Discovery Box1 Samuel 1:8-11
Context1:8 Finally her husband Elkanah said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep and not eat? Why are you so sad? 1 Am I not better to you than ten 2 sons?”
1:9 On one occasion in Shiloh, after they had finished eating and drinking, Hannah got up. 3 (Now at the time Eli the priest was sitting in his chair 4 by the doorpost of the Lord’s temple.) 1:10 She was very upset 5 as she prayed to the Lord, and she was weeping uncontrollably. 6 1:11 She made a vow saying, “O Lord of hosts, if you will look with compassion 7 on the suffering of your female servant, 8 remembering me and not forgetting your servant, and give a male child 9 to your servant, then I will dedicate him to the Lord all the days of his life. His hair will never be cut.” 10
[1:8] 1 tn Heb “why is your heart displeased?”
[1:8] 2 sn Like the number seven, the number ten is sometimes used in the OT as an ideal number (see, for example, Dan 1:20, Zech 8:23).
[1:9] 3 tc The LXX adds “and stood before the Lord,” but this is probably a textual expansion due to the terseness of the statement in the Hebrew text.
[1:9] 4 tn Or perhaps, “on his throne.” See Joüon 2:506-7 §137.f.
[1:10] 5 tn Heb “she [was in] bitterness of soul.”
[1:10] 6 tn Heb “and weeping, she was weeping.” The infinitive absolute emphasizes the extent of her sorrow. The imperfect verbal form emphasizes the continuation of the action in past time.
[1:11] 7 tn Heb “if looking you look.” The expression can refer, as here, to looking favorably upon another, in this case with compassion.
[1:11] 8 tn Heb “handmaid.” The use of this term (translated two more times in this verse and once each in vv. 16, 17 simply as “servant” for stylistic reasons) is an expression of humility.
