1Samuel 1:25 - Prayer Tents

1Samuel 1

Elkanah and His Family at Shiloh

1There was a man named Elkanah, from the tribe of Ephraim, who lived in the town of Ramah in the hill country of Ephraim. He was the son of Jeroham and grandson of Elihu, and belonged to the family of Tohu, a part of the clan of Zuph.H259H376H7436H2022H669H8034H511H1121H3395H1121H453H1121H8459H1121H6689H6732Elkanah had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah did not.H8147H802H8034H259H2584H8034H8145H6444H6444H3206H2584H32063Every year Elkanah went from Ramah to worship and offer sacrifices to the LORD Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the LORD.H1931H376H5927H5892H3117H3117H7812H2076H3068H6635H7887H8147H1121H5941H2652H6372H3548H30684Each time Elkanah offered his sacrifice, he would give one share of the meat to Peninnah and one share to each of her children.H3117H511H2076H5414H6444H802H1121H1323H44905And even though he loved Hannah very much he would give her only one share, because the LORD had kept her from having children.H2584H5414H259H639H4490H157H2584H3068H5462H73586Peninnah, her rival, would torment and humiliate her, because the LORD had kept her childless.H6869H3707H3708H7481H3068H5462H1157H73587This went on year after year; whenever they went to the house of the LORD, Peninnah would upset Hannah so much that she would cry and refuse to eat anything.H6213H8141H8141H1767H5927H1004H3068H3707H1058H3988Her husband Elkanah would ask her, "Hannah, why are you crying? Why won't you eat? Why are you always so sad? Don't I mean more to you than ten sons?"H559H511H376H2584H1058H398H3824H3415H2896H6235H1121

Hannah and Eli

9One time, after they had finished their meal in the house of the LORD at Shiloh, Hannah got up. She was deeply distressed, and she cried bitterly as she prayed to the LORD. Meanwhile, Eli the priest was sitting in his place by the door.H2584H6965H310H398H7887H310H8354H5941H3548H3427H3678H4201H1964H306810(SEE 1:9)H4751H5315H6419H3068H1058H105811Hannah made a solemn promise: " LORD Almighty, look at me, your servant! See my trouble and remember me! Don't forget me! If you give me a son, I promise that I will dedicate him to you for his whole life and that he will never have his hair cut."H5087H5088H559H3068H6635H7200H7200H6040H519H2142H7911H519H5414H519H582H2233H5414H3068H3117H2416H4177H5927H721812Hannah continued to pray to the LORD for a long time, and Eli watched her lips.H7235H6419H6440H3068H5941H8104H631013She was praying silently; her lips were moving, but she made no sound. So Eli thought that she was drunk,H2584H1696H3820H8193H5128H6963H8085H5941H2803H791014and he said to her, "Stop making a drunken show of yourself ! Stop your drinking and sober up!"H5941H559H7937H5493H319615"No, I'm not drunk, sir," she answered. "I haven't been drinking! I am desperate, and I have been praying, pouring out my troubles to the LORD.H2584H6030H559H113H802H7186H7307H8354H3196H7941H8210H5315H6440H306816Don't think I am a worthless woman. I have been praying like this because I'm so miserable."H5414H519H6440H1323H1100H7230H7879H3708H169617"Go in peace," Eli said, "and may the God of Israel give you what you have asked him for."H5941H6030H559H3212H7965H430H3478H5414H7596H759218"May you always think kindly of me," she replied. Then she went away, ate some food, and was no longer sad.H559H8198H4672H2580H5869H802H3212H1870H398H6440

Samuel’s Birth and Dedication

19The next morning Elkanah and his family got up early, and after worshiping the LORD, they went back home to Ramah. Elkanah had intercourse with his wife Hannah, and the LORD answered her prayer.H7925H1242H7925H7812H6440H3068H7725H935H1004H7414H511H3045H2584H802H3068H214220So it was that she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, and explained, "I asked the LORD for him."H3117H8622H2584H2029H3205H1121H7121H8034H8050H7592H306821The time came again for Elkanah and his family to go to Shiloh and offer to the LORD the yearly sacrifice and the special sacrifice he had promised.H376H511H1004H5927H2076H3068H3117H2077H508822But this time Hannah did not go. She told her husband, "As soon as the child is weaned, I will take him to the house of the LORD, where he will stay all his life."H2584H5927H559H376H5288H1580H935H7200H6440H3068H3427H5704H576923Elkanah answered, "All right, do whatever you think best; stay at home until you have weaned him. And may the LORD make your promise come true." So Hannah stayed at home and nursed her child.H511H376H559H6213H5869H2896H3427H1580H3068H6965H1697H802H3427H1121H3243H158024After she had weaned him, she took him to Shiloh, taking along a three-year-old bull, a bushel of flour, and a leather bag full of wine. She took Samuel, young as he was, to the house of the LORD at Shiloh.H1580H5927H7969H6499H259H374H7058H5035H3196H935H1004H3068H7887H5288H528825After they had killed the bull, they took the child to Eli.H7819H6499H935H5288H594126Hannah said to him, "Excuse me, sir. Do you remember me? I am the woman you saw standing here, praying to the LORD.H559H994H113H5315H2416H113H802H5324H6419H306827I asked him for this child, and he gave me what I asked for.H5288H6419H3068H5414H7596H759228So I am dedicating him to the LORD. As long as he lives, he will belong to the LORD." Then they worshiped the LORD there.H7592H3068H3117H7592H3068H7812H3068