E e¹ 1,2. Yahaveh. Holiness. f¹ 3-. Enemies. Pride broken. e² -3. Yahaveh. Knowledge. f² 4,5. Enemies.Weapons broken. e³ 6-9. Yahaveh. Grace. f³ 10-. Enemies. Themselves broken. e4 -10. Yahaveh. Grace.
about 1048 B.C.
1 Samuel 2)
1: And Hannah prayed, and said (Hannah was a prophetess), “My heart rejoices in the Lord (Yahaveh), mine horn (first occurrence. Horn is symbolic of power and strength [spiritually]. Part of head-dress over which the veil is thrown hanging over the shoulders; mothers making it more perpendicular. This is now fast becoming extinct. Cp. 2 Sam. 22:3. Ps. 75:4. Luke 1:49) is exalted in the Lord: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in Your salvation.
2: There is none set apart as the Lord (this is the cry of all His saints. See Ex. 15:11. For "set apart [holy]" see Ex. 3:5): for there is none beside You: neither is there any rock (cp. Deut. 32:4. 2 Sam.22:32) like our God (Elohim).
3: Talk no more so exceeding proudly (this is the true rendering of the Fig. Epizeuxis. Heb. "proudly proudly"); let not (the latter of two or more negatives not necessary in Heb. An Ellipsis must be supplied, as here. See Gen. 2:6) arrogancy come out of your mouth:
for the Lord is a GOD (El) of knowledge, and by Him actions are weighed. (Use God's Word as a scale)
4: The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength.
5: They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren has born seven (prophecy. See Rom. 11); and she that has many sons is waxed feeble.
6: The Lord kills, and makes alive (He, God, puts the soul in the embryo): He brings down to the grave (Heb. sheõl), and brings up.
7: The Lord makes poor, and makes rich: He brings low, and lifts up.
8: He raises up the poor (i.e. the oppressed) out of the dust, and lifts up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory (once you accept God's Word you are rich): for the pillars of the earth are the Lord's (= that which is set fast. See Job 38), and He has set the world upon them.
9: He will keep the feet of His saints, and the lawless shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.
10: The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven (see 7:10) shall He thunder upon them: The Lord shall judge the ends of the earth; (God will do it!)
and He shall give strength to His king (first occ. Cp. Ps. 2:6), and exalt the horn of His Messiah.” (the first occ. as used of Christ. Sept. reads "Christos" = Christ = Messiah = The Anointed One of Yah [God])
11: And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the youth did minister to the Lord before Eli the priest.
12: Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial (no god); they knew not the Lord.
13: And the priests' custom with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was boiling, with a flesh-hook of three teeth in his hand; (this is not God's law. These priest were crooks)
14: And he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or cauldron, or pot; all that the flesh-hook brought up the priest took for himself (robbing the offerers of their own portion. See Lev. 7:31-35. Deut. 18:3). So they did in Shiloh to all the Israelites that came to that place.
15: Also before they (i.e. not the offerer, but the priest for him) 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 boiled flesh of you, but raw.” (They were going the extra mile to rip the people off. This was contrary to Lev. 3:16; 7:23,25,30,31)
16: And if any man said to him, “Let them not fail to burn (as incense) the fat presently (= now, immediately, without delay, at once), and then take as much as you desires;” then he would answer, “Nay; but you shall give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force.” (True men or women of God do not beg. These priests deceived the people by changing God's Word. Do you recognize it when they do it today?)
17: Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord: for men abhorred the offering of the Lord.
C³ g 18. Samuel. Ministration. h i 19. Parents' yearly visit. k 20-. Eli's blessing. h i -20. Parents' return. k 21-. Yehovah's visitation. g -21. Samuel. Growth.
18: But Samuel ministered before the Lord, being a youth, girded with a linen ephod (not the High Priest's, but a simple linen robe of the ordinary priests and Levites and others. 1 Sam. 22:18. 2 Sam. 6:14. Cp. Ex. 28:42. Lev. 6:10).
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.
about 1064 to 1061 B.C.
20: And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, “The Lord give you seed of this woman for the great gift to the Lord.”
1048 to 1044 B.C.
And they went to their own home.
21: And the Lord visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters (#5 = Grace, which is what Hannah means).
And the youth Samuel grew before the Lord.
22: Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did to all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the entrance of the tent of meeting of the congregation. (virgins and widows, temple servants)
23: And he said to them, “Why do you all do such things? for I hear of your evil dealings from all this People.
24: Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear (Heb. has the disjunctive accent on this word, emphasizing the guilt of Hophni and Phinehas as (1) a public scandal [v.23]; (2) a cause of stumbling [v.24]; (3) a sin against Yahaveh [v.25]): you all make the Lord's People to transgress (or cry out). (they, the People, were crying out against the church because of these priests)
25: If one man sin against another, The Judge (= God = Elohim) shall judge him: but if a man sin against the Lord, who shall entreat for him?” Notwithstanding they listened not to the voice of their father, because the Lord would slay them.
26: And the youth Samuel grew on, and was in favor both with the Lord, and also with men. (you can see here that Samuel is a type of savior)
D4 l¹ 27,28. Election of priestly order. m¹ 29. Provocation of Eli's sons. l² 30-. Election of Eli. m² -30-34. Rejection of El's sons. l³ 35,36. Election of Samuel.
27: And there came a man of God to Eli (i.e. a prophet. See Deut. 33:1. Cp. Judg. 13:6. Probably the Angel of God), and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘I did indeed plainly reveal Myself to the house of your father, when they were (Sept. read "were servants". Cp. Deut.5:6) in Egypt in Pharaoh's house? (Aaron as well as Moses was in Pharaoh's house. See Ex.4:27)
28: And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be My priest, to offer upon My altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before Me? and did I give to the house of your father (i.e. Aaron. Ex. 29:27,28. Lev.10:14) all the offerings made by fire of the sons of Israel?
29: Wherefore kick you all at My sacrifice and at My gift offering (cp. Deut.32:15), which I have commanded in My habitation; and honor your sons above Me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel My People?’
30: Wherefore the Lord God of Israel says, ‘I said indeed that your house, and the house of your father, should walk before Me for ever:’
but now the Lord says, ‘Be it far from Me; for them that honor Me I will honor (God always takes care of His own), and they that despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.
31: Behold, the days come, that I will cut off your seed (God will cut off 3 things from Eli and his sons [vv.31-36] (1) Judgeship from the priests; (2) slay his sons; (3) a king is going to take over), and the seed of your father's house, that there shall not be an old man in your house.
32: And you shall see an enemy in My habitation (cp. Ps. 78:60-64), in all the wealth which God shall give Israel: and there shall not be an old man in your house for ever. (They are going to look in envy)
33: And the man of yours, whom I shall not cut off from My altar, shall be to consume thine (Sept. reads "his") eyes, and to grieve your soul: and all the increase of your house shall die in the flower of their age (Sept. reads "with the sword of men").
34: And this shall be a sign to you, that shall come upon your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them (see 4:11. No one gets away with conning God).
35: And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in My soul and in My mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before My anointed for ever. (This verse refers to Messiah)
36: And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in your house shall come and crouch to him (i.e. to the Anointed [king] of v.10: already pointing to the High Priest as being no longer the judge, but subordinate to the king) for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, ‘Put me, I pray you, into one of the priests' offices, that I may eat a piece of bread.’ ’ ” (the priests will have to beg the king)