1[1] Entonces Ana oró y dijo: "Mi corazón se regocija en Jehová, mi poder se exalta en Jehová; mi boca se ríe de mis enemigos, por cuanto me alegré en tu salvación. 2No hay santo como Jehová; porque no hay nadie fuera de ti ni refugio como el Dios nuestro. 3No multipliquéis las palabras de orgulloy altanería; cesen las palabras arrogantesde vuestra boca, porque Jehová es el Dios que todo lo sabe y a él le toca pesar las acciones. 4Los arcos de los fuertes se han quebrado y los débiles se ciñen de vigor. 5Los saciados se alquilan por pan y los hambrientos dejan de tener hambre; hasta la estéril da a luz siete veces,[2] mas la que tenía muchos hijos languidece. 6Jehová da la muerte y la vida; hace descender al seol[3] y retornar. 7Jehová empobrece y enriquece, abate y enaltece. 8Él levanta del polvo al pobre; alza del basurero al menesteroso, para hacerlo sentar con príncipes y heredar un sitio de honor. Porque de Jehová son las columnasde la tierra; él afirmó sobre ellas el mundo.[4] 9Él guarda los pies de sus santos, mas los impíos perecen en tinieblas; porque nadie será fuertepor su propia fuerza. 10Delante de Jehováserán quebrantados sus adversarios y sobre ellos tronará desde los cielos. Jehová juzgará los confines de la tierra, dará poder a su Rey y exaltará el poderío de su Ungido". 11Luego Elcana regresó a su casa en Ramá, y el niño se quedó para servir a Jehová junto al sacerdote Elí. 12Los hijos de Elí eran hombres impíos, que no tenían conocimiento de Jehová. 13Y era costumbre de los sacerdotes con el pueblo, que cuando alguien ofrecía sacrificio, mientras se cocía la carne, venía el criado del sacerdote trayendo en su mano un garfio de tres dientes 14y lo metía en el perol, en la olla, en el caldero o en la marmita; y todo lo que sacaba el garfio, el sacerdote lo tomaba para sí.[5] De esta manera hacían con todo israelita que venía a Silo. 15Asimismo, antes de quemar la grasa, venía el criado del sacerdote y decía al que sacrificaba: "Dame carne para asársela al sacerdote; porque no aceptará de ti carne cocida sino cruda". 16Y si el hombre le respondía: "Hay que quemar la grasa primero, y después toma tanto como quieras", él decía: "No, dámela ahora mismo; de otra manera la tomaré por la fuerza". 17Así pues, el pecado de estos ayudantes era muy grande ante Jehová, porque menospreciaban las ofrendas de Jehová. 18Y el joven Samuel servía en la presencia de Jehová, vestido de un efod de lino.[6] 19Su madre le hacía una pequeña túnica y se la traía cada año, cuando subía con su marido para ofrecer el sacrificio acostumbrado. 20Entonces Elí bendecía a Elcana y a su mujer diciendo: "Jehová te dé[7] hijos de esta mujer en lugar del que pidió a Jehová". Luego regresaban a su casa. 21Visitó Jehová a Ana y ella concibió; y dio a luz tres hijos y dos hijas. Y el joven Samuel crecía delante de Jehová. 22Elí era muy viejo, pero cuando supo lo que sus hijos hacían con todo Israel y cómo dormían con las mujeres que velaban a la puerta del Tabernáculo de reunión,[8] 23les dijo: "¿Por qué hacéis cosas semejantes? Oigo hablar a todo este pueblo vuestro mal proceder. 24No, hijos míos, porque no es buena fama la que yo oigo, pues hacéis pecar al pueblo de Jehová. 25Si peca el hombre contra el hombre, los jueces lo juzgarán; pero si alguno peca contra Jehová, ¿quién rogará por él?" Pero ellos no oyeron la voz de su padre, porque Jehová había resuelto hacerlos morir. 26Mientras tanto, el joven Samuel iba creciendo y haciéndose grato delante de Dios y delante de los hombres.[9] 27Vino un varón de Dios[10] ante Elí, y le dijo: "Así ha dicho Jehová: "¿No me manifesté yo claramente a la casa de tu padre cuando estaban en Egipto en la casa del faraón? 28Lo escogí para que fuera mi sacerdote entre todas las tribus de Israel, para que ofreciera sobre mi altar, quemara incienso y llevara efod delante de mí.[11] Yo concedí a la casa de tu padre todas las ofrendas de los hijos de Israel.[12] 29¿Por qué habéis pisoteado los sacrificios y las ofrendas que yo mandé ofrecer en el Tabernáculo? ¿Por qué has honrado a tus hijos más que a mí, haciéndolos engordar con lo principal de todas las ofrendas de mi pueblo Israel?" 30Por eso Jehová, el Dios de Israel, dice: "Yo había prometido que tu casa y la casa de tu padre andarían siempre delante de mí"; pero ahora ha dicho Jehová: "Nunca haga yo tal cosa, porque yo honro a los que me honran, y los que me desprecian serán tenidos en poco. 31Vienen días en que cortaré tu brazo y el brazo de la casa de tu padre, de modo que no haya ancianos en tu casa. 32Verás tu casa humillada,[13] mientras Dios colma de bienes a Israel, de manera que nunca habrá ancianos en tu casa. 33Aquel de los tuyos[14] a quien yo no excluya del servicio de mi altar, será para que se consuman tus ojos y se llene tu alma de dolor; y todos los nacidos en tu casa morirán en la plenitud de la edad. 34Te será por señal esto que acontecerá a tus dos hijos, Ofni y Finees: ambos morirán el mismo día. 35En cambio, yo me suscitaré un sacerdote[15] fiel, que obre conforme a mi corazón y mis deseos; le edificaré casa firme y andará delante de mi ungido todos los días. 36El que haya quedado en tu casa vendrá a postrarse delante de él por una moneda de plata y un bocado de pan, y le dirá: Te ruego que me agregues a alguno de los servicios sacerdotales para que pueda comer un bocado de pan ".
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 HANNAH'S SONG IN THANKFULNESS TO GOD. (
1Sam 2:1-11)
Hannah prayed, and said--Praise and prayer are inseparably conjoined in Scripture (
Col 4:2;
1Tim 2:1). This beautiful song was her tribute of thanks for the divine goodness in answering her petition.
mine horn is exalted in the Lord--Allusion is here made to a peculiarity in the dress of Eastern women about Lebanon, which seems to have obtained anciently among the Israelite women, that of wearing a tin or silver horn on the forehead, on which their veil is suspended. Wives, who have no children, wear it projecting in an oblique direction, while those who become mothers forthwith raise it a few inches higher, inclining towards the perpendicular, and by this slight but observable change in their headdress, make known, wherever they go, the maternal character which they now bear.
5 they that were hungry ceased--that is, to hunger.
the barren hath born seven--that is, many children.
6 he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up--that is, He reduces to the lowest state of degradation and misery, and restores to prosperity and happiness.
8 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill--The dunghill, a pile of horse, cow, or camel offal, heaped up to dry in the sun, and used as fuel, was, and is, one of the common haunts of the poorest mendicants; and the change that had been made in the social position of Hannah, appeared to her grateful heart as auspicious and as great as the elevation of a poor despised beggar to the highest and most dignified rank.
inherit the throne of glory--that is, possesses seats of honor.
10 the Lord shall judge the ends of the earth . . . exalt the horn of his anointed--This is the first place in Scripture where the word "anointed," or Messiah, occurs; and as there was no king in Israel at the time, it seems the best interpretation to refer it to Christ. There is, indeed, a remarkable resemblance between the song of Hannah and that of Mary (
Luke 1:46).
11 the child did minister unto the Lord before Eli the priest--He must have been engaged in some occupation suited to his tender age, as in playing upon the cymbals, or other instruments of music; in lighting the lamps, or similar easy and interesting services.
12 THE SIN OF ELl'S SONS. (
1Sam 2:12-17)
Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial--not only careless and irreligious, but men loose in their actions, and vicious and scandalous in their habits. Though professionally engaged in sacred duties, they were not only strangers to the power of religion in the heart, but they had thrown off its restraints, and even ran, as is sometimes done in similar cases by the sons of eminent ministers, to the opposite extreme of reckless and open profligacy.
13 the priests' custom with the people--When persons wished to present a sacrifice of peace offering on the altar, the offering was brought in the first instance to the priest, and as the Lord's part was burnt, the parts appropriated respectively to the priests and offerers were to be sodden. But Eli's sons, unsatisfied with the breast and shoulder, which were the perquisites appointed to them by the divine law (
Exod 29:27;
Lev 7:31-
Lev 7:32), not only claimed part of the offerer's share, but rapaciously seized them previous to the sacred ceremony of heaving or waving (see on
Lev 7:29); and moreover they committed the additional injustice of taking up with their fork those portions which they preferred, while still raw. Pious people revolted at such rapacious and profane encroachments on the dues of the altar, as well as what should have gone to constitute the family and social feast of the offerer. The truth is, the priests having become haughty and unwilling in many instances to accept invitations to those feasts, presents of meat were sent to them; and this, though done in courtesy at first, being, in course of time, established into a right, gave rise to all the rapacious keenness of Eli's sons.
18 SAMUEL'S MINISTRY. (
1Sam 2:18-26)
But Samuel ministered before the Lord, being a child--This notice of his early services in the outer courts of the tabernacle was made to pave the way for the remarkable prophecy regarding the high priest's family.
girded with a linen ephod--A small shoulder-garment or apron, used in the sacred service by the inferior priests and Levites; sometimes also by judges or eminent persons, and hence allowed to Samuel, who, though not a Levite, was devoted to God from his birth.
19 his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to year--Aware that he could not yet render any useful service to the tabernacle, she undertook the expense of supplying him with wearing apparel. All weaving stuffs, manufacture of cloth, and making of suits were anciently the employment of women.
20 Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife--This blessing, like that which he had formerly pronounced, had a prophetic virtue; which, before long, appeared in the increase of Hannah's family (
1Sam 2:21), and the growing qualifications of Samuel for the service of the sanctuary.
22 the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle--This was an institution of holy women of a strictly ascetic order, who had relinquished worldly cares and devoted themselves to the Lord; an institution which continued down to the time of Christ (
Luke 2:37). Eli was, on the whole, a good man, but lacking in the moral and religious training of his family. He erred on the side of parental indulgence; and though he reprimanded them (see on
Deut 21:18), yet, from fear or indolence, he shrank from laying on them the restraints, or subjecting them to the discipline, their gross delinquencies called for. In his judicial capacity, he winked at their flagrant acts of maladministration and suffered them to make reckless encroachments on the constitution, by which the most serious injuries were inflicted both on the rights of the people and the laws of God.
25 they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because--it should be therefore.
the Lord would slay them--It was not God's preordination, but their own wilful and impenitent disobedience which was the cause of their destruction.
27 A PROPHECY AGAINST ELI'S HOUSE. (
1Sam 2:27-35)
there came a man of God unto Eli, and said . . . that there shall not be an old man in thine house--So much importance has always, in the East, been attached to old age, that it would be felt to be a great calamity, and sensibly to lower the respectability of any family which could boast of few or no old men. The prediction of this prophet was fully confirmed by the afflictions, degradation, poverty, and many untimely deaths with which the house of Eli was visited after its announcement (see
1Sam 4:11;
1Sam 14:3;
1Sam 22:18-23;
1Kgs 2:27).
31 I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father's house--By the withdrawal of the high priesthood from Eleazar, the elder of Aaron's two sons (after Nadab and Abihu were destroyed, [
Num 3:4]), that dignity had been conferred on the family of Ithamar, to which Eli belonged, and now that his descendants had forfeited the honor, it was to be taken from them and restored to the elder branch.
32 thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation--A successful rival for the office of high priest shall rise out of another family (
2Sam 15:35;
1Chr 24:3;
1Chr 29:22). But the marginal reading, "thou shalt see the affliction of the tabernacle," seems to be a preferable translation.