1 Samuel 1:10-11

1:10 She was very upset ¹  as she prayed to the Lord, and she was weeping uncontrollably. ²  1:11 She made a vow saying, “O Lord of hosts, if you will look with compassion ³  on the suffering of your female servant, ⁴  remembering me and not forgetting your servant, and give a male child ⁵  to your servant, then I will dedicate him to the Lord all the days of his life. His hair will never be cut.” ⁶ 

1 Samuel 1:27-28

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 ⁷  worshiped the Lord there.

[1:10]  ¹ tn Heb “she [was in] bitterness of soul.”

[1:10]  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.

[1:11]  ³ tn Heb “if looking you look.” The expression can refer, as here, to looking favorably upon another, in this case with compassion.

[1:11]  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.

[1:11]  ⁵ tn Heb “seed of men.”

[1:11]  ⁶ tn Heb “a razor will not go up upon his head.”

[1:28]  ⁷ 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).