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1 SAMUEL 2

PARAGRAPH DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Bible Interpretation Seminar")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT THE PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects. Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

1. First paragraph
2. Second paragraph
3. Etc.

CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS

1. This chapter starts out with a wonderful poetic prayer of Hannah. Poetry was viewed as an appropriate way to express God's greatness. SPECIAL TOPIC: HEBREW POETRY
   
   
2. The second part of this chapter documents
   1. the evil actions of Eli's sons concerning sacrificial procedures
   2. the inaction of Eli
   3. the evil sexual exploitations of young female worshippers by Eli's sons
   4. YHWH's rejection
      1. Eli's sons
      2. Eli's descendants serving as priests
   5. the rise and preeminence of Samuel

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 2:1-10
 ¹Then Hannah prayed and said,
 "My heart exults in the Lord;
 My horn is exalted in the Lord,
 My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies,
 Because I rejoice in Your salvation.
 ²"There is no one holy like the Lord,
 Indeed, there is no one besides You,
 Nor is there any rock like our God.
 ³"Boast no more so very proudly,
 Do not let arrogance come out of your mouth;
 For the Lord is a God of knowledge,
 And with Him actions are weighed.
 ⁴"The bows of the mighty are shattered,
 But the feeble gird on strength.
 ⁵"Those who were full hire themselves out for bread,
 But those who were hungry cease to hunger.
 Even the barren gives birth to seven,
 But she who has many children languishes.
 ⁶"The Lord kills and makes alive;
 He brings down to Sheol and raises up.
 ⁷"The Lord makes poor and rich;
 He brings low, He also exalts.
 ⁸"He raises the poor from the dust,
 He lifts the needy from the ash heap
 To make them sit with nobles,
 And inherit a seat of honor;
 For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's,
 And He set the world on them.
 ⁹"He keeps the feet of His godly ones,
 But the wicked ones are silenced in darkness;
 For not by might shall a man prevail.
 ¹⁰"Those who contend with the Lord will be shattered;
 Against them He will thunder in the heavens,
 The Lord will judge the ends of the earth;
 And He will give strength to His king,
 And will exalt the horn of His anointed."

2:1 Notice how Hannah describes herself.

1. heart (See SPECIAL TOPIC: HEART.)
2. horn (lit. "strength," BDB 901, cf. v. 31)
3. mouth

These are all ways of expressing personhood in Hebrew poetry.

SPECIAL TOPIC: HEBREW POETRY

▣ "Your salvation" In the OT this refers to physical deliverance (i.e., here, from barrenness).

SPECIAL TOPIC: SALVATION (OT Term)

2:2 "There is no one. . ." This is an affirmation of monotheism, which was the unique theological heart of Israel's faith (i.e., Deut. 6:4-6). So different from the polytheism of the ANE.

SPECIAL TOPIC: MONOTHEISM

▣ "holy" See SPECIAL TOPIC: HOLY and SPECIAL TOPIC: THE HOLY ONE.

▣ "rock" This title (BDB 849) was used of God in Deut. 32:15,18,30, and Ps. 18:1-2; 19:14; 2 Sam. 22:2ff; Ps. 78:35; Isa. 44:8). It speaks of

1. the strength, stability, the unchanging nature of the one true God
2. God as a mighty, impregnable fortress

2:3a "so very proudly" The MT has the FEMININE ADJECTIVE (BDB 147) doubled for emphasis.

It is paralleled with "arrogance" (BDB 801) in the next line.

2:3c-d YHWH as humankind's creator knows them (cf. 1 Sam. 16:7; 1 Kgs. 8:39; 1 Chr. 28:9; Ps. 7:9; Jer. 11:20; 17:10; 20:12). Not only does YHWH fully know His creatures, He tests them.

In this context of Eli's faithless sons vs. faithful Samuel, this poem must be referring to Israelites and not all human beings. The truth of YHWH's knowledge of all humans is still truth!

SPECIAL TOPIC: GOD TESTS HIS PEOPLE

2:4-5 This is common "reversal" language.

1. mighty vs. feeble
2. full vs. hungry
3. fruitful vs. barren

YHWH cares for and helps the faithful under privileged but He judges the proud, powerful, and arrogant.

2:5 "seven" This is the perfect number in Scripture.

SPECIAL TOPIC: SYMBOLIC NUMBERS IN SCRIPTURE, #4

2:6-10 The contrast between humans continues. YHWH's sovereignty is reaffirmed (see full note at 1 Sam. 1:5).

1. death by divine act vs. life
2. rich vs. poor
3. the exalted vs. the low
4. nobles vs. the poor and needy
5. does not guide the wicked vs. guides the godly ones

2:6 "The Lord kills and makes alive" In the context of monotheism, this statement asserts the full and complete sovereignty of Israel's God (cf. Deut. 32:39; 2 Kgs. 5:7). Life is in His hands and His hands alone!

▣ "He brings down to Sheol and raises up" This is a parallel affirmation to 1 Sam. 2:6a. See SPECIAL TOPIC: SHEOL.

The "raises up" is not a reference to resurrection but healing (cf. Ps. 103:3-4).

SPECIAL TOPIC: HEALING

2:8 "the pillars of the earth are the Lord's" This is imagery for YHWH as creator. The ANE viewed the dry land as resting on pillars sunk into the oceans (cf. 2 Sam. 22:16; 1 Chr. 16:30; Job 9:6; 38:4-6; Ps. 24:2; 75:3; 104:3a,5).

2:9 "He keeps the feet of His godly ones" The Hebrews believed YHWH guided the lives of the faithful. The imagery is a clear, smooth, straight path (i.e., Ps. 56:13; 89:15; 116:8; 119:105; Isa. 2:5; 1 John 1:7).

Life is not a matter of fate, chance, or luck but the loving presence of the God of creation; to those who know Him!

▣ "For not by might shall a man prevail" Human effort, human power, human intellect do not bring success; only faith in the faithful God of creation and His salvation (i.e., Zech. 4:6).

2:10a The UBS Text Project, p. 149, shows the two ways to understand this line of poetry.

1. MT (Qere) "against him" ‒ עלו
2. NRSV, NJB, NEB ‒ עלו (an ancient divine name, "Most High")

UBS gives an "A" rating to the suggestion of the Masorectic scholars, Qere reading.

▣ "He will thunder in the heavens" Thunder was ANE imagery of God's voice (cf. 1 Sam. 7:10; Ps. 18:13-14; 104:7). The power of nature was in YHWH's hands. See SPECIAL TOPIC: NATURAL RESOURCES.

The "heavens" can be viewed in one of two ways.

1. the atmosphere above the earth where clouds move, birds fly (see SPECIAL TOPIC: HEAVEN)
2. the place where YHWH dwells (see SPECIAL TOPIC: THE HEAVENS AND THE THIRD HEAVEN)

▣ "The Lord will judge to the ends of the earth" In context this refers to Israel (see next two poetic lines), It is surely true that this is a universal truth (i.e., Ps. 96:13; 98:9; see SPECIAL TOPIC: JUDGMENT IN THE NT), but here it refers to Palestine.

SPECIAL TOPIC: LAND, COUNTRY, EARTH

▣ "His anointed" Here it refers to His chosen king (i.e., Saul). Ultimately it refers to the Davidic Messiah.

SPECIAL TOPIC: "ANOINTING" IN THE BIBLE

SPECIAL TOPIC: MESSIAH

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 2:11
  ¹¹Then Elkanah went to his home at Ramah. But the boy ministered to the Lord before Eli the priest.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 2:12-17
  ¹²Now the sons of Eli were worthless men; they did not know the Lord ¹³and the custom of the priests with the people. When any man was offering a sacrifice, the priest's servant would come while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand. ¹⁴Then he would thrust it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. Thus they did in Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there. ¹⁵Also, before they burned the fat, the priest's servant would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, "Give the priest meat for roasting, as he will not take boiled meat from you, only raw." ¹⁶If the man said to him, "They must surely burn the fat first, and then take as much as you desire," then he would say, "No, but you shall give it to me now; and if not, I will take it by force." ¹⁷Thus the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord, for the men despised the offering of the Lord.

This is literally "sons of Belial," which was an idiom for "worthless," "good-for-nothing" (i.e., Jdgs. 19:23; 20:13; 1 Sam. 2:12; 10:27; 25:17; 2 Sam. 16:7; 1 Kgs. 21:10,13; 2 Chr. 13:7). See full note at 2 Sam. 20:1.

Though different words are used in v. 9, the same contrast between

1. the godly ones (i.e, Samuel and other faithful followers)
2. the wicked ones (i.e., Eli's sons)

is stated. There are two kinds of Israelites!

▣ "they did not know the Lord" This is a play on the word "know" (cf. Jdgs. 2:10).

SPECIAL TOPIC: KNOW

2:13-17 These two privileged priests abused their position (cf. vv. 22, 29). They knew the proper procedures but chose to violate them for selfish purposes!

This word (מזלג, BDB 272, KB 565) appears only here, vv. 13, 14. A similar work, "forks" (מזלגה, BDB 272) appears in Exod. 27:3; 38:3; Num. 4:14; 1 Chr. 28:17; 2 Chr. 4:16.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 2:18-20
  ¹⁸Now Samuel was ministering before the Lord, as a boy wearing a linen ephod. ¹⁹And his mother would make him a little robe and bring it to him from year to year when she would come up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. ²⁰Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, "May the Lord give you children from this woman in place of the one she dedicated to the Lord." And they went to their own home.

2:18 "linen ephod" See SPECIAL TOPIC: LINEN and SPECIAL TOPIC: EPHOD.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 2:21
  ²¹The Lord visited Hannah; and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew before the Lord.

2:21 YHWH blessed Hannah's obedience to her vow and her faith in Him by opening her womb! See full note at 1 Sam. 1:5.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 2:22-25
  ²²Now Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who served at the doorway of the tent of meeting. ²³He said to them, "Why do you do such things, the evil things that I hear from all these people? ²⁴No, my sons; for the report is not good which I hear the Lord's people circulating. ²⁵If one man sins against another, God will mediate for him; but if a man sins against the Lord, who can intercede for him?" But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for the Lord desired to put them to death.

2:22 Eli knew what his sons were doing but refused to do whatever it took to stop them! So, YHWH will stop them (cf. v. 25).

▣ "they lay with women" These could have been single women or married women, but they were probably single temple servants (cf. Exod. 38:8).

SPECIAL TOPIC: ADULTERY

SPECIAL TOPIC: HUMAN SEXUALITY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT:2:26
  ²⁶Now the boy Samuel was growing in stature and in favor both with the Lord and with men.

2:26 This description of a normal maturation process is also used of Jesus in Luke 2:52.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 2:27-36
  ²⁷Then a man of God came to Eli and said to him, "Thus says the Lord, 'Did I not indeed reveal Myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt in bondage to Pharaoh's house? ²⁸Did I not choose them from all the tribes of Israel to be My priests, to go up to My altar, to burn incense, to carry an ephod before Me; and did I not give to the house of your father all the fire offerings of the sons of Israel? ²⁹Why do you kick at My sacrifice and at My offering which I have commanded in My dwelling, and honor your sons above Me, by making yourselves fat with the choicest of every offering of My people Israel?' ³⁰Therefore the Lord God of Israel declares, 'I did indeed say that your house and the house of your father should walk before Me forever'; but now the Lord declares, 'Far be it from Me—for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me will be lightly esteemed. ³¹Behold, the days are coming when I will break your strength and the strength of your father's house so that there will not be an old man in your house. ³²You will see the distress of My dwelling, in spite of all the good that I do for Israel; and an old man will not be in your house forever. ³³Yet I will not cut off every man of yours from My altar so that your eyes will fail from weeping and your soul grieve, and all the increase of your house will die in the prime of life. ³⁴This will be the sign to you which will come concerning your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas: on the same day both of them will die. ³⁵But I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who will do according to what is in My heart and in My soul; and I will build him an enduring house, and he will walk before My anointed always. ³⁶Everyone who is left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver or a loaf of bread and say, "Please assign me to one of the priest's offices so that I may eat a piece of bread."'"

2:27 "a man of God" Notice this prophet is unnamed (Deut. 33:1; Josh 14:6; 1 Sam. 9:6-8; 1 Kgs. 12:22; 13:1; 17:24; Jdgs. 13:6,8,10,11). Eli was the chief priest at Shiloh but because of his lack of reverence toward YHWH (i.e., his sons' acts), YHWH used a prophet to communicate to him.

SPECIAL TOPIC: PROPHETS (OT)

▣ "Did I not indeed reveal Myself" This is an INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE and a PERFECT VERB from the same root (BDB 162, KB 191), which denotes intensity.

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE BIBLE (it's uniqueness and inspiration)

The VERB "kicked" (BDB 127, KB 142, Qal IMPERFECT) is found only here and Deut. 32:15. There are several allusions in 1 Samuel 2 to Deuteronomy 32. KB mentions that in MIDDLE Hebrew it meant

1. to trample
2. to stamp
3. to spurn

The UBS Text Project, p. 152, gives "kick" a "B" rating (some doubt).

▣ Notice the number of "My's" in the NASB that denote YHWH's ownership.

1. My sacrifice
2. My offering
3. My dwelling
4. My people

By violating the sacrificial procedures given by YHWH in Leviticus, these wicked sons of Eli showed dishonor (as did Aaron's son in Lev. 10:1-7).

2:30 There are consequences to both covenant obedience and disobedience, both in time and in eternity (i.e., Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28).

▣ "walk" This is ANE imagery for lifestyle actions.

▣ "forever" SPECIAL TOPIC: FOREVER ('olam).

2:31-34 This is a temporal prophecy about the judgment of the priests from Eli's family (i.e., death of the priests at Nob by Saul's order; only one left, v. 36).

2:35 This probably refers to Zadok (cf. 1 Chr. 6:8-15), not Samuel. Samuel may not have been from the tribe of Levi.

This word (BDB 8) occurs only here. BDB suggests "payment." The same root in Akkadian means "wages."

The LXX thinks the root is related to "Gerah," which was a small Hebrew coin (BDB 176 II).

SPECIAL TOPIC: ANE WEIGHTS AND VOLUMES

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