1 Samuel 1:1

Hannah Gives Birth to Samuel

1:1 There was a man from Ramathaim Zophim, ¹  from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah. He was the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.

1 Samuel 2:20

2:20 Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife saying, “May the Lord raise up for you descendants ²  from this woman to replace the one that she ³  dedicated to the Lord.” Then they would go to their ⁴  home.

1 Samuel 11:5

11:5 Now Saul was walking behind the ⁵  oxen as he came from the field. Saul asked, “What has happened to the people? Why are they weeping?” So they told him about ⁶  the men of Jabesh.

1 Samuel 17:40

17:40 He took his staff in his hand, picked out five smooth stones from the stream, placed them in the pouch ⁷  of his shepherd’s bag, took his sling in hand, and approached the Philistine.

1 Samuel 24:8

24:8 Afterward David got up and went out of the cave. He called out after Saul, “My lord, O king!” When Saul looked behind him, David kneeled down and bowed with his face to the ground.

1 Samuel 28:9

28:9 But the woman said to him, “Look, you are aware of what Saul has done; he has removed ⁸  the mediums and magicians ⁹  from the land! Why are you trapping me ¹⁰  so you can put me to death?”

1 Samuel 30:19

30:19 There was nothing missing, whether small or great. He retrieved sons and daughters, the plunder, and everything else they had taken. ¹¹  David brought everything back.

¹ tc The translation follows the MT. The LXX reads “a man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite”; this is followed by a number of recent English translations. It is possible the MT reading צוֹפִים (tsofim) arose from dittography of the mem (מ) at the beginning of the following word.

² tn Heb “seed.”

³ tn The MT has a masculine verb here, but in light of the context the reference must be to Hannah. It is possible that the text of the MT is incorrect here (cf. the ancient versions), in which case the text should be changed to read either a passive participle or better, the third feminine singular of the verb. If the MT is correct here, perhaps the masculine is to be understood in a nonspecific and impersonal way, allowing for a feminine antecedent. In any case, the syntax of the MT is unusual here.

⁴ tn Heb “his.”

³ tn Or perhaps, “his oxen.” On this use of the definite article see Joüon 2:506-7 §137.f.

⁴ tn Heb “the matters of.”

⁴ tn This Hebrew word occurs only here and its exact meaning is not entirely clear. It refers to a receptacle of some sort and apparently was a common part of a shepherd’s equipment. Here it serves as a depository for the stones that David will use in his sling.

⁵ tn Heb “how he has cut off.”

⁶ tn See the note at v. 3.

⁷ tn Heb “my life.”

⁶ tn Heb “there was nothing missing to them, from the small even unto the great, and unto sons and daughters, and from loot even unto all which they had taken for themselves.”