Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, 1 Samuel · Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
NOw there was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim, &c.] The two books of Samuel are ſo called, becauſe they contain the ſtorie of the life and death of Samuel, and of the Commonwealth of Iſrael under his government: and likewiſe the ſtorie of Saul and David, who were both anointed kings by Samuel; and ſo ſhew how the prophecies of Samuel concerning them both were exactly fulfilled. Yet by the Greek and Latine Interpreters they are uſually called the two firſt books of the Kings, becauſe therein is related how the government of Iſrael came firſt to be changed, from that of Judges to that of Kings; and becauſe they contain the ſtorie of Saul and David, the two firſt Kings of Iſrael. By whom theſe books were written is no where expreſſed; but that they were written by the inſpiration of the holy Ghoſt, whoſoever the penmen were, is evident by the teſtimonie of the Jews, to whom were committed the Oracles of God; and who did alwayes acknowledge them to be a part of the ſacred canon of the Scripture; and it is likewiſe confirmed in the new Teſtament, where ſome paſſages of theſe books are cited as a part of the Scripture, as we may ſee Matt. 12.3, 4. where that paſſage concerning Davids eating the ſhewbread, 1. Sam. 21.6. is cited by our Saviour; Have ye not read what David when he was an hungred did, and they that were with him, how he entred into the houſe of God, and did eat the ſhewbread? &c. and again in thoſe two teſtimonies cited by S. Paul, the one Rom. 15.9. As it is written, For this cauſe I will confeſſe to thee amongſt the Gentiles, and ſing unto thy name; which is taken out of the 2. Sam. 22.50. and the other, Heb. 1.5. I will be to him a father, and he ſhall be to me a ſonne, which is alledged from 2. Sam. 7.14. As for theſe firſt words, Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim, &c. wherein we are told what Elkanah the father of Samuel was; we muſt know firſt, that whereas elſewhere the town where Elkanah dwelt is called Ramah, as in the 19. verſe of this chapter; And they roſe up in the morning early,—and came to their houſe to Ramah; and ſo again, chap. 2.11. here it is called Ramathaim-zophim, Ramathaim (in the duall number) becauſe it conſiſted of two towns that were called Ramah, two Ramahs joyned in one, and Zophim, either becauſe it was ſituate in the countrey or region of Zuph, whereof we reade, chap. 9.5. And when they were come to the land of Zuph, Saul ſaid to his ſervant that was with him, Come and let us return, &c. or elſe becauſe of the high ſituation of the place, ſtanding upon ſome notable high hill, in regard whereof it may well be that there were ſome watch-towers there (for that the name ſeems to import, becauſe Zophim ſignifieth watch houſes, or towers) or elſe (as ſome think) becauſe there was there an Univerſitie or ſchool of Prophets, who are uſually in the Scripture called watchmen, as Ezek. 3.17. Sonne of man, I have made thee a watchman to the houſe of Iſrael: ſecondly, that whereas in ſetting down the genealogie of Elkanah, it is ſaid that he was the ſonne of Jeroham, the ſonne of Elihu, the ſonne of Tohu, the ſonne of Zuph; it ſeems in the 1. Chron. 6.26, 27. that three of theſe were alſo called by other names; for Elihu is there called Eliab, and verſ. 34. Eliel; and Tohu, Nahath, and verſ. 34. Toah; and Zuph, Zophai: and thirdly, whereas it is ſaid that Elkanah was an Ephrathite; thereby is meant that he dwelt in mount Ephraim; Elimelech and his two ſonnes are called Ephrathites, Ruth 1.2. becauſe they were of Bethlehem Ephratah; and Jeroboam is called an Ephrathite, becauſe he was of the tribe of Ephraim, 1. Kings 11.26. but Elkanah is here called an Ephrathite, onelyonly becauſe he dwelt in mount Ephraim; for that he was a Levite of the familie of the Kohathites; (to whom indeed certain cities were allotted in the tribe of Ephraim Joſh. 21.20.) and of the poſteritie of Korah, that wretch that was in ſo fearfull a manner deſtroyed in the wilderneſſe for his rebellion againſt Moſes, is evident 1. Chron. 6.22, 23, &c. ſo that it is no wonder though the ſonnes of Korah were ſpared, whileſt the father was deſtroyed, ſince the Lord had determined from this curſed ſtock to raiſe up to the Iſraelites ſuch a glorious Prophet as Samuel was.
Verſ. 2. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.] Hannah is reckoned in the foregoing words in the firſt place; and it is probable therefore which ſome conceive, that Hannah was his firſt wife, and that afterwards he took Peninnah to wife, becauſe Hannah was barren: For in thoſe times they counted it an extraordinary croſſe to die without iſſue; yea becauſe the temporall promiſe made to that nation depended much upon their carnall generation, though the Lord allowed not their polygamie, yet he was pleaſed to tolerate this infirmitie in his ſervants till the Meſſiah came, when the Church ſhould no longer be tied to one nation, but ſpirituall children ſhould be begotten unto God from all nations: and it may be they did conceive that Gods promiſe to Abraham of multiplying his ſeed as the ſtarres of heaven, did implie a diſpenſation granted to them for having many wives.
Verſ. 3. And this man went up out of his citie yearly to worſhip, and to ſacrifice to the Lord of hoſts in Shiloh.] At Shiloh the Tabernacle had ſtood ever ſince the ſeventh yeare of Joſhua, Joſh. 18.1. thither went Elkanah yearly, that is, at thoſe three ſolemne feaſts, wherein all the males were bound to appear before the Lord, Deut. 16.16. He might go at other times as a Levite, to do ſervice in his courſe at the Tabernacle; but here doubtleſſe his going up yearly at thoſe great feaſts is onelyonly intended, when his familie went with him (yea the women alſo) ſuch was their devotion, though not bound thereto by the Law.
And the two ſonnes of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the Prieſts of the Lord were there.] This Eli was at this time Judge of Iſrael the next after Samſon, chap. 4.18. He had judged Iſrael fourtie years; and withall, as it is generally thought by all Expoſitours, he was high Prieſt too. Indeed, how he ſhould come to be high Prieſt we cannot ſay. For Aaron leaving two ſonnes behind him, Eleazar and Ithamar, the high Prieſthood was to have deſcended ſucceſſively to the poſteritie of Eleazar, Aarons eldeſt ſonne; and accordingly we reade that Eleazar was high Prieſt after Aaron died, Deut. 10.6. and after Eleazar died Phinehas, Judg. 20.28. Now it is evident that Eli was of the poſteritie of Ithamar, Aarons ſecond ſonne; becauſe it appears that Abiathar who was depoſed from being high Prieſt by Solomon, was of the poſteritie of Eli, 1. Kings 2.27. and of Ahimelech who was the ſonne of Abiathar, it is expreſſely ſaid, 1. Chron. 24.3. that he was of the ſonnes of Ithamar: and how therefore the high Prieſthood came to be transferred from the poſteritie of Eleazar to Eli, that was of the houſe of Ithamar, cannot be cleared by any place of Scripture; onelyonly becauſe it is ſaid, chap. 2.30. that God had promiſed Eli that his houſe and the houſe of his father ſhould walk before him for ever; thence ſome conclude that it was not without Gods appointment, that the high Prieſthood was removed to the houſe of Ithamar, and that becauſe the high Prieſts of Eleazars familie had ſome way provoked God by their evil wayes, in the dayes of the former Judges. As for Elies two ſonnes Hophni and Phinenas, it is expreſſely inſerted here, that they were then in Shiloh, when Elkanah uſed yearly to go up thither to ſacrifice, to intimate thereby the wiſdome and pietie of Elkanah, who would not neglect his dutie in going up thither with his ſacrifices, according to the rule of Gods Law, becauſe of the horrible wickedneſſe of theſe wretches, who were of chief ſway amongſt the Prieſts that attended the ſervice of the Tabernacle; no though others ſtumbled ſo at their lewdneſſe, that chap. 2.17. they abhorred the offering of the Lord, yet Elkanah would not do ſo, but went up yearly at the appointed feaſts to the houſe of God, though Hophni and Phinehas were there.
Verſ. 4. He gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her ſonnes and daughters portions.] That is, portions of the peace offerings which he offered to the Lord, the fat onelyonly of the peace-offerings was burnt upon the altar, the right ſhoulder and the breaſt was given to the Prieſt, and the remainder of the ſacrifices were for the offerer to eat, and thoſe that belonged to him; of this therefore Elkanah gave portions to Peninnah and her children, according to the ancient manner of feaſts of which ſee, Gen. 43.34.
Verſ. 5. But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion: for he loved Hannah, &c.] Peninnah had a great ſhare as having many children; for ſhe and her ſonnes and her daughters had each of them ſeverall portions; whereas Hannah being but one, was to have but a ſingle portion. But her husband therefore, becauſe he loved her dearly, as being a gracious woman, and withall, of a meek and quiet melting diſpoſition, that ſhe might not be diſcouraged, took care that her one portion ſhould be the larger and better, a double portion, (as ſome read it) and happely of the choice and beſt of the ſacrifices.
Verſ. 6. And her adverſary alſo provoked her ſore, &c.] This her adverſary was Peninnah (as indeed where one man, contrary to the Ordinance of God, hath two wives, they muſt needs be adverſaries, (as being corrivalls in his love) and live in continuall variance one with the other,) and ſhe provoked her ſore to make her to fret, becauſe the Lord had ſhut up her wombe: That is, ſhe provoked her purpoſely to make her vex and diſquiet her ſelf, and that by upbraiding her with her barrenneſſe, as an effect of the Lords diſpleaſure. Now this is added here, as a ſecond reaſon why Elkanah gave Hannah ſuch a worthy portion. It was not onelyonly becauſe of the ſingular love he bare to her, but alſo becauſe he ſaw that Peninnah vexed her, and ſo he was the more carefull to comfort her and chear her up.
Verſ. 7. And as he did ſo yeare by yeare, when ſhe went up to the houſe of the Lord▪ ſo ſhe provoked her, &c.] That is, whereas Elkanah did this yearly to chear Hannah, Peninnah was hereby rendred the more ready to vex her. Now this petulancy of Peninnah in provoking Hannah by upbraiding her with her barrennes, is hereby much aggravated, that ſhe did not forbear at thoſe times when they went up to pray, and offer ſacrifices to the Lord. See Mat. 5. And withall it implies, that ſhe upbraided her with the fruitleſſenes of her ſeeking to God ſo earneſtly at thoſe times for a child.
Verſ. 9. So Hannah roſe up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk.] That is, after Elkanah and his family had eaten and drunk together, with whom Hannah ſat. It may be indeed that Hannah upon her husbands words, verſ. 8. did eat a little, yet it is moſt probable that ſhe did neither eat nor drink: for beſides what ſhe ſaid afterward to Eli, verſ. 15. I have drunk neither wine nor ſtrong drink; it ſeems to have been againſt the expreſſe letter of the Law for any body to partake of theſe holy feaſts, whilſt they were in ſadneſſe and heavineſſe of ſpirit: Deut. 12.7. And there you ſhall eat before the Lord your God, and ye ſhall rejoyce in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your houſholds: Levit. 10.19. And Aaron ſaid unto Moſes, Behold this day have they offered their ſinne offerings, and their burnt offerings before the Lord, and ſuch things have befallen me: and if I had eaten the ſinne offering to day, ſhould it have been accepted in the ſight of the Lord?
Now Eli the Priest ſat upon a ſeat by a post of the Temple of the Lord.] That is, of the Tabernacle, for as Solomons Temple is ſometimes called a Tabernacle, Jer. 10.20, My Tabernacle is ſpoyled, and all my cords are broken; ſo the Tabernacle is here called the Temple of the Lord. But yet it ſeems too, that the Tabernacle was at this time within ſome houſe built for that purpoſe in Shiloh, and hence there is mention here of a ſeat by a poſt, where Eli ſat, and afterwards of doores, chap. 3.15. And Samuel lay untill the morning, and opened the doores of the houſe of the Lord, whereas the Tabernacle had neither gates nor poſts, nor ſeats before it, but onelyonly a vail that was hung up at the entring into it, Exod. 26.36.
Verſ. 11. And ſhe vowed a vow, and ſaid, &c.] To wit, as it followeth afterwards, that if the Lord would give her a man-child, ſhe would give him unto the Lord all the dayes of his life, and that he ſhould be a Nazarite, which ſhe expreſſeth in the laſt clauſe of this verſe, and there ſhall no raſour come upon his head. Indeed being by birth a Levite, the Lords he was without her vow, as being one of that tribe whom God had ſeparated from the reſt of the people, for his ſpeciall ſervice; but then we muſt conſider that many of the Levites were diſperſed abroad in ſeverall places of the land, where their chief imployment was, to teach and inſtruct the people, and did not (at leaſt continually, but onelyonly at ſome ſet times, when their courſe came) attend upon the ſervice of the Tabernacle; and again, that the Levites were not bound to the ſervice of the Tabernacle, till five and twenty or thirty years of age, and were again exempted at fifty: concerning which, ſee the note, Numb. 4.3. either therefore the ſpeciall thing intended in her vow, was the conſecrating him wholly to the ſervice of the Tabernacle; or elſe, the time when he ſhould begin to attend there, that he ſhould not ſtay till the uſuall years of other Levites, but ſhould be brought thither and trained up there, even from his child-hood, and all that while continue under the ſtrict vow of a Nazarite, which ordinarily the Levites were not bound unto. As for her power to vow this; we muſt underſtand, that ſhe onelyonly vowed to do what in her lay, that it might be thus, to wit, the child being by no defect of body or mind unfit for Gods ſervice, and willing when he came to years of diſcretion to take upon him the vow; and again, her husband conſenting thereto, without which the womans vow was of no force, Deut. 30.8. But if her husband diſallow her on the day that he heard it, then he ſhall make her vow which ſhe vowed, and that which ſhe uttered with her lips, wherewith ſhe bound her ſoul, of none effect, and the Lord ſhall forgive her. Indeed it is evident in the ſequel of Samuels ſtory, that he did not alwayes continue in the Tabernacle, chap. 7.16. And he went from yeare to yeare in circuit to Bethel, and Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and judged Iſrael in all thoſe places: and hence it ſeems probable, that after Samuel became Judge in Iſrael, he was by ſpeciall diſpenſation from God, freed from this vow of his mother.
Verſ. 14. And Eli ſaid unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee.] That is, How long wilt thou carry thy ſelf as a drunken woman? How long wilt thou continue here in thy drunkenneſſe, and profane this holy place thou art come into? go home and ſleep and rid thee of this diſtemper, and then come with a penitent heart and make thy peace with God: becauſe he ſaw her ſtand ſo long together mumblimg with her lips, after an unuſuall manner, and yet could not perceive that ſhe was praying, he perſwaded himſelf ſhe was drunk, and thereupon did thus ſharply chide her, the rather happely inclining to this raſh judgement, becauſe of ſome incompoſedneſſe in the geſture of her body, ariſing from the vehemency of a tranſported mind, which at the ſame time he might alſo diſcern in her; but eſpecially becauſe it was immediately after they were riſen from eating and drinking before the Lord, verſ. 9.
Verſ. 15. And Hannah anſwered and ſaid, No, my Lord, I am a woman of a ſorrowfull ſpirit, &c.] Though Eli had moſt unjuſtly charged Hannah with drunkenneſſe, yet we ſee with what meekneſſe ſhe ſeeks to clear her ſelf of that fault, by giving him to underſtand, firſt, that ſhe was a woman of a ſorrowfull ſpirit, and therefore in a condition altogether unlikely to give her ſelf to ſuch exceſſe: ſecondly, that ſhe had at preſent, drunk neither wine nor ſtrong drink: and thirdly, that ſhe had been imployed in a duty, for which ſhe had been very unfit had ſhe been drunk, namely, in prayng to the Lord I have, ſaith ſhe, powred out my ſoul before the Lord: for it is uſuall in the Scripture to call prayer the powring forth of the ſoul to God, as Pſal. 62.8. Trust in him at all times; ye people poure out your heart before him: and Lam. 2.19. Ariſe, cry out in the night; in the beginning of the watches, poure out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord: and that I conceive for theſe two reaſons, firſt, becauſe Gods ſervants are wont in prayer, as his friends and favourites, to diſcover all their ſinnes, and make known all their wants and griefs, and cares and troubles, and all the complaints and deſires of their ſouls, not hiding any thing from him: and ſecondly, becauſe they do this too, with much vehemency, and earneſtneſſe; their prayers come not from them ſleepingly, and dreamingly, but are poured forth with ſtrong affections and fervency of ſpirit.
Verſ. 16. Count not thy hand-maid a daughter of Belial, &c.] See the note, Deut. 13.13.
Verſ. 17. Then Eli anſwered and ſaid, Go in peace.] That is, be not troubled with that which I ſaid (for I ſee now that I was deceived) neither let this affliction thou art in diſquiet thy mind, but repoſe thy ſelf on the providence of God, who no doubt will provide for thee, as may be moſt for thy good.
Verſ. 18. And ſhe ſaid, let thy hand-maid find grace in thy ſight.] That is, I deſire that thou wouldeſt ſtill continue this good opinion of me, and ſtill pray to the Lord in my behalf.
So the woman went away, & did eat, and her countenance was no more ſad.] Which was an effect of faith, wrought in her by the ſpirit of God, upon the prayer ſhe had poured forth unto the Lord, and the gracious encouragement ſhe had received from the high prieſt, whoſe words ſhe entertained, as if a promiſe had been made to her from heaven.
Verſ. 20. She bare a ſonne, and called his name Samuel.] That is, asked of God; whereof ſhe gives the reaſon in the following words, becauſe, ſaith ſhe, I have asked him of the Lord: ſo that hereby it is clear, that ſhe gave him that name, firſt, to teſtifie the comfort ſhe took, in that ſhe had obtained this ſonne by prayer from the Lord; though the having of a child, a ſonne, after ſo long a time of barrenneſſe, the taking away of her reproch, and the ſtopping of her adverſaries mouth were all bleſſings, wherein ſhe could not but much rejoyce; yet that this ſonne was given her as a return of her prayer, was in her eſteem above all theſe: and ſecondly, that this name of her ſonne might put them continually in mind, in what a ſingular extraordinary way he was given them of God, that ſo ſhe might be rendred thereby the more carefull to perform the vow ſhe had made, and her husband too having conſented to it, and that the child might be the readier to ſubmit himſelf to the ſervice of God in that ſtrict way of a Nazarite, according to that which his mother had vowed.
Verſ. 21. And the man Elkanah, and all his houſe, went up to offer unto the Lord the yearly ſacrifice, and his vow.] That is, ſome ſacrifice which he had vowed to the Lord; and what can we rather think this to have been, then a vow of peace-offerings, which he had vowed to give unto the Lord, by way of thankfulneſſe, for this ſonne which by his beloved Hannah the Lord had now given him?
Verſ. 22. She ſaid unto her husband, I will not go up untill the child be weaned, &c.] Hereby it appears that Hannah had acquainted her husband with her vow, and that he had conſented to it. Some Expoſitours queſtion whether Hannahs keeping the child at home till he was weaned, was not a tranſgreſſion of the law; but cauſeleſſely, for firſt, for that Law concerning the preſenting the firſt born before the Lord, which the Virgin Mary obſerved, Luke 2.22. And when the dayes of her purification were accompliſhed, they brought him to Jeruſalem to preſent him before the Lord: this concerned not the Levites, but onelyonly thoſe firſt born that were to be redeemed: and ſecondly, for that Law concerning the appearing of all the males thrice a yeare before the Lord, Exod. 23.17. three times in a yeare all thy males ſhall appear before the Lord God: it was meant onelyonly of thoſe that were capable in ſome meaſure of joyning in the worſhip and ſervice of God. Hannah therefore was not bound to go up with her young child immediately, and being not bound ſhe chooſeth rather to ſtay till he was weaned; becauſe it went againſt her, to think of bringing away a child vowed to God, after ſhe had once brought him to the Tabernacle of the Lord; reſolving that after he was weaned, ſhe would then carry him and leave him there, that he might continue in the ſervice of the Lord for ever. Concerning which ſee the foregoing note upon verſe 11.
Verſ. 23. Tarrie untill thou have weaned him, onelyonly the Lord eſtabliſh his word.] This word of the Lord which Elkanah ſpeaks of, muſt either be the gracious anſwer which Eli returned to Hannah, verſ. 17. Then Eli anſwered, and ſaid, Go in peace, and the God of Iſrael grant thee thy petition which thou hast asked of him: which ſhe took as a kind of promiſe ſent her from heaven, or rather the anſwer which God returned to her prayers, by giving her a ſonne, which was all one at if a voice had come from heaven, Hannah thy deſire is granted; and this word it is, which he deſires the Lord would eſtabliſh; ſhe had not onelyonly craved a ſonne, but alſo with this condition by way of vow annexed, that he might live a perpetuall Nazarite conſecrated to the ſervice of God, and in this he prayes that the Lord would perfect what he had begun: or elſe it muſt be underſtood generally that God would perform what he had determined concerning this his ſonne, as taking it for granted, that ſurely a child ſo miraculouſly given, was determined for ſome great ſervice.
Verſ. 24. She took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of floure.] There is mention afterwards of the ſacrificing of one of theſe bullocks onelyonly, verſ. 25: And they ſlew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli: but it cannot be thence gathered, that one onelyonly was intended for ſacrifices, the other for other uſes; that one might be offered when they preſented the child, and delivered him up to the ſervice of God, (which is therefore onelyonly mentioned) the other afterwards in other oblations; or the one might be offered as a burnt offering, the other for a peace offering. As for the Ephah of floure which he carried alſo; an ephah contained ten omers or tenth deales; now the Law perſcribing three tenth deales to be offered with a bullock, Num. 15.9. Then ſhall he bring with a bullock a meat offering of three tenth-deales of floure, mingled with half an hin of oyle, nine tenth-deales of this ephah were for the three bullocks, and the other tenth deale which was overplus, might be intended for a voluntary meat-offering.
Verſ. 28. And he worſhipped the Lord there.] This may be me…t of Eli, that he bleſſed God for hearing both his and her prayer, and for Hannah her voluntary conſecrating her child to be a perpetuall Nazarite unto God; but I rather conceive that it is meant of Elkanah; he with Hannah brought the child to Eli, verſ. 25. And they ſlew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli. Hannah made known their errand to him; and now it is added, that he, that is, Elkanah worſhiped the Lord, implying thereby his aſſenting to that which Hannah had ſaid, and that he beſought the Lord to accept the child and bleſſe him, &c.
And Hannah prayed, and ſaid, &c.] It is not improbable that Hannah joyned petitions at this time with her thankſgiving, though the gratulatory part be expreſſed onelyonly; but however it is not improper to ſay ſhe prayed, when ſhe praiſed God, for this is a part of prayer. Prayer being (if generally defined) a holy expreſſion of our minds to God, either by way of deſiring any thing from him or by returning him thanks, and giving him the glory of what he hath done: 1. Tim. 2.1. I exhort therefore, that firſt of all ſupplication, prayers, interceſſions, and giving of thanks be made for all men: Col. 4.2. Continue in prayer, and watch in the ſame with thanksgiving.