to me, ‘No! A king will rule over us’ – even though the Lord your God is your king! 12:13 Now look! Here is the king you have chosen – the one that you asked for! Look, the Lord has given you a king! 12:14 If you fear the Lord, serving him and obeying him 514 and not rebelling against what he says, 515 and if both you and the king who rules over you follow the Lord your God, all will be well. 516 12:15 But if you don’t obey 517 the Lord and rebel against what the Lord says, the hand of the Lord will be against both you and your king. 518
12:16 “So now, take your positions and watch this great thing that the Lord is about to do in your sight. 12:17 Is this not the time of the wheat harvest? I will call on the Lord so that he makes it thunder and rain. Realize and see what a great sin you have committed before the Lord by asking for a king for yourselves.”
12:18 So Samuel called to the Lord, and the Lord made it thunder and rain that day. All the people were very afraid of both the Lord and Samuel. 12:19 All the people said to Samuel, “Pray to the Lord your God on behalf of us – your servants – so we won’t die, for we have added to all our sins by asking for a king.” 519
12:20 Then Samuel said to the people, “Don’t be afraid. You have indeed sinned. 520 However, don’t turn aside from the Lord. Serve the Lord with all your heart. 12:21 You should not turn aside after empty things that can’t profit and can’t deliver, since they are empty. 521 12:22 The Lord will not abandon his people because he wants to uphold his great reputation. 522 The Lord was pleased to make you his own people. 12:23 As far as I am concerned, far be it from me to sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you! I will instruct you in the way that is good and upright. 12:24 However, fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. Just look at the great things he has done for you! 12:25 But if you continue to do evil, both you and your king will be swept away.”
30:7 Then David said to the priest Abiathar son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought the ephod to David. 30:8 David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Should I pursue this raiding band? Will I overtake them?” He said to him, “Pursue, for you will certainly overtake them and carry out a rescue!”
1 tn Heb “she [was in] bitterness of soul.”
2 tn Heb “and weeping, she was weeping.” The infinitive absolute emphasizes the extent of her sorrow. The imperfect verbal form emphasizes the continuation of the action in past time.
3 tn Heb “if looking you look.” The expression can refer, as here, to looking favorably upon another, in this case with compassion.
4 tn Heb “handmaid.” The use of this term (translated two more times in this verse and once each in vv. 16, 17 simply as “servant” for stylistic reasons) is an expression of humility.
5 tn Heb “seed of men.”
6 tn Heb “a razor will not go up upon his head.”
7 tc Heb “before.” Many medieval Hebrew manuscripts read “to.”
8 tn Heb “Eli.” The pronoun (“he”) has been used in the translation in keeping with contemporary English style.
9 tn Heb “No.”
10 tn Heb “I am a woman difficult of spirit.” The LXX has “for whom the day is difficult,” apparently mistaking the Hebrew word for “spirit” רוּחַ (ruakh) to be the word for “day” יוֹם (yom).
11 tn Heb “before.”
12 tn Heb “daughter of worthlessness.”
13 tc Several medieval Hebrew
14 tc The translation follows the MT. The LXX reads “a man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite”; this is followed by a number of recent English translations. It is possible the MT reading צוֹפִים (tsofim) arose from dittography of the mem (מ) at the beginning of the following word.
15 tn Heb “from days to days.”
16 tn The exact sense of the Hebrew word אַפָּיִם (’appayim, “two faces”) is not certain here. It is most likely used with the preceding expression (“one portion of two faces”) to mean a portion double than normally received. Although evidence for this use of the word derives primarily from Aramaic rather than from Hebrew usage, it provides an understanding that fits the context here better than other suggestions for the word do. The meaning “double” is therefore adopted in the present translation. Other possibilities for the meaning of the word include the following: “heavily” (cf. Vulg., tristis) and “worthy” or “choice” (cf. KJV and Targum). Some scholars have followed the LXX here, emending the word to אֶפֶס (’efes) and translating it as “but” or “however.” This seems unnecessary. The translators of the LXX may simply have been struggling to make sense of the word rather than following a Hebrew text that was different from the MT here.
17 tn Heb “for Hannah he loved.” Repetition of the proper name would seem redundant in contemporary English, so the pronoun (“her”) has been used here for clarity. The translation also adds the adverb “especially” to clarify the meaning of the text. Without this addition one might get the impression that only Hannah, not Peninnah, was loved by her husband. But the point of the text is that Hannah was his favorite.
18 tn Heb “and the
19 tn Heb “and her rival wife grieved her, even [with] grief so as to worry her.”
20 tn The MT has a masculine form of the verb here יַעֲשֶׂה (ya’aseh, “he used to do”); the subject in that case would presumably be Elkanah. But this leads to an abrupt change of subject in the following part of the verse, where the subject is 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 of the rival wife: “she used to behave in this way year after year.” Some scholars have proposed retaining the masculine form but changing the vocalization of the verb so as to read a Niphal rather than a Qal (i.e., יֵעֲשֶׂה, ye’aseh, “so it used to be done”). But the problem here is lack of precedent for such a use of the Niphal of this verb. It seems best in light of the context to understand the reference to be to Hannah’s rival Peninnah and to read here, with the Syriac Peshitta, a feminine form of the verb (“she used to do”). In the translation the referent (Peninnah) has been specified for clarity.
21 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Hannah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
22 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Peninnah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
23 tn Heb “why is your heart displeased?”
24 sn Like the number seven, the number ten is sometimes used in the OT as an ideal number (see, for example, Dan 1:20, Zech 8:23).
25 tc The LXX adds “and stood before the Lord,” but this is probably a textual expansion due to the terseness of the statement in the Hebrew text.
26 tn Or perhaps, “on his throne.” See Joüon 2:506-7 §137.f.
27 tn Heb “she [was in] bitterness of soul.”
28 tn Heb “and weeping, she was weeping.” The infinitive absolute emphasizes the extent of her sorrow. The imperfect verbal form emphasizes the continuation of the action in past time.
29 tn Heb “if looking you look.” The expression can refer, as here, to looking favorably upon another, in this case with compassion.
30 tn Heb “handmaid.” The use of this term (translated two more times in this verse and once each in vv. 16, 17 simply as “servant” for stylistic reasons) is an expression of humility.
31 tn Heb “seed of men.”
32 tn Heb “a razor will not go up upon his head.”
33 tc Heb “before.” Many medieval Hebrew manuscripts read “to.”
34 tn Heb “Eli.” The pronoun (“he”) has been used in the translation in keeping with contemporary English style.
35 tn Heb “No.”
36 tn Heb “I am a woman difficult of spirit.” The LXX has “for whom the day is difficult,” apparently mistaking the Hebrew word for “spirit” רוּחַ (ruakh) to be the word for “day” יוֹם (yom).
37 tn Heb “before.”
38 tn Heb “daughter of worthlessness.”
39 tc Several medieval Hebrew
40 tn Heb “Elkanah knew his wife.” The Hebrew expression is a euphemism for sexual relations.
41 sn The Lord “remembered” her in the sense of granting her earlier request for a child. The Hebrew verb is often used in the OT for considering the needs or desires of people with favor and kindness.
42 tn Heb “because from the
43 tn The disjunctive clause is contrastive here. The words “with them” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
44 tn Heb “what is good in your eyes.”
45 tn Heb “establish his word.” This apparently refers to the promise inherent in Eli’s priestly blessing (see v. 17).
46 sn The ephah was a standard dry measure in OT times; it was the equivalent of one-tenth of the OT measure known as a homer. The ephah was equal to approximately one-half to two-thirds of a bushel.
47 tn The Hebrew term translated “container” may denote either a clay storage jar (cf. CEV “a clay jar full of wine”) or a leather container (cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV “a skin of wine”; NCV “a leather bag filled with (full of TEV) wine.”
48 tc Heb “and the boy was a boy.” If the MT is correct the meaning apparently is that the boy was quite young at the time of these events. On the other hand, some scholars have suspected a textual problem, emending the text to read either “and the boy was with them” (so LXX) or “and the boy was with her” (a conjectural emendation). In spite of the difficulty it seems best to stay with the MT here.
49 tn Heb “he,” apparently referring to Samuel (but cf. CEV “Elkanah”). A few medieval manuscripts and some ancient versions take the verb as plural (cf. TEV, NLT).
50 tn Heb “prayed and said.” This is somewhat redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified in the translation.
51 sn Horns of animals have always functioned as both offensive and defensive weapons for them. As a figure of speech the horn is therefore often used in the Bible as a symbol of human strength (see also in v. 10). The allusion in v. 1 to the horn being lifted high suggests a picture of an animal elevating its head in a display of strength or virility.
52 tn Heb “my mouth opens wide against.”
53 tn Heb “for I rejoice in your deliverance.”
54 sn In this context God’s holiness refers primarily to his sovereignty and incomparability. He is unique and distinct from all other so-called gods.
55 tn The LXX has “and there is none righteous like our God.” The Hebrew term translated “rock” refers to a rocky cliff where one can seek refuge from enemies. Here the metaphor depicts God as a protector of his people. Cf. TEV “no protector like our God”; CEV “We’re safer with you than on a high mountain.”
56 tn Heb “proudly, proudly.” If MT is original, the repetition of the word is for emphasis, stressing the arrogance of those addressed. However, a few medieval Hebrew manuscripts and some other textual witnesses do not reflect the repetition, suggesting that the Hebrew text may be dittographic.
57 tc The MT (Qere) reads “and by him actions are weighed.” The translation assumes that reading of the Qere וְלוֹ (vÿlo, “and by him”), which is supported by many medieval Hebrew
58 tc Against BHS but with the MT, the preposition (עַד, ’ad) should be taken with what follows rather than with what precedes. For this sense of the preposition see Job 25:5.
59 sn The number seven is used here in an ideal sense. Elsewhere in the OT having seven children is evidence of fertility as a result of God’s blessing on the family. See, for example, Jer 15:9, Ruth 4:15.
60 tn Or “languishes.”
61 tn Heb “Sheol”; NAB “the nether world”; CEV “the world of the dead.”
62 tn Or “lowly”; Heb “insignificant.”
63 tn The imperfect verbal form, which is parallel to the participle in the preceding line, is best understood here as indicating what typically happens.
64 tn Heb “a seat of honor.”
65 tn Heb “guards the feet of.” The expression means that God watches over and protects the godly in all of their activities and movements. The imperfect verbal forms in v. 9 are understood as indicating what is typically true. Another option is to translate them with the future tense. See v. 10b.
66 tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew
67 tn The imperfect verbal forms in this line and in the next two lines are understood as indicating what is typically true. Another option is to translate them with the future tense. See v. 10b.
68 tc The present translation follows the Qere, many medieval Hebrew manuscripts, the Syriac Peshitta, and the Vulgate in reading the plural (“his adversaries,” similarly many other English versions) rather than the singular (“his adversary”) of the Kethib.
69 tn The Hebrew preposition here has the sense of “from within.”
70 tn The imperfect verbal forms in this and the next line are understood as indicating what is anticipated and translated with the future tense, because at the time of Hannah’s prayer Israel did not yet have a king.
71 tn Heb “the horn,” here a metaphor for power or strength. Cf. NCV “make his appointed king strong”; NLT “increases the might of his anointed one.”
72 tc The LXX greatly expands v. 10 with an addition that seems to be taken from Jer 9:23-24.
sn The anointed one is the anticipated king of Israel, as the preceding line makes clear.
73 tn Heb “with [or “before”] the face of.”
74 tn Heb “sons of worthlessness.”
75 tn Heb “they did not know the
76 tn Heb “the habit of the priests with the people [was this].”
77 sn The Hebrew word occurs only twice in the OT, here and again in v. 14. Its exact meaning is not entirely clear, although from the context it appears to be a sacrificial tool used for retrieving things from boiling water.
78 tn Heb “to all Israel.”
79 tn Heb “living.”
80 tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew
81 tc Heb “the men,” which is absent from one medieval Hebrew
82 tn Heb “seed.”
83 tn The MT has a masculine verb here, but in light of the context the reference must be to Hannah. It is possible that the text of the MT is incorrect here (cf. the ancient versions), in which case the text should be changed to read either a passive participle or better, the third feminine singular of the verb. If the MT is correct here, perhaps the masculine is to be understood in a nonspecific and impersonal way, allowing for a feminine antecedent. In any case, the syntax of the MT is unusual here.
84 tn Heb “his.”
85 tn Heb “with the
86 tn Heb “to all Israel.”
87 tn Heb “lie with.”
88 tc For “these” the LXX has “of the Lord” (κυρίου, kuriou), perhaps through the influence of the final phrase of v. 24 (“the people of the
89 tn Heb “no.”
90 tn Heb “they”; the referent (Eli’s sons) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
91 tn Heb “desired.”
92 tn The infinitive absolute appears before the finite verb for emphasis.
93 tn Heb “to your father’s” (also in vv. 28, 30).
94 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Eli’s ancestor, i.e., Aaron) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
95 tc The MT has a plural “you” here, but the LXX and a Qumran
96 tn Heb “which I commanded, dwelling place.” The noun is functioning as an adverbial accusative in relation to the verb. Since God’s dwelling place/sanctuary is in view, the pronoun “my” is supplied in the translation.
97 tn The infinitive absolute appears before the finite verb for emphasis.
98 tn Heb “walk about before.”
99 tn Heb “may it be far removed from me.”
100 tn Heb “chop off your arm.” The arm here symbolizes strength and activity.
101 tn Heb “arm.”
102 tn Heb “you will see [the] trouble of [the] dwelling place.” Since God’s dwelling place/sanctuary is in view, the pronoun is supplied in the translation (see v. 29).
103 tn Heb “in all which he does good with Israel.”
104 tc The LXX and a Qumran manuscript have the first person pronoun “my” here.
105 tn Heb “all the days.”
106 tc The LXX, a Qumran
107 tn Heb “to cause your eyes to fail.” Elsewhere this verb, when used of eyes, refers to bloodshot eyes resulting from weeping, prolonged staring, or illness (see Lev 26:16; Pss 69:3; 119:82; Lam 2:11; 4:17).
108 tn Heb “and to cause your soul grief.”
109 tn Heb “and all the increase of your house.”
110 tc The text is difficult. The MT literally says “they will die [as] men.” Apparently the meaning is that they will be cut off in the prime of their life without reaching old age. The LXX and a Qumran
111 tn Heb “and this to you [is] the sign which will come to both of your sons.”
112 tn Heb “house.”
113 tn Heb “and he will walk about before my anointed one all the days.”
114 tn Heb “a piece of silver” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
115 tn Heb “before Eli.”
116 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Eli) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
117 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Eli) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
118 tn The Hebrew text adds “so that” here, formally connecting this clause with the next.
119 tn Or “fulfill.”
120 tc The MT has וְהִגַּדְתִּי לוֹ (vÿhiggadti lo). The verb is Hiphil perfect 1st person common singular, and apparently the conjunction should be understood as vav consecutive (“I will say to him”). But the future reference makes more sense if Samuel is the subject. This would require dropping the final י (yod) and reading the 2nd person masculine singular וְהִגַּדְתָּ (vÿhiggadta). Although there is no external evidence to support it, this reading has been adopted in the present translation. The alternative is to understand the MT to mean “I said to him,” but for this we would expect the preterite with vav consecutive.
121 tn The translation understands the preposition to have a causal sense. However, the preposition could also be understood as the beth pretii, indicating in a broad sense the price attached to this action. So GKC 380 §119.p.
122 tc The translation follows the LXX θεόν (qeon, “God”) rather than the MT לָהֶם (lahem, “to them”). The MT seems to mean “they were bringing a curse on themselves” (cf. ASV, NASB). But this meaning is problematic in part because the verb qll means “to curse,” not “to bring a curse on,” and in part because it takes an accusative object rather than the equivalent of a dative. This is one of the so-called tiqqune sopherim, or “emendations of the scribes.” Why would the ancient copyists alter the original statement about Eli’s sons cursing God to the less objectionable statement that they brought a curse on themselves? Some argue that the scribes were concerned that such a direct and blasphemous affront against God could occur without an immediate response of judgment from God. Therefore they changed the text by deleting two letters א and י (alef and yod) from the word for “God,” with the result that the text then read “to them.” If this ancient scribal claim is accepted as accurate, it implies that the MT here is secondary. The present translation follows the LXX (κακολογοῦντες θεόν, kakologounte" qeon) and a few
123 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Eli) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
124 tn Heb “So God will do to you and thus he will add.” The verbal forms in this pronouncement are imperfects, not jussives, but the statement has the force of a curse or warning. One could translate, “May God do to you and thus may he add.”
125 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Eli) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
126 tn Heb “what is good in his eyes.”
127 tn Heb “and he did not cause to fall from all his words to the ground.”
128 tc The LXX has a lengthy addition here: “And Samuel was acknowledged to be a prophet of the
129 tn The chapter division at this point is inappropriate. 1 Sam 4:1a is best understood as the conclusion to chap. 3 rather than the beginning of chap. 4.
130 tn Heb “and the word of Samuel was.” The present translation understands Samuel to be the speaker of the divine word (“Samuel” is a subjective genitive in this case), although the statement could mean that he was the recipient of the divine word (“Samuel” is an objective genitive in this case) who in turn reported it to Israel.
131 tn Heb “and Israel went out to meet the Philistines for battle.”
132 tn Heb “the stone, the help.” The second noun is in apposition to the first one and apparently is the name by which the stone was known. Contrast the expression used in 5:1 and 7:12, where the first word lacks the definite article, unlike 4:1.
133 tn Heb “to meet.”
134 tn The MT has וַתִּטֹּשׁ (vattittosh), from the root נטשׁ (ntsh). This verb normally means “to leave,” “to forsake,” or “to permit,” but such an idea does not fit this context very well. Many scholars have suspected that the text originally read either וַתֵּט (vattet, “and it spread out”), from the root נטה (nth), or וַתִּקֶשׁ (vattiqesh, “and it grew fierce”), from the root קשׂה (qsh). The former suggestion is apparently supported by the LXX ἔκλινεν (eklinen, “it inclined”) and is adopted in the translation.
135 tn Heb “before.”
136 tn Heb “the Philistines, and they killed.” The pronoun “they” has been translated as a relative pronoun (“who”) to make it clear to the English reader that the Philistines were the ones who did the killing.
137 tn Or “people.”
138 tn Heb “before.”
139 tn Heb “and it will come in our midst and it will save.” After the cohortative (see “let’s take”), the prefixed verbal forms with the prefixed conjunction indicate purpose or result. The translation understands the ark to be the subject of the third masculine singular verbs, although it is possible to understand the Lord as the subject. In the latter case, one should translate, “when he is with us, he will save us.”
140 tn Or “people.”
141 tn Heb “shouted [with] a great shout.”
142 tn The Hebrew text has a direct quote, “because they said, ‘Gods have come to the camp.’” Even though the verb translated “have come” is singular, the following subject should be taken as plural (“gods”), as v. 8 indicates. Some emend the verb to a plural form.
143 tn Traditionally “woe to.” They thought disaster was imminent.
144 tn Heb “and they fled, each to his tents.”
145 tn Or perhaps, “the same day.” On this use of the demonstrative pronoun see Joüon 2:532 §143.f.
146 tc Read with many medieval Hebrew
147 tn Heb “his heart was trembling.”
148 tn Heb “and the man came to report in the city.”
149 tn Heb “the sound of the cry.”
150 tn Heb “the sound of this commotion.”
151 tn Heb “were set” or “were fixed,” i.e., without vision.
152 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Eli) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
153 tn Heb “before.”
154 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Eli) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
155 tn Heb “the man.”
156 tn Heb “and she did not set her heart.”
157 sn The name Ichabod (אִי־כָבוֹד) may mean, “Where is the glory?”
158 tc The LXX adds “they entered the temple of Dagon and saw.”
159 tc Heb “only Dagon was left.” We should probably read the word גֵּו (gev, “back”) before Dagon, understanding it to have the sense of the similar word גְּוִיָּה (gÿviyyah, “body”). This variant is supported by the following evidence: The LXX has ἡ ῥάχις (Jh rJacis, “the back” or “trunk”); the Syriac Peshitta has wegusmeh (“and the body of”); the Targum has gupyeh (“the body of”); the Vulgate has truncus (“the trunk of,” cf. NAB, NASB, NRSV, NLT). On the strength of this evidence the present translation employs the phrase “Dagon’s body.”
160 tn Heb “the hand of the
161 tn The words “the people of” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
162 tc The LXX and Vulgate add the following: “And mice multiplied in their land, and the terror of death was throughout the entire city.”
tn Or “tumors” (so ASV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NCV “growths on their skin”; KJV “emerods”; NAB “hemorrhoids.”
163 tn Heb “men.”
164 tn Heb “for his hand is severe upon.”
165 tn Heb “and they sent and gathered.”
166 tn Heb “the hand of the
167 tn Heb “and he struck the men of the city from small and to great.”
168 tn See the note on this term in v. 6. Cf. KJV “and they had emerods in their secret parts.”
169 tn Heb “to me.”
170 tn Heb “my.”
171 tn Heb “and they sent and gathered.”
172 tn Heb “me.”
173 tn Heb “my.”
174 tn Or “panic.”
175 tn Heb “the hand of God was very heavy there.”
176 tn Heb “men.”
177 tn Heb “field.”
178 tc The LXX adds “and their land swarmed with mice.”
179 tc The LXX and a Qumran
180 tn Heb “your mice.” A Qumran
181 tn Heb “Perhaps he will lighten his hand from upon you and from upon your gods and from upon your land.”
182 tn Heb “like Egypt and Pharaoh hardened their heart.”
183 tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
184 tn Heb “and they sent them away and they went.”
185 tn Heb “and the men did so.”
186 tc A few Hebrew
187 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the
188 tc The number 50,070 is surprisingly large, although it finds almost unanimous textual support in the MT and in the ancient versions. Only a few medieval Hebrew
189 tn Heb “he” or “it”; the referent here (the ark) has been specified in the translation for clarity (cf. also NIV, CEV, NLT). Others, however, take the referent to be the
190 tn Heb “men.”
191 tn Heb “house” (also in the following verse).
192 tn Heb “mourned after”; NIV “mourned and sought after”; KJV, NRSV “lamented after”; NAB “turned to”; NCV “began to follow…again.”
193 tn Heb “the Ashtarot” (plural; also in the following verse). The words “images of” are supplied for clarity.
sn The Semitic goddess Astarte was associated with love and war in the ancient Near East. The presence of Ashtarot in Israel is a sign of pervasive pagan and idolatrous influences; hence Samuel calls for their removal. See 1 Sam 31:10, where the Philistines deposit the armor of the deceased Saul in the temple of the Ashtarot, and 1 Kgs 11:5, 33; 2 Kgs 23:13, where Solomon is faulted for worshiping the Ashtarot.
194 tn Following imperatives, the jussive verbal form with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose/result.
195 tn Heb “the sons of Israel.”
196 tn Heb “said.”
197 tn Heb “judged”; NAB “began to judge”; TEV “settled disputes among.”
198 tn Heb “don’t stop.”
199 tc The LXX reads “your God” rather than the MT’s “our God.”
200 tn After the negated jussive, the prefixed verbal form with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose/result.
201 tn Heb “a lamb of milk”; NAB “an unweaned lamb”; NIV “a suckling lamb”; NCV “a baby lamb.”
202 tn Heb “approached for battle against Israel.”
203 tn Heb “before.”
204 tn Cf. NAB, NRSV, NLT “Jeshanah.”
205 sn The name Ebenezer (אֶבֶן הָעָזֶר) means “stone of help” in Hebrew (cf. TEV); NLT adds the meaning parenthetically after the name.
206 tn Heb “hand.”
207 tn Heb “judged” (also in v. 17).
208 map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.
209 tn Or perhaps “settled disputes for” (cf. NLT “would hear cases there”; NRSV “administered justice there”).
210 tn Heb “walk in” (also in v. 5).
211 tn Heb “and they turned aside after unjust gain and took bribes and perverted justice.”
212 tn Heb “judge” (also in v. 6).
213 tn Heb “when.”
214 tn Heb “Listen to the voice of the people, to all which they say to you.”
215 tn Heb “according to all the deeds which they have done.”
216 tn Heb “and now, listen to their voice.”
217 tn The infinitive absolute appears before the imperative for emphasis.
218 tn Heb “and tell them the manner of the king who will rule over them.”
219 tc The numbers of v. 12 are confused in the Greek and Syriac versions. For “fifties” the LXX has “hundreds.” The Syriac Peshitta has “heads of thousands and heads of hundreds and heads of fifties and heads of tens,” perhaps reflecting influence from Deut 1:15.
220 tn Or “eunuchs” (so NAB); NIV “officials”; KJV, NASB, NRSV, NLT “officers.”
221 tc The LXX adds “because you have chosen for yourselves a king.”
222 tn Heb “and the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel.”
223 tn Heb “and go out before us.”
224 tn Heb “and Samuel heard all the words of the people and he spoke them into the ears of the
225 tn Heb “listen to their voice.”
226 tn Heb “became lost.”
227 tn Heb “and arise, go.”
228 tc The Syriac Peshitta includes the following words: “So Saul arose and went out. He took with him one of the boys and went out to look for his father’s donkeys.”
229 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
230 tn The infinitive absolute precedes the verb for emphasis.
231 tn Heb “our way on which we have gone.”
232 tn Heb “look.”
233 sn A quarter shekel of silver would weigh about a tenth of an ounce (about 3 grams).
234 tn Heb “our way.”
235 tn Heb “your word is good.”
236 tc The MT has “him” (אֹתוֹ, ’oto) here, in addition to the “him” at the end of the verse. The ancient versions attest to only one occurrence of the pronoun, although it is possible that this is due to translation technique rather than to their having a Hebrew text with the pronoun used only once. The present translation assumes textual duplication in the MT and does not attempt to represent the pronoun twice. However, for a defense of the MT here, with the suggested translation “for him just now – you will find him,” see S. R. Driver, Notes on the Hebrew Text and the Topography of the Books of Samuel, 72-73.
237 tn Heb “to meet them.” This may indicate purpose on Samuel’s part. The next sentence indicates that the meeting was by design, not just an accident.
238 tn Heb “uncovered the ear of.”
239 tn Heb “anoint.”
240 tn Heb “responded.”
241 tn Heb “all that is in your heart.”
242 tn Heb “do not fix your heart.”
243 tn Heb “and all the house of your father.”
244 tn Heb “took and brought.”
245 tn Heb “he” (also in v. 25); the referent (Samuel) has been specified in both places in the translation for clarity.
246 tc This statement is absent in the LXX (with the exception of Origen), an Old Latin
247 tn The words “Samuel then said” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
248 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
249 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Samuel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
250 tn Heb “Is it not that the
251 tn That is, “anointed.”
252 tc The MT reads simply “Is it not that the
253 sn In the Hebrew text the pronoun you is plural, suggesting that Saul’s father was concerned about his son and the servant who accompanied him.
254 map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.
255 tn Or “sentries.” Some translate “outpost” (NIV) or “garrison” (NAB, NRSV, NLT) here (see 1 Sam 13:3). The noun is plural in the Hebrew text, but the LXX and other ancient witnesses read a singular noun here.
256 sn In light of Saul’s commission to be Israel’s deliverer (see v. 1), it is likely that some type of military action against the Philistines (see v.5) is implied.
257 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
258 tn Heb “turned his shoulder.”
259 tn Heb “God turned for him another heart”; NAB, NRSV “gave him another heart”; NIV, NCV “changed Saul’s heart”; TEV “gave Saul a new nature”; CEV “made Saul feel like a different person.”
260 tc Two medieval Hebrew
tn Heb “they”; the referents (Saul and his servant) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
261 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
262 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
263 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
264 tn Heb “And we saw that they were not.”
265 tc In the LXX and Vulgate the pronoun “you” is singular, referring specifically to Saul. In the MT it is plural, including Saul’s servant as well.
266 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
267 tn Heb “hand” (also later in this verse).
268 tc The translation follows many medieval Hebrew
269 tn Or “baggage” (so many English versions); KJV “stuff”; TEV “supplies.”
270 tn Heb “the regulation of the kingship.” This probably refers to the regulations pertaining to kingship given to Moses (see Deut 17:14-20).
271 tn Heb “sons of worthlessness” (see 2:12).
272 tc In place of the MT (“and it was like one being silent”) the LXX has “after about a month,” taking the expression with the first part of the following chapter rather than with 10:27. Some Hebrew support for this reading appears in the corrected hand of a Qumran
273 tn Heb “said.”
274 tn Heb “judged”; NAB “began to judge”; TEV “settled disputes among.”
275 tn Cf. NAB, NRSV, NLT “Jeshanah.”
276 sn The name Ebenezer (אֶבֶן הָעָזֶר) means “stone of help” in Hebrew (cf. TEV); NLT adds the meaning parenthetically after the name.
277 tn Heb “don’t stop.”
278 tc The LXX reads “your God” rather than the MT’s “our God.”
279 tn After the negated jussive, the prefixed verbal form with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose/result.
280 tn Heb “field.”
281 tc The LXX adds “and their land swarmed with mice.”
282 tc The LXX and a Qumran
283 tn Heb “your mice.” A Qumran
284 tn Heb “Perhaps he will lighten his hand from upon you and from upon your gods and from upon your land.”
285 tn Heb “like Egypt and Pharaoh hardened their heart.”
286 tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
287 tn Heb “and they sent them away and they went.”
288 tn Heb “and the men did so.”
289 tc A few Hebrew
290 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the
291 tc The number 50,070 is surprisingly large, although it finds almost unanimous textual support in the MT and in the ancient versions. Only a few medieval Hebrew
292 tn Heb “he” or “it”; the referent here (the ark) has been specified in the translation for clarity (cf. also NIV, CEV, NLT). Others, however, take the referent to be the
293 tn Heb “trembled to meet.”
294 tn Heb “let not a man know anything about the matter [for] which I am sending you and [about] which I commanded you.”
295 tn Heb “servants.”
296 tn The Hebrew expression here refers to a particular, but unnamed, place. It occurs in the OT only here, in 2 Kgs 6:8, and in Ruth 4:1, where Boaz uses it to refer to Naomi’s unnamed kinsman-redeemer. A contracted form of the expression appears in Dan 8:13.
297 tn Heb “under your hand.”
298 tn Heb “servants.”
299 tn Heb “have kept themselves from women” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “haven’t had sexual relations recently”; NLT “have not slept with any women recently.”
300 tn Heb “servants’.”
301 tn Heb “placed these matters in his heart.”
302 tn Heb “in their eyes.”
303 tn Heb “in their hand.”
304 tn Heb “for we have added to all our sins an evil [thing] by asking for ourselves a king.”
305 tn Heb “listen to the voice of.”
306 tc The LXX reads “your king” rather than the MT’s “your fathers.” The latter makes little sense here. Some follow MT, but translate “as it was against your fathers.” See P. K. McCarter, 1 Samuel (AB), 212.
307 tc 4QSama and Josephus (Ant. 6.68-71) attest to a longer form of text at this point. The addition explains Nahash’s practice of enemy mutilation, and by so doing provides a smoother transition to the following paragraph than is found in the MT. The NRSV adopts this reading, with the following English translation: “Now Nahash, king of the Ammonites, had been grievously oppressing the Gadites and the Reubenites. He would gouge out the right eye of each of them and would not grant Israel a deliverer. No one was left of the Israelites across the Jordan whose right eye Nahash, king of the Ammonites, had not gouged out. But there were seven thousand men who had escaped from the Ammonites and had entered Jabesh-gilead.” This reading should not be lightly dismissed; it may in fact provide a text superior to that of the MT and the ancient versions. But the external evidence for it is so limited as to induce caution; the present translation instead follows the MT. However, for a reasonable case for including this reading in the text see the discussions in P. K. McCarter, I Samuel (AB), 199, and R. W. Klein, 1 Samuel (WBC), 103.
308 sn The name “Nahash” means “serpent” in Hebrew.
309 tn Heb “went up and camped”; NIV, NRSV “went up and besieged.”
310 tn Heb “to Gibeah of Saul.”
311 tn Heb “lifted their voice and wept.”
312 tn Or perhaps, “his oxen.” On this use of the definite article see Joüon 2:506-7 §137.f.
313 tn Heb “the matters of.”
314 tn Heb “yoke.”
315 tn Heb “like one man.”
316 tc The LXX and two Old Latin
317 tc The LXX, two Old Latin
318 tn The second masculine plural forms in this quotation indicate that Nahash and his army are addressed.
319 tn Heb “according to all that is good in your eyes.”
320 tn Heb “Ammon.” By metonymy the name “Ammon” is used collectively for the soldiers in the Ammonite army.
321 tn Heb “and there in Gilgal.”
322 tn Heb “set a matter against.”
323 tn Heb “small or great.”
324 tn Or “the one who.” This may refer specifically to Saul, in which case David acknowledges that Abiathar’s life is endangered because of his allegiance to David. The translation assumes that the statement is more generalized, meaning that any enemy of Abiathar is an enemy of David. In other words, David promises that he will protect Abiathar with his very own life.
325 tn Heb “prayed and said.” This is somewhat redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified in the translation.
326 sn Horns of animals have always functioned as both offensive and defensive weapons for them. As a figure of speech the horn is therefore often used in the Bible as a symbol of human strength (see also in v. 10). The allusion in v. 1 to the horn being lifted high suggests a picture of an animal elevating its head in a display of strength or virility.
327 tn Heb “my mouth opens wide against.”
328 tn Heb “for I rejoice in your deliverance.”
329 sn In this context God’s holiness refers primarily to his sovereignty and incomparability. He is unique and distinct from all other so-called gods.
330 tn The LXX has “and there is none righteous like our God.” The Hebrew term translated “rock” refers to a rocky cliff where one can seek refuge from enemies. Here the metaphor depicts God as a protector of his people. Cf. TEV “no protector like our God”; CEV “We’re safer with you than on a high mountain.”
331 tn Heb “proudly, proudly.” If MT is original, the repetition of the word is for emphasis, stressing the arrogance of those addressed. However, a few medieval Hebrew manuscripts and some other textual witnesses do not reflect the repetition, suggesting that the Hebrew text may be dittographic.
332 tc The MT (Qere) reads “and by him actions are weighed.” The translation assumes that reading of the Qere וְלוֹ (vÿlo, “and by him”), which is supported by many medieval Hebrew
333 tc Against BHS but with the MT, the preposition (עַד, ’ad) should be taken with what follows rather than with what precedes. For this sense of the preposition see Job 25:5.
334 sn The number seven is used here in an ideal sense. Elsewhere in the OT having seven children is evidence of fertility as a result of God’s blessing on the family. See, for example, Jer 15:9, Ruth 4:15.
335 tn Or “languishes.”
336 tn Heb “Sheol”; NAB “the nether world”; CEV “the world of the dead.”
337 tn Or “lowly”; Heb “insignificant.”
338 tn The imperfect verbal form, which is parallel to the participle in the preceding line, is best understood here as indicating what typically happens.
339 tn Heb “a seat of honor.”
340 tn Heb “guards the feet of.” The expression means that God watches over and protects the godly in all of their activities and movements. The imperfect verbal forms in v. 9 are understood as indicating what is typically true. Another option is to translate them with the future tense. See v. 10b.
341 tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew
342 tn The imperfect verbal forms in this line and in the next two lines are understood as indicating what is typically true. Another option is to translate them with the future tense. See v. 10b.
343 tc The present translation follows the Qere, many medieval Hebrew manuscripts, the Syriac Peshitta, and the Vulgate in reading the plural (“his adversaries,” similarly many other English versions) rather than the singular (“his adversary”) of the Kethib.
344 tn The Hebrew preposition here has the sense of “from within.”
345 tn The imperfect verbal forms in this and the next line are understood as indicating what is anticipated and translated with the future tense, because at the time of Hannah’s prayer Israel did not yet have a king.
346 tn Heb “the horn,” here a metaphor for power or strength. Cf. NCV “make his appointed king strong”; NLT “increases the might of his anointed one.”
347 tc The LXX greatly expands v. 10 with an addition that seems to be taken from Jer 9:23-24.
sn The anointed one is the anticipated king of Israel, as the preceding line makes clear.
348 tn Heb “with [or “before”] the face of.”
349 tn Heb “sons of worthlessness.”
350 tn Heb “they did not know the
351 tn Heb “the habit of the priests with the people [was this].”
352 sn The Hebrew word occurs only twice in the OT, here and again in v. 14. Its exact meaning is not entirely clear, although from the context it appears to be a sacrificial tool used for retrieving things from boiling water.
353 tn Heb “to all Israel.”
354 tn Heb “living.”
355 tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew
356 tc Heb “the men,” which is absent from one medieval Hebrew
357 tn Heb “seed.”
358 tn The MT has a masculine verb here, but in light of the context the reference must be to Hannah. It is possible that the text of the MT is incorrect here (cf. the ancient versions), in which case the text should be changed to read either a passive participle or better, the third feminine singular of the verb. If the MT is correct here, perhaps the masculine is to be understood in a nonspecific and impersonal way, allowing for a feminine antecedent. In any case, the syntax of the MT is unusual here.
359 tn Heb “his.”
360 tn Heb “with the
361 tn Heb “to all Israel.”
362 tn Heb “lie with.”
363 tc For “these” the LXX has “of the Lord” (κυρίου, kuriou), perhaps through the influence of the final phrase of v. 24 (“the people of the
364 tn Heb “no.”
365 tn Heb “they”; the referent (Eli’s sons) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
366 tn Heb “desired.”
367 tn The infinitive absolute appears before the finite verb for emphasis.
368 tn Heb “to your father’s” (also in vv. 28, 30).
369 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Eli’s ancestor, i.e., Aaron) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
370 tc The MT has a plural “you” here, but the LXX and a Qumran
371 tn Heb “which I commanded, dwelling place.” The noun is functioning as an adverbial accusative in relation to the verb. Since God’s dwelling place/sanctuary is in view, the pronoun “my” is supplied in the translation.
372 tn The infinitive absolute appears before the finite verb for emphasis.
373 tn Heb “walk about before.”
374 tn Heb “may it be far removed from me.”
375 tn Heb “chop off your arm.” The arm here symbolizes strength and activity.
376 tn Heb “arm.”
377 tn Heb “you will see [the] trouble of [the] dwelling place.” Since God’s dwelling place/sanctuary is in view, the pronoun is supplied in the translation (see v. 29).
378 tn Heb “in all which he does good with Israel.”
379 tc The LXX and a Qumran manuscript have the first person pronoun “my” here.
380 tn Heb “all the days.”
381 tc The LXX, a Qumran
382 tn Heb “to cause your eyes to fail.” Elsewhere this verb, when used of eyes, refers to bloodshot eyes resulting from weeping, prolonged staring, or illness (see Lev 26:16; Pss 69:3; 119:82; Lam 2:11; 4:17).
383 tn Heb “and to cause your soul grief.”
384 tn Heb “and all the increase of your house.”
385 tc The text is difficult. The MT literally says “they will die [as] men.” Apparently the meaning is that they will be cut off in the prime of their life without reaching old age. The LXX and a Qumran
386 tn Heb “and this to you [is] the sign which will come to both of your sons.”
387 tn Heb “house.”
388 tn Heb “and he will walk about before my anointed one all the days.”
389 tn Heb “a piece of silver” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
390 tn Heb “before Eli.”
391 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Eli) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
392 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Eli) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
393 tn The Hebrew text adds “so that” here, formally connecting this clause with the next.
394 tn Or “fulfill.”
395 tc The MT has וְהִגַּדְתִּי לוֹ (vÿhiggadti lo). The verb is Hiphil perfect 1st person common singular, and apparently the conjunction should be understood as vav consecutive (“I will say to him”). But the future reference makes more sense if Samuel is the subject. This would require dropping the final י (yod) and reading the 2nd person masculine singular וְהִגַּדְתָּ (vÿhiggadta). Although there is no external evidence to support it, this reading has been adopted in the present translation. The alternative is to understand the MT to mean “I said to him,” but for this we would expect the preterite with vav consecutive.
396 tn The translation understands the preposition to have a causal sense. However, the preposition could also be understood as the beth pretii, indicating in a broad sense the price attached to this action. So GKC 380 §119.p.
397 tc The translation follows the LXX θεόν (qeon, “God”) rather than the MT לָהֶם (lahem, “to them”). The MT seems to mean “they were bringing a curse on themselves” (cf. ASV, NASB). But this meaning is problematic in part because the verb qll means “to curse,” not “to bring a curse on,” and in part because it takes an accusative object rather than the equivalent of a dative. This is one of the so-called tiqqune sopherim, or “emendations of the scribes.” Why would the ancient copyists alter the original statement about Eli’s sons cursing God to the less objectionable statement that they brought a curse on themselves? Some argue that the scribes were concerned that such a direct and blasphemous affront against God could occur without an immediate response of judgment from God. Therefore they changed the text by deleting two letters א and י (alef and yod) from the word for “God,” with the result that the text then read “to them.” If this ancient scribal claim is accepted as accurate, it implies that the MT here is secondary. The present translation follows the LXX (κακολογοῦντες θεόν, kakologounte" qeon) and a few
398 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Eli) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
399 tn Heb “So God will do to you and thus he will add.” The verbal forms in this pronouncement are imperfects, not jussives, but the statement has the force of a curse or warning. One could translate, “May God do to you and thus may he add.”
400 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Eli) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
401 tn Heb “what is good in his eyes.”
402 tn Heb “and he did not cause to fall from all his words to the ground.”
403 tc The LXX has a lengthy addition here: “And Samuel was acknowledged to be a prophet of the
404 tn The chapter division at this point is inappropriate. 1 Sam 4:1a is best understood as the conclusion to chap. 3 rather than the beginning of chap. 4.
405 tn Heb “and the word of Samuel was.” The present translation understands Samuel to be the speaker of the divine word (“Samuel” is a subjective genitive in this case), although the statement could mean that he was the recipient of the divine word (“Samuel” is an objective genitive in this case) who in turn reported it to Israel.
406 tn Heb “and Israel went out to meet the Philistines for battle.”
407 tn Heb “the stone, the help.” The second noun is in apposition to the first one and apparently is the name by which the stone was known. Contrast the expression used in 5:1 and 7:12, where the first word lacks the definite article, unlike 4:1.
408 tn Heb “to meet.”
409 tn The MT has וַתִּטֹּשׁ (vattittosh), from the root נטשׁ (ntsh). This verb normally means “to leave,” “to forsake,” or “to permit,” but such an idea does not fit this context very well. Many scholars have suspected that the text originally read either וַתֵּט (vattet, “and it spread out”), from the root נטה (nth), or וַתִּקֶשׁ (vattiqesh, “and it grew fierce”), from the root קשׂה (qsh). The former suggestion is apparently supported by the LXX ἔκλινεν (eklinen, “it inclined”) and is adopted in the translation.
410 tn Heb “before.”
411 tn Heb “the Philistines, and they killed.” The pronoun “they” has been translated as a relative pronoun (“who”) to make it clear to the English reader that the Philistines were the ones who did the killing.
412 tn Or “people.”
413 tn Heb “before.”
414 tn Heb “and it will come in our midst and it will save.” After the cohortative (see “let’s take”), the prefixed verbal forms with the prefixed conjunction indicate purpose or result. The translation understands the ark to be the subject of the third masculine singular verbs, although it is possible to understand the Lord as the subject. In the latter case, one should translate, “when he is with us, he will save us.”
415 tn Or “people.”
416 tn Heb “shouted [with] a great shout.”
417 tn The Hebrew text has a direct quote, “because they said, ‘Gods have come to the camp.’” Even though the verb translated “have come” is singular, the following subject should be taken as plural (“gods”), as v. 8 indicates. Some emend the verb to a plural form.
418 tn Traditionally “woe to.” They thought disaster was imminent.
419 tn Heb “and they fled, each to his tents.”
420 tn Or perhaps, “the same day.” On this use of the demonstrative pronoun see Joüon 2:532 §143.f.
421 tc Read with many medieval Hebrew
422 tn Heb “his heart was trembling.”
423 tn Heb “and the man came to report in the city.”
424 tn Heb “the sound of the cry.”
425 tn Heb “the sound of this commotion.”
426 tn Heb “were set” or “were fixed,” i.e., without vision.
427 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Eli) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
428 tn Heb “before.”
429 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Eli) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
430 tn Heb “the man.”
431 tn Heb “and she did not set her heart.”
432 sn The name Ichabod (אִי־כָבוֹד) may mean, “Where is the glory?”
433 tn Heb “became lost.”
434 tn Heb “and arise, go.”
435 tc The Syriac Peshitta includes the following words: “So Saul arose and went out. He took with him one of the boys and went out to look for his father’s donkeys.”
436 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
437 tn The infinitive absolute precedes the verb for emphasis.
438 tn Heb “our way on which we have gone.”
439 tn Heb “look.”
440 sn A quarter shekel of silver would weigh about a tenth of an ounce (about 3 grams).
441 tn Heb “our way.”
442 tn Heb “your word is good.”
443 tc The MT has “him” (אֹתוֹ, ’oto) here, in addition to the “him” at the end of the verse. The ancient versions attest to only one occurrence of the pronoun, although it is possible that this is due to translation technique rather than to their having a Hebrew text with the pronoun used only once. The present translation assumes textual duplication in the MT and does not attempt to represent the pronoun twice. However, for a defense of the MT here, with the suggested translation “for him just now – you will find him,” see S. R. Driver, Notes on the Hebrew Text and the Topography of the Books of Samuel, 72-73.
444 tn Heb “to meet them.” This may indicate purpose on Samuel’s part. The next sentence indicates that the meeting was by design, not just an accident.
445 tn Heb “uncovered the ear of.”
446 tn Heb “anoint.”
447 tn Heb “responded.”
448 tn Heb “all that is in your heart.”
449 tn Heb “do not fix your heart.”
450 tn Heb “and all the house of your father.”
451 tn Heb “took and brought.”
452 tn Heb “he” (also in v. 25); the referent (Samuel) has been specified in both places in the translation for clarity.
453 tc This statement is absent in the LXX (with the exception of Origen), an Old Latin
454 tn The words “Samuel then said” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
455 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
456 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Samuel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
457 tn Heb “Is it not that the
458 tn That is, “anointed.”
459 tc The MT reads simply “Is it not that the
460 sn In the Hebrew text the pronoun you is plural, suggesting that Saul’s father was concerned about his son and the servant who accompanied him.
461 map For location see Map4 G4; Map5 C1; Map6 E3; Map7 D1; Map8 G3.
462 tn Or “sentries.” Some translate “outpost” (NIV) or “garrison” (NAB, NRSV, NLT) here (see 1 Sam 13:3). The noun is plural in the Hebrew text, but the LXX and other ancient witnesses read a singular noun here.
463 sn In light of Saul’s commission to be Israel’s deliverer (see v. 1), it is likely that some type of military action against the Philistines (see v.5) is implied.
464 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
465 tn Heb “turned his shoulder.”
466 tn Heb “God turned for him another heart”; NAB, NRSV “gave him another heart”; NIV, NCV “changed Saul’s heart”; TEV “gave Saul a new nature”; CEV “made Saul feel like a different person.”
467 tc Two medieval Hebrew
tn Heb “they”; the referents (Saul and his servant) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
468 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
469 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
470 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
471 tn Heb “And we saw that they were not.”
472 tc In the LXX and Vulgate the pronoun “you” is singular, referring specifically to Saul. In the MT it is plural, including Saul’s servant as well.
473 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
474 tn Heb “hand” (also later in this verse).
475 tc The translation follows many medieval Hebrew
476 tn Or “baggage” (so many English versions); KJV “stuff”; TEV “supplies.”
477 tn Heb “the regulation of the kingship.” This probably refers to the regulations pertaining to kingship given to Moses (see Deut 17:14-20).
478 tn Heb “sons of worthlessness” (see 2:12).
479 tc In place of the MT (“and it was like one being silent”) the LXX has “after about a month,” taking the expression with the first part of the following chapter rather than with 10:27. Some Hebrew support for this reading appears in the corrected hand of a Qumran
480 tc 4QSama and Josephus (Ant. 6.68-71) attest to a longer form of text at this point. The addition explains Nahash’s practice of enemy mutilation, and by so doing provides a smoother transition to the following paragraph than is found in the MT. The NRSV adopts this reading, with the following English translation: “Now Nahash, king of the Ammonites, had been grievously oppressing the Gadites and the Reubenites. He would gouge out the right eye of each of them and would not grant Israel a deliverer. No one was left of the Israelites across the Jordan whose right eye Nahash, king of the Ammonites, had not gouged out. But there were seven thousand men who had escaped from the Ammonites and had entered Jabesh-gilead.” This reading should not be lightly dismissed; it may in fact provide a text superior to that of the MT and the ancient versions. But the external evidence for it is so limited as to induce caution; the present translation instead follows the MT. However, for a reasonable case for including this reading in the text see the discussions in P. K. McCarter, I Samuel (AB), 199, and R. W. Klein, 1 Samuel (WBC), 103.
481 sn The name “Nahash” means “serpent” in Hebrew.
482 tn Heb “went up and camped”; NIV, NRSV “went up and besieged.”
483 tn Heb “to Gibeah of Saul.”
484 tn Heb “lifted their voice and wept.”
485 tn Or perhaps, “his oxen.” On this use of the definite article see Joüon 2:506-7 §137.f.
486 tn Heb “the matters of.”
487 tn Heb “yoke.”
488 tn Heb “like one man.”
489 tc The LXX and two Old Latin
490 tc The LXX, two Old Latin
491 tn The second masculine plural forms in this quotation indicate that Nahash and his army are addressed.
492 tn Heb “according to all that is good in your eyes.”
493 tn Heb “Ammon.” By metonymy the name “Ammon” is used collectively for the soldiers in the Ammonite army.
494 tn Heb “and there in Gilgal.”
495 tn Heb “Look, I have listened to your voice.”
496 tn Heb “to all which you said to me.”
497 tn Heb “and I have installed a king over you.”
498 tn Heb “anointed [one].”
499 tn The words “tell me” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
500 tn Heb “anointed [one].”
501 tn Heb “that you have not found anything in my hand.”
502 tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 7, 8).
503 tn Heb “and I will enter into judgment with you” (NRSV similar); NAB “and I shall arraign you.”
504 tn Heb “all the just actions which he has done with you and with your fathers.”
505 tn Heb “sold” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV); NAB “he allowed them to fall into the clutches of Sisera”; NLT “he let them be conquered by Sisera.”
506 map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 D3; Map3 A2; Map4 C1.
507 tn Heb “captain of the host of Hazor.”
508 tn Heb “and said.”
509 tn Heb “the Ashtarot” (plural). The words “images of” are supplied in both vv. 3 and 4 for clarity.
sn The Semitic goddess Astarte was associated with love and war in the ancient Near East. See the note on the same term in 7:3.
510 tn After the imperative, the prefixed verbal form with the prefixed conjunction indicates purpose/result.
511 sn Jerub-Baal (יְרֻבַּעַל) is also known as Gideon (see Judg 6:32). The Book of Judges uses both names for him.
512 tc The MT has “Bedan” (בְּדָן) here (cf. KJV, NASB, CEV). But a deliverer by this name is not elsewhere mentioned in the OT. The translation follows the LXX and the Syriac Peshitta in reading “Barak.”
513 tc In the ancient versions there is some confusion with regard to these names, both with regard to the particular names selected for mention and with regard to the order in which they are listed. For example, the LXX has “Jerub-Baal, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel.” But the Targum has “Gideon, Samson, Jephthah, and Samuel,” while the Syriac Peshitta has “Deborah, Barak, Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson.”
514 tn Heb “and you listen to his voice.”
515 tn Heb “the mouth of the
516 tn The words “all will be well” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
517 tn Heb “listen to the voice of.”
518 tc The LXX reads “your king” rather than the MT’s “your fathers.” The latter makes little sense here. Some follow MT, but translate “as it was against your fathers.” See P. K. McCarter, 1 Samuel (AB), 212.
519 tn Heb “for we have added to all our sins an evil [thing] by asking for ourselves a king.”
520 tn Heb “you have done all this evil.”
521 tn Or “useless” (so NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “nothing”; NASB “futile”; TEV “are not real.”
522 tn Heb “on account of his great name.”