1Samuel 1:7 - Prayer Tents

The Birth of Samuel

1There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.H259H376H7436H2022H669H8034H511H1121H3395H1121H453H1121H8459H1121H6689H6732He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.H8147H802H8034H259H2584H8034H8145H6444H6444H3206H2584H32063Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the LORD Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the LORD.H1931H376H5927H5892H3117H3117H7812H2076H3068H6635H7887H8147H1121H5941H2652H6372H3548H30684Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters.H3117H511H2076H5414H6444H802H1121H1323H44905But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the LORD had closed her womb.H2584H5414H259H639H4490H157H2584H3068H5462H73586And because the LORD had closed her womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her.H6869H3707H3708H7481H3068H5462H1157H73587This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the LORD, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat.H6213H8141H8141H1767H5927H1004H3068H3707H1058H3988Elkanah her husband would say to her, "Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don't you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don't I mean more to you than ten sons?"H559H511H376H2584H1058H398H3824H3415H2896H6235H11219Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the LORD'S temple.H2584H6965H310H398H7887H310H8354H5941H3548H3427H3678H4201H1964H306810In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the LORD.H4751H5315H6419H3068H1058H105811And she made a vow, saying, "O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head."H5087H5088H559H3068H6635H7200H7200H6040H519H2142H7911H519H5414H519H582H2233H5414H3068H3117H2416H4177H5927H721812As she kept on praying to the LORD, Eli observed her mouth.H7235H6419H6440H3068H5941H8104H631013Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunkH2584H1696H3820H8193H5128H6963H8085H5941H2803H791014and said to her, "How long will you keep on getting drunk? Get rid of your wine."H5941H559H7937H5493H319615"Not so, my lord," Hannah replied, "I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the LORD.H2584H6030H559H113H802H7186H7307H8354H3196H7941H8210H5315H6440H306816Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief."H5414H519H6440H1323H1100H7230H7879H3708H169617Eli answered, "Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him."H5941H6030H559H3212H7965H430H3478H5414H7596H759218She said, "May your servant find favor in your eyes." Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.H559H8198H4672H2580H5869H802H3212H1870H398H644019Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the LORD and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah lay with Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her.H7925H1242H7925H7812H6440H3068H7725H935H1004H7414H511H3045H2584H802H3068H214220So in the course of time Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, "Because I asked the LORD for him."H3117H8622H2584H2029H3205H1121H7121H8034H8050H7592H3068

Hannah Dedicates Samuel

21When the man Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the annual sacrifice to the LORD and to fulfill his vow,H376H511H1004H5927H2076H3068H3117H2077H508822Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, "After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before the LORD, and he will live there always."H2584H5927H559H376H5288H1580H935H7200H6440H3068H3427H5704H576923"Do what seems best to you," Elkanah her husband told her. "Stay here until you have weaned him; only may the LORD make good his word." So the woman stayed at home and nursed her son until she had weaned him.H511H376H559H6213H5869H2896H3427H1580H3068H6965H1697H802H3427H1121H3243H158024After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh.H1580H5927H7969H6499H259H374H7058H5035H3196H935H1004H3068H7887H5288H528825When they had slaughtered the bull, they brought the boy to Eli,H7819H6499H935H5288H594126and she said to him, "As surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD.H559H994H113H5315H2416H113H802H5324H6419H306827I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him.H5288H6419H3068H5414H7596H759228So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD." And he worshiped the LORD there.H7592H3068H3117H7592H3068H7812H3068