1 Samuel Chapter 1
1:1. Some have suggested a contradiction between the tribal background of Samuel as given here and that
presented in 1 Chronicles 6:25, where Samuel's father is said to be a descendant of the priestly family of Kohath.
Actually, this verse stresses Elkanah's residence among the Ephraimites, without calling particular attention to his
Levitical descent. Variations between the names of the lineage of Samuel presented here and in 1 Chronicles 6:
25 and 1 Chronicles 6:33-35 are simply matters of spelling conventions. Ramathaim-zophim is a longer name for
the city of Ramah (cf. v. 19), which belonged to the descendants of Zuph.
1:2. Although he was a priest, Elkanah had a second wife because Hannah was barren (cf. Deut. 21:15-17).
Multiple marriages were also allowed in the case of levirate marriage (Deut. 25:5-10; cf. the note on Ruth 3:9).
1:3. Lord of hosts, a military term that occurs about 260 more times in the Old Testament, stresses that the Lord
is the ultimate Leader of Israel's armies (cf. 17:45). It also underscores His universal sovereignty over all nations
(Is. 37:16), and over all creation (Amos 4:13). Thus, the term encompasses His universal rule over all forces
whether in heaven or on earth, and anticipates His eventual subjugation of all those who oppose Him (cf. Is. 24:21-
23; 34:1-10). Shiloh had served as the resting place of the tabernacle, hence was the religious center of Israel
since the time of the conquest (cf. Josh. 18:1). The ark of the covenant rested there until its capture by the
Philistines (4:3-11), Shiloh was about 20 miles north of Jerusalem.
1:4-8. The scriptural record does not commend Elkanah's polygamy; it merely reports it. Jesus asserts that God's
plan called for a man to have but one wife (Matt. 19:3-6; cf. Gen. 2:21-24; Prov. 5:18; Eccl. 9:9). The integrity of
Elkanah may be seen in that he followed the stipulations of the law in providing for the needs of all his household,
as demanded in cases where a man had more than one wife (cf. Deut. 21:15-17). Elkanah truly loved Hannah and
treated her tenderly despite her infertility.
1:11. Hannah's vow was a serious one (cf. Eccl. 5:4, 5). Her pledge was that if God would grant her a son, he
would be consecrated as a Nazarite for service to the LORD for his entire life. See the note on Judges 13:5.
1:16. The term daughter of Belial means a worthless or wicked woman. See the note on Judges 19:22.
1:24. Samuel would probably have been two or three years old when Hannah presented him to Eli in Shiloh.
1:27, 28. The various Hebrew words here contain a play on the word ask. Hannah had asked the LORD for a son
(v. 20) and the Lord had granted her asking (v. 27). Accordingly, she on her part had granted an asking
(dedicated)-she had given Samuel as a lifelong asked-for (consecrated) person to the Lord (v. 28).
1 Samuel Chapter 2
2:1. The horn (cf. v. 10) was an ancient symbol of great strength (Num. 23:22; 24:8; Dan. 7:21). At times it was
used of the successful establishment of a progeny (Deut. 33:16, 17: 1 Chr. 25:5; Ps. 132:17). Hannah owes her
strength and newly found success to the Lord's provision for her. Her psalm (vv. 1-10) praises the LORD for
giving her victory in the issues of life.
2:2. Rock is a frequent symbolic metaphor of God as a place of security and rest (Ps. 31:3; 71:3). Accordingly, it
becomes easily applicable to the person of Christ (1 Cor. 10:4; 1 Pet. 2:6-8).
2:6. Hannah's declaration takes its place beside many other texts demonstrating that Old Testament believers
clearly understood there was life after death (cf. Job 14:14; 19:25-27: Ps. 17:14, 15; 49:14, 15; 73:24-26; Is. 26:
19; Dan. 12:1-3).
2:8. God is often portrayed as the Defender of the needy, such as the widow, the orphan, the poor, and the
stronger (cf. Deut. 27:19; Ps. 68:1-5; 82:3, 4; Prov. 22:22, 23; Jer. 22:3). Hannah's reference to the pillars of the
earth is not scientific language, but popular and poetic. The Creator and Sustainer of the earth's history and
mankind's destiny.
2:10. The Lord's presence in power is often associated with thunder (cf. Ps. 18:13; 29:3; 77:18). The mention of
God's king, his anointed, is predictive of the messianic king of whom each king in the Davidic line was, ideally, an
earthly representative (cf. Ps. 45:6, 7; Heb. 1:8, 9).
2:12. For the sons of Belial, see the note on Judges 19:22.
2:18. Ephod (cf. v. 28 and the note on 23:6) means a linen covering worn customarily by those in priestly service.
2:25. The sins of Eli's sons were not only crimes against their fellowmen (vv. 13-17, 22), but against God Himself.
Such conduct could only draw severe judgement (cf. v. 34 with 4:11). The case of Eli's sons demonstrates the
need for firm parental instruction and supervision, especially in the home of one who ministers in the name of the
LORD (v. 29; cf. 3:13; 1 Tim. 3:4, 5).
2:27. Man of God is one of several terms used in the Old Testament for a prophet. It stresses the nature of his
relationship to God: he is, above all, God's man.
2:31-36. This prophetic denunciation declares that the family of Eli, from the high priestly house of Ithamar, would
have its privilege removed and that the high priesthood would be given to another line. This apparently took place
in the time of Solomon when the high priesthood was transferred back to Zadok of the lone of Eleazar, where it
had been before Eli's time (cf. Num. 20:22-28; 25:11-13 with 4:3; 1 Kin. 2:26, 27). To Zadok's house is promised a
perpetual priesthood (Ezek. 44:15; 48:11).
1 Samuel Chapter 3
3:1. The severity of Israel's apostasy (cf. Judg. 21:25) caused a dearth of God's revelatory work. The condition
was perpetuating and self-defeating (cf. Prov. 29:18). By God's grace, the prophetic institution would receive
renewed impetus and standardization in the person and work of Samuel (cf. 3:21; 19:20).
3:3. The ark at Shiloh apparently was housed in some type of permanent structure (cf. v. 15). The lamp was
situated outside of the veil in the Holy Place and burned from evening until morning (Lev. 24:3).
3:17. Eli's charge to Samuel is phrased in the familiar oath formula of the ancient Near East.
3:20. From Dan even to Beer-sheba serves as a familiar geographic description for all Israel from its northern to
its southern limits.
1 Samuel Chapter 4
4:1. For the Philistines, see the note on Joshua 13:2, 3.
4:3. The ark symbolized the ruling presence of God among His people. (See the note on 1 Kin. 8:10-12; cf. 2 Chr.
8:11.) The low spiritual condition of the Israelites here caused them to confuse the symbol with that which it
symbolized so that they took the ark into battle. Although the ark had been present when they crossed the Jordan
River (Josh. 3:11) and when they had gained the victory at Jericho (Josh. 6:7, 8, 13), it was God who had granted
them guidance and victory. Israel's plan bordered on a superstitious fetishism, if not outright idolatry. As such, it
was doomed to failure.
4:9. The Philistines' rallying cry to show themselves as real men was a familiar one in the ancient Near East (cf.
Deut. 31:6, 7, 23; Josh. 1:6, 7 , 9; 2 Chr. 32:7 with 1 Cor. 16:13, 14).
4:12. The messenger from the battle came with his clothes rent and with earth upon his head, traditional signs of
mourning.
4:21. The name Ichabod means "Where Is the glory?" It takes its place among several Old Testament compound
names that bear the common Semitic word I as their first element, such as Job and Jezebel. The old tradition
handed down since the days of Josephus that the I had a negative force is doubtless incorrect.
1 Samuel Chapter 5
5:1. Ashdod was one of the five principal Philistine cities (cf. the note at Josh. 13:2, 3). The other cities included:
Gath (v. 8), Ekron (v. 10), Askelon (6:17), and Gaza (6:17), all of which were located in southwestern Canaan
near the Mediterranean seacoast.
5:2. For Dagon, see the note on Judges 16:23.
5:6. Various conjectures have been made for the Hebrew word translated emerods. Josephus suggested that the
problem stemmed from dysentery, a suggestion also made as a marginal reading in the Hebrew text. The
consonantal text reads a word meaning "swellings," "boils," or "tumors." Accordingly, most commentators since
Martin Luther have held that the disease involved here was bubonic plague. See the note on 6:4, 5. The
Wanderings of the Ark of the Covenant.
5:8. The precise location of Gath is still unknown.
1 Samuel Chapter 6
6:4, 5. Five golden emerods (or tumors) and five golden mice were made, one for each of the five lords of the five
Philistine cities. Perhaps the Philistines thought that the making of the golden figures would heal the Philistines of
the problems in the physical world that corresponded to them via sympathetic magic. They may also have
constituted a compensatory payment to Israel’s God. The linking of tumors and mice is significant and may point
to the existence of bubonic plague in the area. If so, it attests to the careful observation of the whole problem by
the people of ancient Canaan.
6:7. That cows should leave their suckling calves to go to Israelite territory would signify to the Philistines that their
problems had come as a judgment from the God of Israel.
6:19. The presumptuous mishandling of the ark was inexcusable for men from a priestly city (cf. Num. 4:5, 6, 15-
20). The numbers here rest on doubtful textual authority. Josephus held that the correct number was 70, a total
read by some Hebrew manuscripts and a more likely translation. To mishandle, abuse, or violate the sanctity of
the ark was a grievous sin (cf. 2 Sam. 6:6-8).
1 Samuel Chapter 7
7:1, 2. Significantly, the ark was not returned to Shiloh from which it had been taken into battle (cf. 4:4).
Archaeological evidence suggests that Shiloh may have been destroyed in the campaigning, hence the ark was
taken to Kirjath-jearim, situated northwest of Jerusalem, where it remained until David brought it to Jerusalem (2
Sam. 6).
7:3, 4. For Ashtaroth and Baalim, see the note on Judges 2:11-15.
7:6. The pouring out of water symbolized a repentant heart poured out in submission and personal trust before
God (cf. Ps. 62:8).
7:10. For thunder as a sign of the divine presence, see the note on Judges 5:19-21; compare 1 Samuel 2:10.
7:12. Ebenezer means “Stone of Help.” The Israelites recognized that their victory really came from God.
7:14-17. Amorites is used here as a general term for all the various groups of the native Canaanite population.
The Israelites at last achieved peace with both the Canaanites and Philistines, due to the godly leadership of
Samuel, Israel’s last judge.
1 Samuel Chapter 8
8:3. Like Eli before him, Samuel was too preoccupied with his ministry to properly oversee the spiritual upbringing
of his own children.
8:5-18. Although God had made provision long before for His own anointed king (Gen. 17:7; 49:10; Num. 24:17)
and had laid down specific regulations for the kingdom patterned after the nations around them. Such a king, of
course, was to serve under God as the earthly representative of the true sovereign of the nation and of the
universe (Ps. 2:6-9; 110:1; 146:10; Dan. 4:25); but such a one they did not request. Accordingly, both God and
Samuel were displeased, and the people were given solemn warning as to just what their choice entailed.
Archaeological confirmation of the accuracy of the warnings spelled out in verses 11-18 comes from the
excavations of ancient Alalakh and Ugarit.
8:22. At times God permits men to have their own way, so the foolishness of men may be seen in clear distinction
to God's holy purposes and standards (cf. Prov. 9:9, 10; Acts 17:26, 27).