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Elkanah and His Wives
Now there was a certain man from Ramathaim-zophim from the hill country of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.
Now there was a certain man from Ramathaim-zophim from the hill country of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.
He had two wives: the name of one was Hannah and the name of the other Peninnah; and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
Elkanah had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah did not.
Now this man would go up from his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice to the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests to the LORD there.
Each year Elkanah would travel to Shiloh to worship and sacrifice to the LORD of Heaven’s Armies at the Tabernacle. The priests of the LORD at that time were the two sons of Eli — Hophni and Phinehas.
When the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and her daughters;
On the days Elkanah presented his sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to Peninnah and each of her children.
but to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, but the LORD had closed her womb.
Her rival, however, would provoke her bitterly to irritate her, because the LORD had closed her womb.
So Peninnah would taunt Hannah and make fun of her because the LORD had kept her from having children.
It happened year after year, as often as she went up to the house of the LORD, she would provoke her; so she wept and would not eat.
Then Elkanah her husband said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep and why do you not eat and why is your heart sad? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”
“Why are you crying, Hannah?” Elkanah would ask. “Why aren’t you eating? Why be downhearted just because you have no children? You have me — isn’t that better than having ten sons?”
Then Hannah rose after eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the temple of the LORD.
She, greatly distressed, prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly.
Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the LORD.
She made a vow and said, “O LORD of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and a razor shall never come on his head.”
Now it came about, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli was watching her mouth.
As she was praying to the LORD, Eli watched her.
As for Hannah, she was speaking in her heart, only her lips were moving, but her voice was not heard. So Eli thought she was drunk.
Seeing her lips moving but hearing no sound, he thought she had been drinking.
Then Eli said to her, “How long will you make yourself drunk? Put away your wine from you.”
“Must you come here drunk?” he demanded. “Throw away your wine!”
But Hannah replied, “No, my lord, I am a woman oppressed in spirit; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before the LORD.
“Oh no, sir!” she replied. “I haven’t been drinking wine or anything stronger. But I am very discouraged, and I was pouring out my heart to the LORD.
“Do not consider your maidservant as a worthless woman, for I have spoken until now out of my great concern and provocation.”
Don’t think I am a wicked woman! For I have been praying out of great anguish and sorrow.”
Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of Him.”
“In that case,” Eli said, “go in peace! May the God of Israel grant the request you have asked of him.”
She said, “Let your maidservant find favor in your sight.” So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.
“Oh, thank you, sir!” she exclaimed. Then she went back and began to eat again, and she was no longer sad.
Samuel Is Born to Hannah
Then they arose early in the morning and worshiped before the LORD, and returned again to their house in Ramah. And Elkanah had relations with Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her.
Samuel’s Birth and Dedication
The entire family got up early the next morning and went to worship the LORD once more. Then they returned home to Ramah. When Elkanah slept with Hannah, the LORD remembered her plea,
It came about in due time, after Hannah had conceived, that she gave birth to a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked him of the LORD.”
Then the man Elkanah went up with all his household to offer to the LORD the yearly sacrifice and pay his vow.
The next year Elkanah and his family went on their annual trip to offer a sacrifice to the LORD and to keep his vow.
But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “I will not go up until the child is weaned; then I will bring him, that he may appear before the LORD and stay there forever.”
Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you. Remain until you have weaned him; only may the LORD confirm His word.” So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him.
Now when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with a three-year-old bull and one ephah of flour and a jug of wine, and brought him to the house of the LORD in Shiloh, although the child was young.
Then they slaughtered the bull, and brought the boy to Eli.
After sacrificing the bull, they brought the boy to Eli.
She said, “Oh, my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you, praying to the LORD.
“Sir, do you remember me?” Hannah asked. “I am the very woman who stood here several years ago praying to the LORD.
“For this boy I prayed, and the LORD has given me my petition which I asked of Him.
I asked the LORD to give me this boy, and he has granted my request.