1 Samuel 1:9-18 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Samuel 1:9-18

Elkanah had gently reproved Hannah for her inordinate grief, and here we find the good effect of the reproof. I. It brought her to her meat. She ate and drank, 1 Sam. 1:9. She did not harden herself in sorrow, nor grow sullen when she was reproved for it; but, when she perceived her husband uneasy that she did not come and eat with them, she cheered up her own spirits as well as she could, and came to table. It is as great a piece of self-denial to control our passions as it is to control our... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 1:9

So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drank ,.... After dinner, after Elkanah and Peninnah, and their children, had eaten heartily, and drank freely, and made a comfortable meal, and even a feast of it, at the place where the tabernacle and altar were, and their peace offerings were offered up, part of which they had been regaling themselves with. The Targum is,"after she had eaten in Shiloh, and after she had drank;'for upon the entreaty of her husband, and to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 1:10

And she was in bitterness of soul ,.... Because of her barrenness, and the taunts and reflections she had met with on that account; her life was bitter to her, she could take no pleasure in any of the comforts of it: and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore ; her prayer was with strong crying and tears; it was very fervent and affectionate; she prayed most vehemently, and wept bitterly. This perhaps was about the time of the evening sacrifice, about three or four o'clock in the afternoon;... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 1:11

And she vowed a vow ,.... Which might be confirmed by her husband; otherwise the vow of a woman, if disapproved of by her husband, was not valid, Numbers 30:8 and Elkanah might make the same vow his wife did, and so it stood; for as this was a vow of Nazariteship, it is a tradition of the Jews F18 Misn. Sotah. c. 3. sect. 8. , that a man may vow his son to be a Nazarite, but a woman may not; but as this instance contradicts the tradition, they endeavour to explain away this vow, as... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 1:12

And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the Lord ,.... Being very earnest and importunate with him to grant her request, and therefore repeated her petition, and prolonged her prayer, being unwilling to let the Lord go, until she had a promise, or some satisfaction, that she should have the thing she liked; some think she continued an hour in prayer: that Eli marked her mouth ; observed the motion of her lips, and no doubt her distorted countenance, and uplifted eyes and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 1:13

Now Hannah, she spake in her heart ,.... It was mental prayer she used, some ejaculations of her mind she sent up to God, which she was sensible were well known to him, and she needed not to express vocally: only her lips moved ; as her heart spoke, and sent up her petitions, as if she had used words and phrases in form: but her voice was not heard : that she might not seem to be ostentatious in her prayer, and that she might not interrupt others in their devotions; and she knew that... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 1:14

And Eli said unto her, how long wilt thou be drunken ?.... What, every day drunk? what, continually in this wicked practice? when will it be stopped? for Eli might have observed on other days, and at other times, odd looks, and a strange behaviour in her, which he took for the effects of drinking too much wine: or how long will this drunken fit last? she had been a considerable time as he thought in it, and it was not gone off yet: the Targum is,"how long wilt thou behave like a fool, or a... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 1:15

And Hannah answered and said, no, my lord ,.... That is not my case, you have greatly mistaken it; she answered with great mildness and meekness, without falling into a passion at such a scandalous imputation upon her, and with great respect and reverence to Eli, suitable to his office; so in later times the high priest used to be addressed after this manner, particularly on the day of atonement, "Lord high priest", do so and so F24 Misn. Yoma, c. 1. sect. 3, 5, 7. ; indeed these words... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 1:16

Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial ,.... A yokeless, a lawless, impudent, and abandoned creature; one of the most wicked, vilest, and most profligate wretches; as she must be to come drunk into the sanctuary of God; see 1 Samuel 25:17 . Drunkenness in man is au abominable crime, but much more in a woman. The Romans F1 Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 14. c. 13. forbad wine to women, and drunkenness in them was a capital crime, as adultery, or any other; and indeed a drunken woman... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 1:17

Then Eli answered and said, go in peace ,.... He found he was mistaken in her, and that her discourse was not only sober and rational, but religious and spiritual; and therefore dismisses her in peace, and bids her not distress herself with what he had said to her, nor with anything she had met with from others, or from the Lord; but expect peace and prosperity, and particularly success in what she had been engaged, and had been solicitous for: and the God of Israel grant thee thy... read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Samuel 1:9-18

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 1:9

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 1:10

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 1:11

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 1:12

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 1:13

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 1:14

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 1:15

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 1:16

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 1:17

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