1 Samuel 2:19

His mother made him a little coat. The coat, meil, was worn by priests (Le 1 Samuel 8:7 ), by kings and their sons ( 1 Samuel 18:4 ), by prophets ( ibid. 1 Samuel 28:14 ), and even by women ( 2 Samuel 13:18 ). It was an under garment of wool, woven throughout without seam, with holes for the head and arms, and reaching nearly to the ground: when used by women it had sleeves ( ibid. ) . Under it they had a tunic or shirt fitting so closely that a man simply so clad was considered naked ( 1 Samuel 19:24 ), and over it priests and Levites wore the ephod, and so also David on the occasion mentioned above ( 1 Chronicles 15:27 ). The meil seems, moreover, to have often been a handsome dress, as that of the priests was of purple blue, with embroidery of pomegranates in three colours, and golden bells ( Exodus 28:31-34 ); and when made of delicate materials for the use of the rich, it and the tunic are the soft luxurious clothing spoken of in Matthew 11:8 . As the meal was the ordinary dress of all classes of people, it was made for Samuel at home, and can have no special meaning; but the ephod shows that he was brought up in the daffy practice of holy duties. This annual present, however, of clothing made by the mother's hands proves that the dedication of her son to God was not allowed to interfere with home affections, and both parents and child must have looked forward with joy to happy meetings at each recurrence of the family visit to the sanctuary.