聖書注解書

1 Samuel 2:1. And Hannah prayed— This might be rendered with greater propriety, and Hannah sang praise. See Psalms 15:5.

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1 Samuel 2:3. For the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed— Houbigant renders this, for the Lord foreknoweth all things: your designed counsels shall not succeed; nearly conformable to the Arabic and Syriac.

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1 Samuel 2:5. And they that were hungry, ceased— Houbigant renders this, they that were oppressed with famine, shall no longer be so; whilst the barren shall bring forth seven, and she who had many children shall be deprived of strength. All the expressions in this and the other verses are designed to humble the pride of man, and to set forth the greatness, wisdom, and uncontrollable power of God.

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1 Samuel 2:8. He—lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, &c.— The author of the Observations remarks, that dried dung being usually burnt in the East, heaps of this sort of turf were commonly laid up in their cottages. Hence he thinks the present expression is elucidated; "He raiseth a beggar from a dunghill, out of a cottage, that is, in which heaps of dried dung are piled up for fuel, as some of the worst accommodated of the poor practise with respect to the turf of this country: or rather, he raiseth up a poor exile, forced to beg his bread in his wanderings, and to lodge in some out-house where dung is laid up, out of the city, in order to set him on the throne of a royal palace, built in the midst of it." When Hannah says, that the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, she urges a strong reason in proof of all she had advanced; namely, that GOD, being the founder, supporter, and upholder of the earth itself, could certainly do with the inhabitants of it as he pleased. The true meaning of the word rendered pillars, מצקי metzukei, is somewhat doubtful. It seems to express those grand instruments, whatever they be, of supporting and retaining in its orbit the globe of the earth. But did it signify pillars, as we have rendered it, every one sees that the word must be understood in a figurative sense.

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1 Samuel 2:10. And he shall give strength unto his king— By king and anointed in this place, say some, is meant David, of whom Hannah prophesies; though it seems most probable that the reference is to the Messiah. See Psalms 89:24. "Who doth not perceive," saith St. Augustine, "that the spirit which animated this woman, whose name, Hannah, signifies grace, prophesied of the Christian religion, the city of God, whose king and founder is Christ?" See de Civ. Dei, lib. 17: cap. 4. This seems to be the chief aim and object of Hannah's song. She is the first person, as Bishop Patrick observes, who names the Messiah or anointed; there being no such word in all the foregoing books: and when we consider the terms in which this beautiful song is expressed; the perfect resemblance there is between this and that of the Blessed Virgin, Luke 1:46; and the allusion which the father of John the Baptist makes to the latter part of it, Luke 1:69-70. We cannot persuade ourselves but that Hannah had a respect to something higher than to Peninnah her rival, or to the triumphs even of David himself. The expressions are too magnificent and sublime to be confined to such objects. Kimchi was so struck with them, that he ingenuously acknowledges, that the king, of whom Hannah speaks here, is the Messiah; of whom she spake either by prophesy or tradition: "For," continues he, "there was a tradition among the Israelites, that a great king should arise in Israel; and she seals up her song with celebrating this king; who was to deliver them from all their enemies." In short, all the particulars of the 9th and 10th verses especially, perfectly characterize the reign of the Messiah; his protection of his saints; the vain efforts of their enemies; their triumph over them; the extent of his kingdom, and the perpetual increase of his power. See Witsii Miscel. Sacr. tom. 1: lib. 1.

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1 Samuel 2:16. And if any man said unto him, let them not fail, &c.— The great sin of these sons of Eli consisted, not only in demanding more than their right; (see Leviticus 7:32.) but in assuming what they chose, before that which belonged to God had been offered to him. See Leviticus 2:16; Leviticus 23:25.

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1 Samuel 2:18. Girded with a linen ephod— As the birth, appointment, and ministry of Samuel were extraordinary, he was therefore indulged with an extraordinary dress. Schachus conjectures, that from hence was derived the latin clavus among the Romans, which was a vestment peculiar to their senators and presidents. It was brought by Tullus Hostilius from the Etruscans when he conquered them, whose ancient language agrees so much with the Hebrew, that we may easily believe they derived many things from them. See Mirotheca, cap. 3: sect. 43.

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1 Samuel 2:21. And the child Samuel grew before the Lord— See 1Sa 2:26 and Luke 2:52. As he increased in stature, he increased in wisdom; as parents may be assured will always be the case with those children whom they dedicate early to the Lord, and into whose young minds they carefully instill the divine precepts of religion and truth.

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