Elkanah and His Wives (Psalm 113:1–9)
1 UST There was a man whose name was Elkanah who lived in the town of Ramathaim Zophim. That town was in the hilly area where the people of the tribe of Ephraim live. His father was Jeroham, his grandfather was Elihu, his great- grandfather was Tohu, and his great- great- grandfather was Zuph. Elkanah belonged to the tribe of Ephraim. BSB BSB: Now there was a man named Elkanah who was from Ramathaim-zophim in the hill country of Ephraim. He was the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.
2 UST Elkanah had two wives. Their names were Hannah and Peninnah. Now Peninnah had several children, but Hannah had no children. BSB BSB: He had two wives, one named Hannah and the other Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.
3 UST Once every year Elkanah went with his family from Ramah to the city of Shiloh. He would go there to worship Yahweh, the commander of the heavenly armies, and offer sacrifices to him. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were serving Yahweh as priests there{ with their father}. BSB BSB: Year after year Elkanah would go up from his city to worship and sacrifice to the LORD of Hosts at Shiloh, where Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests to the LORD.
4 UST Every year when Elkanah offered sacrifices, he would give servings of meat to Peninnah and to each of her children. BSB BSB: And whenever the day came for Elkanah to present his sacrifice, he would give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters.
5 UST But he would serve Hannah twice as much meat because he loved her very much even though Yahweh had not allowed her to give birth to children. BSB BSB: But to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved her even though the LORD had closed her womb.
6 UST But Elkanah’ s other wife, Peninnah, would try to make Hannah upset. She would remind her that Yahweh had not allowed her to give birth to any children. BSB BSB: Because the LORD had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival would provoke her viciously to taunt her.
7 UST Every year when the family went to Yahweh’ s sacred tent, Peninnah would make Hannah so upset that Hannah cried and would not eat. BSB BSB: And this went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the LORD, her rival taunted her until she wept and would not eat.
8 UST Then her husband Elkanah would say to her,“Hannah, you should not be crying. You should eat something. You do not need to be sad. You have me as your loving husband, and that is better than having ten sons{ but an unhappy marriage}.” BSB BSB: “Hannah, why are you crying?” her husband Elkanah asked. “Why won’t you eat? Why is your heart so grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”
Hannah Prays for a Son 9 UST One year, after the family had finished eating and drinking at Shiloh, Hannah went over to Yahweh’ s sacred tent to pray. Eli the priest was sitting on a chair by the doorway of the sacred tent{ so he could see and speak with the people who came in and out}. BSB BSB: So after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the temple of the LORD.
10 UST Hannah was very upset, and so she cried very sorrowfully as she prayed to Yahweh. BSB BSB: In her bitter distress, Hannah prayed to the LORD and wept with many tears.
11 UST Hannah made a solemn promise. She said,“Yahweh, you command the heavenly armies{, so you are powerful enough to do anything}. I am a woman who serves you devotedly. Please consider how unhappy I am. Please do something to help me. Allow me to give birth to a son. If you do that, then I will dedicate him to you for as long as he lives. And{ to show that we have dedicated him,} we will never cut his hair.” BSB BSB: And she made a vow, saying, “O LORD of Hosts, if only You will look upon the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, not forgetting Your maidservant but giving her a son, then I will dedicate him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall ever touch his head.”
12 UST Hannah prayed to Yahweh for a long time. As she prayed, Eli noticed that her lips were moving. BSB BSB: As Hannah kept on praying before the LORD, Eli watched her mouth.
13 UST But Hannah was just praying silently. She was not speaking out loud. So Eli thought that she was drunk. BSB BSB: Hannah was praying in her heart, and though her lips were moving, her voice could not be heard. So Eli thought she was drunk
14 UST He said to her,“You should not be getting drunk! Get rid of the wine you have been drinking!” BSB BSB: and said to her, “How long will you be drunk? Put away your wine!”
15 UST Hannah replied,“Sir, I am not drunk, I am just very sad. I have not been drinking any wine or beer. I have been praying and telling Yahweh how I feel and what I want him to do for me. BSB BSB: “No, my lord,” Hannah replied. “I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have not had any wine or strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before the LORD.
16 UST Do not think that I am a bad woman. Someone has made me feel very badly, so I have a lot to talk to Yahweh about. That is all I have been doing.” BSB BSB: Do not take your servant for a wicked woman, for all this time I have been praying out of the depth of my anguish and grief.”
17 UST Eli replied,“I wish that things may go well for you. I hope that God, whom we Israelite people worship, may give you what you have asked of him.” BSB BSB: “Go in peace,” Eli replied, “and may the God of Israel grant the petition you have asked of Him.”
18 UST She replied,“Please continue to hope and pray that good things will happen to me.” Then she returned to her family, and she ate the meal that her husband had served to her. She was not sad anymore. BSB BSB: “May your maidservant find favor with you,” said Hannah. Then she went on her way, and she began to eat, and her face was no longer downcast.
The Birth of Samuel 19 UST Early the next morning, Elkanah and his family got up and worshiped Yahweh again. After that, they returned to their home at Ramah. Then Elkanah had sexual relations with his wife Hannah, and Yahweh answered her prayer. BSB BSB: The next morning they got up early to bow in worship before the LORD, and then they returned home to Ramah. And Elkanah had relations with his wife Hannah, and the LORD remembered her.
20 UST She became pregnant, and nine months later she gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel. That name expressed in her language that Yahweh had answered her prayer for a son. BSB BSB: So in the course of time, Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked for him from the LORD.”
21 UST The next year, Elkanah went to Shiloh with his family to offer to Yahweh the kind of sacrifice he made each year. He also went to make a special offering that he had promised to make. BSB BSB: Then Elkanah and all his house went up to make the annual sacrifice to the LORD and to fulfill his vow,
22 UST But Hannah did not go with them. She told her husband,“I want to keep the baby here until I have weaned him. After that, I will take him to Shiloh and present him to Yahweh. He will stay there for the rest of his life.” BSB BSB: but Hannah did not go. “After the boy is weaned,” she said to her husband, “I will take him to appear before the LORD and to stay there permanently.”
23 UST Elkanah told her,“Do what you think is best. Stay here until you have weaned him. And may Yahweh bless this boy as his priest Eli wished he would.” So Hannah stayed at home and nursed Samuel until she had weaned him. BSB BSB: “Do what you think is best,” her husband Elkanah replied, “and stay here until you have weaned him. Only may the LORD confirm His word.” So Hannah stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him.
24 UST After she weaned him, even though Samuel was still very young, she took him to Yahweh’ s sacred tent at Shiloh. She also brought three bulls{, one for an offering that the priests would burn completely and the other two for festive meals that the family and others would share}. She also brought about twenty liters of flour and a large container of wine{ because the law of Moses required people to offer that amount of flour and wine with sacrifices}. BSB BSB: Once she had weaned him, Hannah took the boy with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine. Though the boy was still young, she brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh.
25 UST Elkanah and Hannah slaughtered the bull{ so that the priests could offer it to Yahweh on the altar}. Then they brought their son to Eli. BSB BSB: And when they had slaughtered the bull, they brought the boy to Eli.
26 UST Then Hannah said to him,“Sir, please listen to me. I swear by your own life, sir, that what I am saying is true. I am the woman who was praying to Yahweh as I stood here beside you. BSB BSB: “Please, my lord,” said Hannah, “as surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD.
27 UST I prayed that I would have a son, and Yahweh answered my prayer. Here he is! BSB BSB: I prayed for this boy, and since the LORD has granted me what I asked of Him,
28 UST So now I am presenting him to Yahweh. He will belong to Yahweh as long as he lives.” Then Elkanah and his family worshiped Yahweh there. BSB BSB: I now dedicate the boy to the LORD. For as long as he lives, he is dedicated to the LORD.” So they worshiped the LORD there.
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