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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Samuel 2:1-10

We have here Hannah's thanksgiving, dictated, not only by the spirit of prayer, but by the spirit of prophecy. Her petition for the mercy she desired we had before (1 Sam. 1:11), and here we have her return of praise; in both out of the abundance of a heart deeply affected (in the former with her own wants, and in the latter with God's goodness) her mouth spoke. Observe in general, 1. When she had received mercy from God she owned it, with thankfulness to his praise. Not like the nine lepers,... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Samuel 2:11-26

In these verses we have the good character and posture of Elkanah's family, and the bad character and posture of Eli's family. The account of these two is observably interwoven throughout this whole paragraph, as if the historian intended to set the one over against the other, that they might set off one another. The devotion and good order of Elkanah's family aggravated the iniquity of Eli's house; while the wickedness of Eli's sons made Samuel's early piety appear the more bright and... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Samuel 2:27-36

Eli reproved his sons too gently, and did not threaten them as he should, and therefore God sent a prophet to him to reprove him sharply, and to threaten him, because, by his indulgence of them, he had strengthened their hands in their wickedness. If good men be wanting in their duty, and by their carelessness and remissness contribute any thing to the sin of sinners, they must expect both to hear of it and to smart for it. Eli's family was now nearer to God than all the families of the earth,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 2:10

The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces ,.... Or Jehovah, Father, Son, and Spirit, "shall break in pieces those that contend with him"; with the Lord, or with his people, or with Samuel particularly; for this may be considered as a prophecy of Hannah concerning her son, what God would do for him against his enemies, that should rise up, contend, and fight with him, as the Philistines; of whom Ben Gersom interprets it, whom the Lord discomfited and broke to pieces; see the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 2:11

And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house ,.... Of which see 1 Samuel 1:19 . This was after he had offered the sacrifices at the feast, worshipped the Lord, and Hannah had delivered her prayer or song of praise, and both had committed Samuel to the care of Eli, and left him with him: and the child did minister unto the Lord before Eli the priest ; he not only read in the book of the law, but learned to sing the praises of God vocally, and to play upon an instrument of music used in the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 2:12

Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial ,.... Not that Eli their father was Belial, a wicked man; but though they had so good a father, they were very wicked men, unprofitable abandoned wretches, that cast off the yoke of the law of God, and gave themselves up to all manner of wickedness: they knew not the Lord ; not that they had no knowledge of God in theory, or were real atheists, but they were so practically; they denied him in works, they had no love to him, nor fear of him, and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 2:13

And the priest's custom with the people was ,.... Not what was according to the will and law of God, but which the sons of Eli had introduced; and in which they were followed by the rest of the priests, and so it became an established custom, and had the force of a law, statute, or judgment, as the word signifies: that when any man offered sacrifice ; not any sort of sacrifice, for if it was a burnt offering, it was wholly consumed by fire, and in that the following custom could not... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 2:14

And he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or cauldron, or pot ,.... Whatever vessel was made use of, larger or lesser, according to the quantity of flesh the owner boiled for himself and friends, the trident the priest's servants brought with him, he struck into the boiler to the bottom; of it: all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took for himself ; as his own property; whereas no part of it at all belonged to him, he having had the breast and shoulder delivered to him in the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 2:15

Also before they burnt the fat ,.... Which belonged to the Lord, and was to be offered to him by fire, in the first place, as it ought to be; and the order of sacrificing required that he should have his part first before the priest or the owner: but so impious were the priests become, that the priest's servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed ; not to the priest that offered, but to the man that brought his sacrifice to be offered by the priest: give flesh to roast for the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 2:16

And if any man said unto him, let them not fail to burn the fat presently ,.... Or stay till they have offered the fat, as the Targum; let that be done in the first place, which may be quickly done, in a very little time, and let as much haste be made as can be to do it: and then take as much as thy soul desireth ; by which it appears that the men that brought the sacrifice had more religion at heart, and were more concerned for the honour and glory of God than the priest; being willing... read more

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