THE FIRST BOOK OF SAMUEL, OTHERWISE CALLED THE FIRST BOOK OF THE KINGS. _THE sacred history having digressed to relate the idolatry of the house of Micah, and of the Danites, the catastrophe of the Benjamites, and the marriage of Ruth with Boaz, resumes the thread of the narration respecting the ju... [ Continue Reading ]
A CERTAIN MAN OF RAMATHAIM-ZOPHIM— This might be translated, _the Ramahs of the guards;_ possibly because the village was divided into two parts, situated each upon a hill, where there might be a watch-tower, and centinels placed. Various other reasons are given for the name; for which see Buddaeus,... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THE LORD, &C.— _For he loved Hannah, though the Lord,_ &c. Waterland.... [ Continue Reading ]
HER ADVERSARY ALSO PROVOKED HER— Houbigant renders this very well, _her rival also provoked her even to wrath on this very account, because the Lord had shut up her womb._ The word rendered _adversary,_ or _rival,_ signifies a person that _distresses_ or _afflicts._ See Parkhurst on צר. REFLECTIONS... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW ELI THE PRIEST SAT UPON A SEAT, &C.— Eli, who was of the family of Ithamar, was both high-priest and judge at this time. He was born in the end of Gideon's judicature, and died in the middle of the Philistines' tyranny over the Israelites, according to Sir John Marsham, who observes, that his ju... [ Continue Reading ]
ELI ANSWERED AND SAID, GO IN PEACE— Satisfied by her modest and respectful answer, Eli dismisses her with a blessing; which appears to have given Hannah so much gratification, that she departed in perfect complacence, nothing doubting of the completion of her petition, which the high-priest had cond... [ Continue Reading ]
CALLED HIS NAME SAMUEL, &C.— We have often had occasion to observe, that the reason of names imposed is given in the context; which being the case here, it is surprising that interpreters should have wearied themselves in search of other etymologies. According to Marsham, Samuel was born in the inte... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HIS VOW— It is most likely that Elkanah had united with Hannah in the vow she made, 1 Samuel 1:11 and moreover had promised, in case of its completion, to offer some extraordinary sacrifice.... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL NOT GO UP UNTIL, &C.— There is nothing in the Hebrew for, _I will not go up._ It has been observed, that Elkanah and Hannah treat one another with the greatest propriety and tenderness, and present us with a fine example of a sensible and affectionate couple.... [ Continue Reading ]
ONLY THE LORD ESTABLISH HIS WORD— Houbigant renders this, _only the Lord establish that which thou hast said._ We prefer, says he, to the common reading דברו _debaro, his word,_ דברךֶ _debarek, thy word,_ which the LXX, Syriac, and Arabic follow; for it does not appear that God had promised Hannah a... [ Continue Reading ]
WITH THREE BULLOCKS— As _one bullock_ only is mentioned in the next verse, the LXX, Syriac, and Arabic, read _one bullock of three years old,_ which Houbigant approves and follows; observing, that in the 25th verse the demonstrative ה _he,_ being prefixed, particularizes _this very bullock, i.e_. of... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE ALSO I HAVE LENT HIM TO THE LORD, &C.— _Therefore also I have given him, according to my petition, unto the Lord, for as long as I promised in my petition to give him unto the Lord,_ &c. Waterland. This version of Dr. Waterland's seems perfectly conformable to the original; from a survey o... [ Continue Reading ]