1 Samuel 7:17

7:17 Then he would return to Ramah, because his home was there. He also judged ¹  Israel there and built an altar to the Lord there.

1 Samuel 7:1

7:1 Then the people ²  of Kiriath Jearim came and took the ark of the Lord; they brought it to the house of Abinadab located on the hill. They consecrated Eleazar his son to guard the ark of the Lord.

1 Samuel 2:34

2:34 This will be a confirming sign for you that will be fulfilled through your two sons, ³  Hophni and Phinehas: in a single day they both will die!

1 Samuel 2:2

2:2 No one is holy ⁴  like the Lord!

There is no one other than you!

There is no rock ⁵  like our God!

1 Samuel 1:20

1:20 After some time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, thinking, “I asked the Lord for him. ⁶ 

Isaiah 14:18

14:18 ⁷ As for all the kings of the nations,

all of them ⁸  lie down in splendor, ⁹ 

each in his own tomb. ¹⁰ 

¹ tn Or perhaps “settled disputes for” (cf. NLT “would hear cases there”; NRSV “administered justice there”).

² tn Heb “men.”

³ tn Heb “and this to you [is] the sign which will come to both of your sons.”

⁴ sn In this context God’s holiness refers primarily to his sovereignty and incomparability. He is unique and distinct from all other so-called gods.

⁵ tn The LXX has “and there is none righteous like our God.” The Hebrew term translated “rock” refers to a rocky cliff where one can seek refuge from enemies. Here the metaphor depicts God as a protector of his people. Cf. TEV “no protector like our God”; CEV “We’re safer with you than on a high mountain.”

⁶ tn Heb “because from the Lord I asked him.” The name “Samuel” sounds like the Hebrew verb translated “asked.” The explanation of the meaning of the name “Samuel” that is provided in v. 20 is not a strict etymology. It seems to suggest that the first part of the name is derived from the Hebrew root שׁאל (sh’l, “to ask”), but the consonants do not support this. Nor is it likely that the name comes from the root שׁמא (shm’, “to hear”), for the same reason. It more probably derives from שֶׁם (shem, “name”), so that “Samuel” means “name of God.” Verse 20 therefore does not set forth a linguistic explanation of the meaning of the name, but rather draws a parallel between similar sounds. This figure of speech is known as paronomasia.

⁷ sn It is unclear where the quotation of the kings, begun in v. 10b, ends. However, the reference to the “kings of the nations” in v. 18 (see also v. 9) seems to indicate that the quotation has ended at this point and that Israel’s direct taunt (cf. vv. 4b-10a) has resumed. In fact the references to the “kings of the nations” may form a stylistic inclusio or frame around the quotation.

⁸ tc The phrase “all of them” does not appear in the Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a.

⁹ sn This refers to the typically extravagant burial of kings.

¹⁰ tn Heb “house” (so KJV, ASV), but in this context a tomb is in view. Note the verb “lie down” in the preceding line and the reference to a “grave” in the next line.