1Sa 2:1 And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation.
The song of Hannah is a prophetic Psalm. It is poetry. and it is prophecy. It takes its place by the side of the songs of Miriam, Deborah, and the Virgin Mary, as well as those of Moses, David, Hezekiah, and other Psalmists and prophets whose inspired odes have been preserved in the Bible. The special feature which these songs have in common is, that springing from, and in their first conception relating to, incidents in the lives of the individuals who composed them, they branch out into magnificent descriptions of the Kingdom and glory of Christ, and the triumphs of the Church, of which those incidents were providentially designed to be the types. The perception of this is essential to the understanding of Hannah’s song.
The first verse forms the introduction to the song. Holy joy in the Lord at the blessing which she had received impelled the favoured mother to the praise of God:
My heart is joyful in the Lord,
My horn is exalted in the Lord,
My mouth is opened wide over mine enemies:
For I rejoice in Thy salvation.
Of the four members of this verse, the first answers to the third, and the second to the fourth. The heart rejoices at the lifting up of her horn, the mouth opens wide to proclaim the salvation before which the enemies would be dumb.
And Hannah prayed and said - She prayed by a spirit of prophecy, as the Targum; hence she is by the Jews reckoned one of the seven prophetesses; and indeed in this song she not only relates the gracious experiences of divine goodness she had been favored with, and celebrates the divine perfections, and treats of the dealings of God with men, both in a way of providence and grace; but prophesies of things that should be done hereafter in Israel, and particularly of the Messiah and of his kingdom. There is a great likeness in this song to the song of the Virgin Mary;
Compare
1Samuel 2:1 And Hannah prayed and said, My heart rejoices in Jehovah, my horn is exalted in Jehovah. My mouth is enlarged over my enemies because I rejoice in Your salvation. Luke1:46 And Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord,
1Samuel 2:2 There is none holy as Jehovah, for there is none beside You. Neither is there any rock like our God. Luke
1Samuel 2:4 The bows of the mighty are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength. Luke 1:51 He has worked power with His arm, He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their heart.
my heart rejoiceth in the Lord - not in her son the Lord had given her, but in the goodness and kindness of the Lord in bestowing him on her, as an answer of prayer;
mine horn is exalted in the Lord - which supposes that she had been in a low estate, was crest fallen, and her horn was defiled in the dust, as Job says was his case, Job 16:15 I have sewed sackcloth on my skin and thrust my horn in the dust when God had shut up her womb, and her adversary upbraided her with it, and provoked and fretted her; and when she was so full of grief, that she could not eat her food, and prayed in the bitterness of her soul; but now she could lift up her horn and her head, as horned creatures, to whom the allusion is, do, when they are lively and strong;
mine horn is exalted in the Lord-- horn signifies power, might, and dominion. It is thus constantly used in the Bible, and was so used among the heathens. My strength and glory (which are often signified by an horn,) are advanced and manifested to my vindication, and the confusion of mine enemies.
mine horn is exalted in the Lord-- “My horn is high” does not mean 'I am proud' (Ewald), but “my power is great in the Lord.” The horn is the symbol of strength, and is taken from oxen whose strength is in their horns (Deu_33:17; Psa_75:5, etc.). The power was high or exalted by the salvation which the Lord had manifested to her. To Him all the glory was due, because He had proved himself to be the holy One, and a rock upon which a man could rest his confidence.
my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies - meaning Peninnah, and those that provoked her, and upbraided her with her barrenness.
Mouth enlarged - That is, opened wide to pour forth abundant praises to God, and to give a full answer to all the reproaches of mine adversaries.
I rejoice in thy salvation - not only in temporal salvation wrought by the Lord for her, whereby she was delivered from the reproach of barrenness, through a son being given unto her; but in spiritual and eternal salvation. Psalms 20:5 We will rejoice in your salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up banners; may Jehovah fulfill all your prayers.
Hannah was also a prophetess of the first class, besides predicting her own fruitfulness, 1Sa_2:5, (for she bore six children in all, 1Sa_2:21), she foretold not only the more immediate judgments of God upon the Philistines during her son’s administration, 1Sa_2:10, but his remoter judgments ‘upon the ends of the earth,’ 1Sa_2:10, in the true spirit of the prophecies of Jacob, Balaam, and Moses. Like them, she describes the promised Savior of the world as a King, before there was any king in Israel; and she first applied to him the remarkable epithet Messiah in Hebrew, Christ in Greek, and Anointed in English, which was adopted by David, Nathan, Ethan, Isaiah, Daniel, and the succeeding prophets of the Old Testament; and by the apostles and inspired writers of the New. And the allusion thereto by Zacharias, the father of the Baptist, in his hymn, Luk_1:69, where he calls Christ a ‘horn of salvation,’ and the beautiful imitation of it by the blessed Virgin throughout in her hymn, Luk_1:46-55, furnishing the finest commentary thereon, clearly prove that Hannah in her rejoicing had respect to something higher than Peninnah her rival, or to the triumphs of Samuel, or even of David himself; there was a tradition among the Israelites, that a great king should arise in Israel; and she seals up her song with celebrating this King who was to deliver them from all their enemies.’ The tradition, as we have seen, was founded principally on Balaam’s second and third prophecies, Num_24:7-17;
1Sa 2:2 There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.
for there is none besides thee - there is no God besides him; no being but what is of him, and none is holy but by him;
any rock like our God - the word rock is used for Deity, and sometimes for a false one, Deuteronomy 32:31 For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges and so the sense is that there is no god like to our God; there is indeed none besides him; The term rock as applied to God is first found in the song of Moses Deuteronomy 32:4 He is the Rock; His work is perfect. For all His ways are just, a God of faithfulness, and without evil; just and upright is He, where the juxtaposition of rock and salvation in 1Sa_2:15, “he lightly esteemed the rock of his salvation,” seems to indicate that Hannah was acquainted with the song of Moses.
None holy - Holiness is peculiar to the God of Israel; no false god ever pretended to holiness; it was no attribute of heathenism, nor of any religion ever professed in the world before or since the true revelation of the true God.
1Sa 2:3 Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.
Talk no more so exceeding proudly - this may have respect to Peninnah, and all that joined with her to provoke Hannah to anger, and make her fret, insulting and triumphing over her, because she had not children.
for the Lord is a God of knowledge - he knows all persons and things; he knows the hearts of all men; all that they say, all their hard sayings, all their proud, haughty, overbearing expressions, calumnies, and reproaches, as well as all they think and all they do, good or bad; and God will sooner or later convince them of and punish them for their hard speeches against his people: and he is the author of all knowledge, natural, civil, spiritual, and evangelical:
The word for proudly, gebohah (strong’s 1364), is written twice (as gebohah gebohah) and is a literary feature common in most ancient Hebrew poetry. 1Samuel 2:3 Talk no more so exceeding proudly (1364, 1364); let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.
1Sa 2:4 The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength.
The bows of the mighty –
The Targum considers the first verse as including a prophecy against the Philistines; 1Samuel 2:1 And Hannah prayed and said, My heart rejoices in Jehovah, my horn is exalted in Jehovah. My mouth is enlarged over my enemies because I rejoice in Your salvation.
the second verse, against Sennacherib and his army; 1Samuel 2:2 There is none holy as Jehovah, for there is none beside You. Neither is there any rock like our God.
the third, against Nebuchadnezzar and the Chaldeans; 1Samuel 2:3 Talk no more so very proudly. Remove arrogance out of your mouth, for Jehovah is a God of knowledge, and by Him actions are weighed.
the fourth, against the Greeks; 1Samuel 2:4 The bows of the mighty are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength.
the fifth, against Haman and his posterity; 1Samuel 2:5 They that were full have hired themselves out for bread, and they that were hungry ceased; yea, while the barren has borne seven, and she who had many sons has languished.
the tenth, against Magog, and the enemies of the Messiah. 1Samuel
Bows of the mighty - The strength of which they boasted. . “Bows of the heroes” stands for heroes carrying bows. For this reason the verb is to be taken in the sense of confounded, not broken, especially as, apart from Jer_51:56, the word used does not denote the breaking of outward things, but the breaking of men. The thought to be expressed is, not that the bow itself is to be broken, but that the heroes who carry the bow are to be confounded or broken inwardly
1Sa 2:5 They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble.
so that the barren hath born seven - meaning herself, who had born many, even five children besides Samuel, 1 Samuel 2:21 And Jehovah visited Hannah so that she conceived, and she bore three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before Jehovah. Seven being a number put for many, Proverbs 24:16 Seven children are mentioned as the full number of the divine blessing in children Ruth 4:15 And he shall be to you as a restorer of life, and one who cheers your old age. For your daughter-in-law who loves you has borne him, she who is better to you than seven sons.
They that were full have hired themselves out for bread - are the rich and well to do; these would become so poor as to be obliged to hire themselves out for bread.
1Sa 2:6 The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.
he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up--that is, He reduces to the lowest state of degradation and misery, and restores to prosperity and happiness.
He bringeth down to the grave - The Hebrew word sheol, which we translate grave, seems to have the same meaning in the Old Testament with hades in the New Testament, which is the word generally used by the Septuagint for the other. It means the grave, the state of the dead, and the invisible place, or place of separate spirits. Sometimes we translate it hell, which means the state of perdition, or place of eternal torments;
The Lord killeth, and maketh alive – as well as physically, in a spiritual sense; the Lord shows men that they are dead in sin, and he makes alive by his Spirit, through the Gospel, quickening such who were dead in trespasses and sins; which is his own work, and the effect of divine power and grace;
1Sa 2:7 The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.
1Sa 2:8 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, and he hath set the world upon them.
The first three clauses of 1Sa_2:8 are repeated verbatim in Psa_113:7-8.
1Sa 2:8 He raises up the poor out of the dust; He lifts up the needy from the dunghill to set them among princes; yea, He causes them to inherit a throne of honor; for to Jehovah are the pillars of the earth; and He sets the habitable world on them. (MKJV)
Psa 113:7-8 He raises up the poor out of the dust, and lifts the needy out of the dunghill, in order to make him sit with nobles, with the nobles of his people. (MKJV)
1Sa 2:8 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, and he hath set the world upon them. (KJV)
Psa 113:7-8 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill; That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people. (KJV)
Dust and the dunghill are figures used to denote the deepest degradation and ignominy. The antithesis to this is, sitting upon the chair or throne of glory, the seat occupied by noble princes. The Lord does all this, for He is the creator and upholder of the world
For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s - He is almighty, and upholds all things by the word of his power.
lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill--The dunghill, a pile of horse, cow, or camel offal, heaped up to dry in the sun, and used as fuel, was, and is, one of the common haunts of the poorest mendicants; and the change that had been made in the social position of Hannah, appeared to her grateful heart as auspicious and as great as the elevation of a poor despised beggar to the highest and most dignified rank.
Pillars - The foundations of the earth, which God created, and upholds, and wherewith he sustains the earth, and all its inhabitants,
1Sa 2:9 He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.
He keeps the feet of his saints - That is, the steps or paths, their counsels and actions; he will keep; that is, both uphold, that they may not fall into ruin; and direct and preserve from wandering, and from those fatal errors that wicked men daily run into.
and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; sin has spread darkness over all human nature; every man is born and brought up in darkness, and walks in it: they are silenced in their sinful state.
for by strength shall no man prevail - it is by the power of God that he is kept through faith unto salvation: and with respect to wicked men, these shall not prevail by their strength over good men.
1Sa 2:10 The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.
The adversaries of the Lord - Those who contend with him, by sinning against his laws, opposing the progress of his word, or persecuting his people. After the clause, ‘The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces”, the Septuagint add the following words: “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom and let not the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glorieth rather glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth the Lord; and that he executeth judgment and righteousness in the midst of the earth.” This is a very long addition, and appears to be taken from Jeremiah
Exalts the horn of his annointed - This is a most remarkable passage, containing a clear and distinct prophecy of the Kingdom and glory of the Christ of God. Luke 1:69-70 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David, as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from eternity;
The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces - Or Jehovah, Father, Son, and Spirit, "shall break in pieces those that contend with him"; with the Lord, or with his people, or with Samuel particularly; for this may be considered as a prophecy of Hannah concerning her son, what God would do for him against his enemies, that should rise up, contend, and fight with him, as the Philistines; of whom the Lord discomfited and broke to pieces; see the literal fulfillment of this prophecy in 1 Samuel 7, in a spiritual sense all wicked men are the enemies of God, and of his people, and sooner or later shall be broken to pieces. Some, in a good sense; when they are smitten with the words of his mouth, cut to the heart, and made contrite; are humbled and brought into subjection to him, and their enmity slain and abolished, and they filled with love to him; and are so broken to pieces, that they have nothing to depend upon, or trust in for life or salvation, but apply to Christ alone for it. Others, in an ill sense; and the meaning is, that the wicked shall be utterly destroyed by the Lord, with an everlasting destruction, with an incurable and irreparable one; shall be broken in pieces like a potter's vessel, which can never be put together again, Psalms 2:9 You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.
out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: as the Lord did upon the Philistines in the times of Samuel, when Israel were engaged in war with them, 1 Samuel 7:10 And it happened as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel. But Jehovah thundered with a great noise on that day on the Philistines, and troubled them. And they were beaten before
and he shall give strength unto his king - either who was made king in the times of Samuel, Saul, who was the first of the kings of Israel, or David, whom Samuel anointed; and it is true of them both, that the Lord gave them strength to fight with and conquer their enemies; This is also a messianic prophecy, who in the next clause is called the Lord's anointed, or Messiah:
and exalt the horn of his anointed - and so the Targum paraphrases the words, "he shall give strength to his king and enlarge the kingdom of his Messiah." the thing is doubled or repeated, for the King is the Messiah; and to him the words are applied by other Jewish writers. Horn which is an emblem of strength, power, dominion, and glory; hence Jesus himself is called the horn of David, and the horn of salvation; it is a name and title given to kings in allusion to the horns of beasts, in which their strength lies to defend themselves, and annoy their enemies; and the exaltation of him prophesied of may respect and include his resurrection from the dead, ascension to heaven, session at the right hand of God, the judgment of all committed to him, and the glorious exercise of his kingly office in the spiritual and personal reigns. This is the first time we meet with the word Messiah, or anointed, as ascribed to a divine Person, the Son of God; who has this name or title from his being anointed, not with material oil, but with the oil of the Holy Ghost, and his gifts and graces without measure; and who is called the Lord's anointed, because he was anointed by his Father to be prophet, priest, and King, or invested by him with those offices even from eternity.
his anointed--This is the first place in Scripture where the word "anointed," or Messiah, occurs; and as there was no king in
1Sa
the child did minister unto the Lord --He must have been engaged in some occupation suited to his tender age, as in playing upon the cymbals, or other instruments of music; in lighting the lamps, or similar easy and interesting services. He not only read in the book of the law, but learned to sing the praises of God vocally, and to play upon an instrument of music used in the service of God in those times, and to light the lamps in the tabernacle, and open and shut the doors of it, and the like; which were suitable to his age. The application of it to Samuel as ministering to the Lord before Eli the priest accords “most exactly” with Samuel’s condition as a Levite.
The word “minister” is used in three senses in Scripture:
1) of the service or ministration of both priests and Levites rendered unto the Lord Exodus 28:35 And it shall be on Aaron to serve. And his sound shall be heard when he goes in to the holy place before Jehovah, and when he comes out, so that he will not die. Exodus 28:43 And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in to the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near the altar to minister in the holy place; so that they do not bear iniquity, and die. It shall be a statute forever to him and his seed after him.
2) of the ministrations of the Levites as rendered to the priests, to aid them in divine Service: Numbers 3:6 Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, so that they may minister to him.
3) of any service or ministration, especially one rendered to a man of God, as that of Joshua to Moses Numbers 11:28 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, make them cease.
1Sa
sons of Belial - Not that Eli their father was Belial, they were perverse, wicked, profligate men; devil’s children. They knew not the Lord.
Sons of Belial - The phrase is very frequent in the books of Samuel. In the New Testament, Paul contrasts Christ and Belial, as if Belial were the name of an idol or the personification of evil 2Corinthians
sons of Belial--not only careless and irreligious, but men loose in their actions, and vicious and scandalous in their habits. Though professionally engaged in sacred duties, they were not only strangers to the power of religion in the heart, but they had thrown off its restraints, and even ran, as is sometimes done in similar cases by the sons of eminent ministers, to the opposite extreme of reckless and open profligacy.
they knew not the Lord - they denied him in works, they had no love to him, nor fear of him, and departed from his ways and worship, as much as if they were entirely ignorant of him. These men were the principal cause of all the ungodliness of
1Sa 2:13 And the priests' custom with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand;
When any man offered sacrifice - That is, when a peace-offering was brought, the right shoulder and the breast belonged to the priest, the fat was burnt upon the altar, and the blood was poured at the bottom of the altar; the rest of the flesh belonged to the offerer. Under pretense of taking only their own part, they took the best of all they chose, and as much as they chose.
When any man offered sacrifice - The Law of Moses defined exactly what was to be the priest’s portion of every peace offering Leviticus 7:31-35 And the priest shall burn the fat on the altar. But the breast shall be Aaron's and his sons'. And you shall give the right shoulder to the priest for a heave offering of the sacrifices of your peace offerings. He among the sons of Aaron who offers the blood of the peace offerings, and the fat, shall have the right shoulder for his part. For I have taken the breast of the wave offering and the heave shoulder from the sons of Israel, from the sacrifices of their peace offerings, and have given them to Aaron the priest and to his sons by a statute forever from among the sons of Israel. This is the portion of the anointing of Aaron, and of the anointing of his sons, out of the offerings of Jehovah made by fire, in the day he presented them to minister to Jehovah in the priest's office, as it also gave express directions about the burning of the fat Leviticus 7:23-25 Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, You shall not eat any fat of ox, or of sheep, or of goat. And the fat of a dead body, and the fat of a thing torn, may be used in any other use. But you shall in no way eat it. For whoever eats the fat of the beast of which men offer an offering made by fire to Jehovah, even the soul that eats it shall be cut off from his people. Lev_7:31. It was therefore a gross act of disobedience and lawlessness on the part of Hophni and Phinehas to take more than the Law gave them.
the priests' custom with the people--When persons wished to present a sacrifice of peace offering on the altar, the offering was brought in the first instance to the priest, and as the Lord's part was burnt, the parts appropriated respectively to the priests and offerers were to be sodden. But Eli's sons, unsatisfied with the breast and shoulder, which were the perquisites appointed to them by the divine law (Ex 29:27; Le 7:31, 32), not only claimed part of the offerer's share, but rapaciously seized them previous to the sacred ceremony of heaving or waving (see on Le 7:29); and moreover they committed the additional injustice of taking up with their fork those portions which they preferred, while still raw. Pious people revolted at such rapacious and profane encroachments on the dues of the altar, as well as what should have gone to constitute the family and social feast of the offerer.
And the priest's custom with the people was - Not what was according to the will and law of God, but which the sons of Eli had introduced; and in which they were followed by the rest of the priests, and so it became an established custom, and had the force of a law, statute, or judgment, as the word signifies:
when any man offered sacrifice - not any sort of sacrifice, for if it was a burnt offering, it was wholly consumed by fire, and in that the following custom could not take place; and if it was a sin offering, that was eaten by the priests, and so there was no need of taking such a method as after related; but a peace offering, part of which belonged to the Lord, the fat that was burnt, and the breast and shoulder to the priest, and the rest to the owner, who made a feast of it for his family and friends:
1Sa 2:14 And he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in
all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took for himself - as his own property; whereas no part of it at all belonged to him, he having had the breast and shoulder delivered to him in the first place; and yet, by this method, all that he could drag up with this three forked instrument he claimed as his own; which might be much, a pound of flesh, and perhaps more:
1Sa 2:15 Also before they burnt the fat, the priest's servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have sodden flesh of thee, but raw.
for he will not have sodden flesh of thee, but raw - though this was not the only reason of this demand, because they liked roast meat better than boiled; but because the three forked flesh hook did not always bring up the best pieces out of the boiling pot; and therefore he resolved to have flesh raw, that he might have the best, as well as dress it to his own liking.
Before they burnt the fat - They would serve themselves before God was served! To take the flesh of the sacrificial animal and roast it before this offering had been made, was a crime which was equivalent to a robbery of God, and is therefore referred to here with the emphatic particle as being the worst crime that the sons of Eli committed.
1Sa 2:16 And if any man said unto him, Let them not fail to burn the fat presently, and then take as much as thy soul desireth; then he would answer him, Nay; but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force.
and then take as much as thy soul desireth - by which it appears that the men that brought the sacrifice had more religion at heart, and were more concerned for the honor and glory of God than the priest; Those offering sacrifice being willing to suffer in their property, but could not bear that the Lord should be dishonored, and so rudely treated: they were willing the priests should take what they pleased of theirs, though they had no right to any; only they desired the Lord might be served first, which was but reasonable:
1Sa
for men abhorred the offering of the Lord - it was irksome and disagreeable to them to bring their sacrifices, when they saw the law of God was not attended to, and the rules of sacrificing were not observed; such contempt of God, such abuse of sacrifices, such injury done to the sacrificers, and such covetousness and sensuality in the priests, that it even set the people against sacrifices, and made them loath them, and neglect to bring them. And this aggravated the sin of the young men, though the sacrificers were not excused hereby, 1 Samuel
Men abhorred the offering - As the people saw that the priests had no piety, and that they acted as if there was no God; they despised God’s service, and became infidels. But we know the validity and efficacy of the sacraments does not depend on the goodness of those that administer them. It was therefore folly and sin in the people, to think the worse of God's institutions. But it was the much greater sin of the priests, that gave them occasion so to do.
1Sa 2:18 But Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child, girded with a linen ephod.
Samuel ministered before the Lord - The ministration of Samuel, though a child, is observed both before and after the account of the ill behavior and wickedness of Eli's sons; partly to the shame and disgrace of them, and as serving to aggravate their sin, and make it appear the more black and heinous; and partly to his honor and reputation, that he was not corrupted and turned aside from God by their evil practices. The phrase here used is different from that in 1 Samuel
girded with a linen ephod - such as priests used to wear, but not Levites in common, nor extraordinary persons on extraordinary occasions. This seems to be a peculiar favor, and a special honor which Eli granted to Samuel when so very young, on account of the grace of God bestowed on him in a wonderful manner; and because brought up in the tabernacle as a holy person, and a Nazarite.
Samuel ministered before the Lord, being a child--This notice of his early services in the outer courts of the tabernacle was made to pave the way for the remarkable prophecy regarding the high priest's family.
girded with a linen ephod--A small shoulder-garment or apron used in God's service, and allowed not only to the inferior priests and Levites but also to eminent persons of the people, and therefore to Samuel, who, though no Levite, was a Nazarite devoted to God from his birth. The ephod was sometimes used as an idolatrous implement Judges
girt with an ephod - of white material. The ephod was a shoulder-dress, no doubt resembling the high priest's in shape, but altogether different in the material of which it was made, simple white cloth, like the other articles of clothing that were worn by the priests. At that time, according to 1Sa_22:18, all the priests wore clothing of this kind; and, according to 2Samuel 6:14 And David danced before Jehovah with all his might. And David was girded with a linen ephod, David did the same on the occasion of a religious festival. Samuel received a dress of this kind even when a boy, because he was set apart to a lifelong service before the Lord.
1Sa 2:19 Moreover his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.
A little coat - The robe of the ephod was also one of the garments worn by the High Priest. This pointed mention of the ephod and the robe as worn by the youthful Samuel, seems to point to an extraordinary and irregular priesthood to which he was called by God in an age when the provisions of the Levitical law were not fully obeyed, and in which there was no impropriety in the eyes of his contemporaries, seeing that nonconformity to the whole Law was the rule rather than the exception throughout the days of the Judges.
Made him a little coat - a little cloak, or an upper garment: probably intended to keep him from the cold, and to save his other clothes from being abused in his meaner services. It is probable that she furnished him with a new one each year, when she came up to one of the annual sacrifices. It was probably a coat resembling the meïl of the high priest (Exo_28:31.), but was made of course of some simpler material, and without the symbolical ornaments attached to the lower hem, by which that official dress was distinguished.
1Sa 2:20 And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, The LORD give thee seed of this woman for the loan which is lent to the LORD. And they went unto their own home.
for the loan which is lent to the Lord - instead of Samuel, who was asked of the Lord and given to him again; and as they were thereby in some measure deprived of him, and could not always enjoy him, and be delighted with him, Eli prayed for them, and gave them his benediction as a priest, that they might be favored with other children, who might be of delight and service to them when in old age:
1Sa 2:21 And the LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the LORD.
so that she conceived and bare three sons and two daughters - whereby the prophecy of Hannah was fulfilled, 1 Samuel 2:5, and was no doubt matter of great joy to her, though of these children we nowhere else read, nor even of their names.
1Sa 2:22 Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all
Women that assembled - Or, “Served.” Possibly to pray, or such service as consisted in doing certain work for the fabric of the tabernacle as women are accustomed to do, spinning, knitting, embroidering, mending, washing, and such like.
Now Eli was very old - It is very probable he was now about ninety years of age, since when he died he was ninety eight, 1 Samuel 4:15, which is observed to show his incapacity for the discharge of his office, and inspection into public affairs; which gave his sons opportunity of acting the wicked part they did with impunity.
the women that assembled at the door - they there assembled to pray, and that they were devout women; who came there in large numbers, for the word used has the signification of armies; to perform religious exercises in fasting, and praying, and bringing sacrifices to be offered for them; though they do not seem to be such, as was Anna the prophetess, Luke 2:37 who made their abode in the tabernacle, and served God night and day with fastings and prayers, since these were only at the door of the tabernacle; nor were there in the tabernacle conveniences for such persons, as afterwards in the temple.
the women that assembled --This was an institution of holy women of a strictly ascetic order, who had relinquished worldly cares and devoted themselves to the Lord; an institution which continued down to the time of Christ (Lu 2:37). Eli was, on the whole, a good man, but lacking in the moral and religious training of his family. He erred on the side of parental indulgence; and though he reprimanded them (see on De
1Sa
He said to them - Eli's sin was not only that he reproved them too gently, but that he contented himself with a verbal rebuke, and did not restrain them, and inflict those punishments upon them which such high crimes deserved by God's law, and which he as judge and high-priest ought to have done, without respect of persons.
Why do ye such things! - Eli appears to have been a fondly affectionate, easy father, who wished his sons to do well, but did not bring them under proper discipline, and did not use his authority to restrain them. As judge, he had power to cast them immediately out of the vineyard, as wicked and unprofitable servants; this he did not, and his and their ruin was the consequence.
1Sa 2:24 Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the LORD'S people to transgress.
ye make the Lord's people to transgress - by causing them to forbear to bring their sacrifices, being used in such an injurious and overbearing way; and by decoying the women into uncleanness.
1Sa 2:25 If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the LORD, who shall intreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the LORD would slay them.
1Sa 2:26 And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the LORD, and also with men.
And the child Samuel - The account of our Lord’s growth Luke
1Sa 2:27 And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh's house?
And there came a man of God unto Eli - A prophet. He had gifts and graces bestowed on him by the Lord, qualifying him for that office; he came from God, and spoke in his name, as prophets used to do: who this was is not said, nor can it be known with certainty.
and said unto him, thus saith the Lord - using the language prophets in later times did, who spoke not of themselves, but in the name of the Lord.
Unto the house of thy father - That is, to Aaron; he was the first high priest; the priesthood descended from him to his eldest son Eleazar, then to Phinehas. It became afterwards established in the younger branch of the family of Aaron; for Eli was a descendant of Ithamar, Aaron’s youngest son. From Eli it was transferred back again to the family of Eleazar, because of the profligacy of Eli’s sons.
1Sa 2:28 And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children of
And did I choose him - of all the tribes of
An ephod - in which was the breastplate, with the Urim and Thummim, with which the high priest went into the most holy place, where was the ark, the symbol of the divine Presence, and where he inquired of the Lord by the above things: The High Priest’s ephod, in which was Urim and Thummim.
Did I give - The bountiful provision made by God for His priests is mentioned as the great aggravation of the covetousness of Eli’s sons.
to offer upon mine altar - burnt offerings, sin offerings, and peace offerings; this is the altar of burnt offering, which stood in the court of the tabernacle:
to burn incense - on the altar of incense, which was in the holy place, and on which incense was burnt morning and evening:
1Sa 2:29 Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people?
Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice - a metaphor taken from cattle well fed and fat, which kick and spurn with their feet at even the owners and feeders of them. The Targum is, "why do ye use force with the holy offerings?" that is, take them away by force, when there was such a sufficient quantity allowed them for their support. Some understand this of their driving away such, that before used to bring their sacrifices to be offered, but being so ill treated, refrained from bringing them: Using them irreverently, and profanely; both by abusing them to your own luxury, and by causing the people to abhor them.
and honor thy sons above me - by suffering them to take their part of the sacrifices, and even what did not belong to them, before God had his part, or before the fat was burnt; and by continuing them in their office, to the dishonor of God, his name and worship, when they ought to have been turned out by him and punished.
Wherefore kick ye - The well-fed beast becomes unmanageable and refractory, and refuses the yoke, and bursts the bonds Jer_5:5. So the priests, instead of being grateful for the provision made for them, in their pampered pride became dissatisfied, wantonly broke the laws of God which regulated their share of the offerings, and gave themselves up to an unbridled indulgence of their passions and their covetousness.
1Sa 2:30 Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.
Should walk before me for ever - Exodus 29:9 And you shall gird them with girdles, Aaron and his sons, and bind turbans on them. And the priest's office shall be theirs for an everlasting statute. And you shall consecrate Aaron and his sons. Exodus 40:15 And you shall anoint them, even as you anointed their father, so that they may minister to Me in the priest's office. For their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood for their generations. Numbers 25:10-13 And Jehovah spoke to Moses saying, Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned My wrath away from the sons of Israel while he was zealous for My sake among them, so that I did not destroy the sons of Israel in My jealousy. Therefore say, Behold! I give him My covenant of peace. And he shall have it, and his seed after him, the covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the sons of Israel, where it is positively promised that the priesthood should be continued in the family of Aaron For Ever. But although this promise appears to be absolute, yet we plainly see that, like all other apparently absolute promises of God, it is conditional, i.e., a condition is implied though not expressed.
be it far from me - You have walked unworthily; I shall annul my promise, and reverse my ordinance. Jeremiah 18:9-10 And the instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build it and to plant it; if it does evil in My sight, not to obey My voice, then I will repent of the good with which I said I would do them good.
Be it far from me - The phrase so rendered is a favorite one in the Books of Samuel, where it occurs ten or eleven times. It is variously rendered in the King James Version, “God forbid,” and “Be it far from me, thee, etc.” Literally, “Be it an abomination to me.”
Walk - That is, minister unto me as high-priest. Walking is often put for discharging ones office; before me; may signify that he was the high-priest, whose sole prerogative it was to minister before God, or before the ark, in the most holy place. For ever - As long as the Mosaical law and worship lasts. Far from me - To fulfil my promise, which I hereby retract.
Should walk before me for ever - These words of the Lord applied to the whole priesthood, or the whole house of Aaron, to which the priesthood had been promised, “for a perpetual statute” (Exo_29:9). This promise was afterwards renewed to Phinehas especially, on account of the zeal which he displayed for the honour of Jehovah in connection with the idolatry of the people at Shittim (Num_25:13). It would no longer apply to the house of Eli and his sons.
1Sa 2:31 Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father's house, that there shall not be an old man in thine house.
Behold, the days come - a formula with which prophets were accustomed to announce future events 2Kings
then will I cut off thine arm - To cut off the arm means to destroy the strength either of a man or of a family Psalms 37:17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken; but Jehovah upholds the righteous. The strength of a family, however, consists in the vital energy of its members, and shows itself in the fact that they reach a good old age, and do not pine away early and die. This strength was to vanish in Eli's house; no one would ever again preserve his life to old age.
that there shall not be an old man in thine house - as there were none when he died, and his two sons, the same day; and the children they left were very young, and Ahitub, who was one of them, could not die an old man, since Ahimelech his son was priest in the time of Saul, who with eighty five priests were slain by his order; and Abiathar his son was deprived of his priesthood in the time of Solomon.
1Sa 2:32 And thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give
Thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation - Every version and almost every commentator understands this clause differently. The word tsar, which we translate an enemy, and the Vulgate aemulum, a rival, signifies calamity; and this is the best sense to understand it in here. The calamity which he saw was the defeat of the Israelites, the capture of the ark, the death of his wicked sons, and the triumph of the Philistines. All this he saw, that is, knew to have taken place, before he met with his own tragic death.
thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation--A successful rival for the office of high priest shall rise out of another family (2Sa
In all the wealth which God shall give
1Sa 2:33 And the man of thine, whom I shall not cut off from mine altar, shall be to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thine heart: and all the increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age.
And I will not cut off - The two leading clauses of this verse correspond to the two principal thoughts of the previous verse, which are hereby more precisely defined and explained. Eli was to see the distress of the sanctuary; for to him, of his family, there would always be some one serving at the altar of God, that he might look upon the decay with his eyes, and pine away with grief in consequence.
And the man of thine - Of his family, which should spring from him: whom I shall not cut off from mine altar: from serving there: who though he shall not be an high priest, but a common priest, as all the descendants of Aaron were,
and all the increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age - or "die men" grown men, not children, when it would not be so great an affliction to part with them; but when at man's estate, in the prime of their days, perhaps about thirty years of age, the time when the priests entered upon their office to do all the work of it; About the thirtieth year of their age, when they were to be admitted to the full administration of their office.
And the man of thine - The posterity of Eli possessed the high priesthood to the time of Solomon; and even when that dynasty was transferred to another family, God preserved that of Eli, not to render it more happy, but to punish it by seeing the prosperity of its enemies, to the end that it might see itself destitute and despised. This shows the depth of the judgments of God and the grandeur of his justice, which extends even to distant generations, and manifests itself to sinners both in life and death; both in their own disgrace, and in the prosperity of their enemies.
1Sa 2:34 And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them.
This shall be a sign unto thee - A confirming one, that all which had been now said would be fulfilled:
in one day they shall die both of them - as they did in battle with the Philistines, 1 Samuel
1Sa 2:35 And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever.
And I will raise up a faithful priest - This seems to have been spoken of Zadok, who was anointed high priest in the room of Abiathar, the last descendant of the house of Eli; Not Samuel, as some, for he was not of the seed of Aaron, and of the priestly race; nor had he a sure house, for his sons declined from the ways of truth and justice; but Zadok, as it is commonly interpreted, who was put into the office of the high priest by Solomon when he came to the throne, in the room of Abiathar, of the line of Eli; who was an upright man, and faithfully discharged his office, and answered to his name, which signifies righteous. 1Kings
I will build him a sure house – The Lord would continue the priesthood in his family.
He shall walk before mine Anointed - He shall minister before Solomon, and the kings which shall reign in the land. The Targum says, “He shall walk before my Messiah,” and the Septuagint expresses it “before my Christ;”
and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever - or "before my Messiah," as the high priests did; they were types of Christ, and represented him, and acted under him, and in his stead, and prefigured and pointed at what he was to do, when he came in the flesh, and now does in the most holy place in heaven. Though it is more commonly understood of Zadok and his posterity, walking or ministering, as the Targum, before Solomon the Lord's anointed, and before the kings of the house of David, as they did until the Babylonish captivity.
Anointed - Before Jesus Christ, who is the main scope and design, not only of the New, but of the Old Testament, which in all its types and ceremonies represented him; and particularly, the high-priest was an eminent type of Christ, and represented his person, and acted in his name and stead, and did mediately, what John Baptist did immediately, go before the face of the Lord Christ; and when Christ came, that office and officer was to cease. The high-priest is seldom or never said to walk or minister before the kings of Israel or Judah, but constantly before the Lord, and consequently, before Christ, who, as he was God blessed for ever, Rom. ix, 5, was present with, and the builder and governor of the ancient church of Israel, and therefore the high-priest is most properly said to walk before him.
Mine anointed - in its first sense obviously means the kings of
1Sa 2:36 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in thine house shall come and crouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priests' offices, that I may eat a piece of bread.
Shall come and crouch to him - Shall prostrate himself before him in the most abject manner, begging to be employed even in the meanest offices about the tabernacle, in order to get even the most scanty means of support.
A piece of silver - translated by the Septuagint, an obolus of silver. The Targum translates it mea, which is the same as the Hebrew gerah, and weighed about sixteen grains of barley. The word is only found here; but is thought to be connected in etymology and in meaning with the “Gerah,” the smallest Hebrew coin, being the twentieth part of the shekel. The smallness of the sum asked for shows the poverty of the asker.
A morsel of bread - A mouthful; what might be sufficient to keep body and soul together. They formerly pampered themselves, and fed to the full on the Lord’s sacrifices; and now they are reduced to a morsel of bread.
