And she said, Oh my lord, [as] thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here to pray to Jehovah.
Commentary for this verse has not been generated yet.
For this boy I prayed; and Jehovah has granted me my petition which I asked of him.
Commentary for this verse has not been generated yet.
And also I have lent him to Jehovah all the days that he lives, he is lent to Jehovah. And he worshipped Jehovah there.
Hannah stands in front of Eli with the son she once begged God for, and hands him over. It is the same child, given back in the same place where she asked for him. The verse turns on one word, translated "lent," and on the small act of worship that closes it.
Her word here goes back to a vow she made before Samuel was born:
She vowed that if God would hear her prayer and give her a son, she would give him to Jehovah all the days of his life, and no razor would ever touch his head. God heard her prayer, and she became the mother of Samuel (which means "asked of God"). When he was weaned, she gave him to serve Eli the priest. He was "lent" or "returned" to the Lord who gave him: see 1 Sam. 1:28, margin.
Commentators differ on the best English word here. One writer looks at how Hannah parted from her son:
"Lent" is better translated "given." She did not selfishly cling to him, nor make a scene at her parting with the loved and lovable "son of her vows" (Prov. 31:2). She gives him up freely, gladly, for was it not for this very purpose that she waited long and prayed earnestly? She was not one of those who make a vow and later go back on it (Eccl. 5:4–5).
Hannah's affection for Samuel is not in doubt; what she does with him is the point.
Here was a true heart. To such a person, blessing from God was only the occasion, as it was the means, of returning that blessing to Him. Jehovah was the object of her soul. Who can suppose that there was any lack of affection for Samuel? … She could well conclude that such a child was not born for nothing — that hers was a son given for the purposes of God in Israel. And she was right, for the secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him.
One writer weighs how young Samuel may have been:
Three years old is said to have been the age of weaning among the Hebrews. If this was Samuel's age when Hannah left him with Eli, then leaving her child at the tabernacle so young shows how deeply devoted she was to the interests of Jehovah and His worship. But "all things are possible for one who believes," and faith rises above nature. She gave him gladly, and surely with the assurance that the Lord had need of him, and would use him to honour His great and glorious name in Israel.
One writer draws from this a pattern for every parent:
These precious gifts must be given back — "loaned" (see New Translation) "to the Lord" as long as they live. … Then, as we realise Whose they are, we will feel our responsibility more solemnly. We will also know more deeply the One Who is ready and willing to give the infinite grace, patience and wisdom needed to train them for Himself. Notice, too, that the parents "slaughtered the bull, and they brought the child to Eli." We can only give our children back to the Lord through death, an acknowledgement that they only deserve death, but that Another died for them.
One writer marks where this happened, and what mattered more than the place:
So Samuel was dedicated to the Lord, at the place the Lord had chosen for His name — a place that had been almost forgotten. Hannah not only brought him to the place, but also to the Lord. Many in this day may have been brought to the place, but not to the Person of the Lord.
Who worshipped — the child, or the group around him? Commentators differ, and one lays out both readings:
If this refers to Samuel, it would argue that he was considerably more than three years old. The Revised Version notes that several ancient copies read they instead of he. If that is correct, it gives a beautiful picture of the whole company — Eli, Hannah, her husband, and others — praising the God of Israel together for this gift of His love to the nation.
If Samuel is the one worshipping, his service opens with worship. One writer notes how it ends:
The first expression of his service had been to worship before the Lord (1 Sam. 1:28); the worshipper's altar is the last expression of his service. Is not this life of faith fittingly framed by these two acts?
- Asked — the name Samuel means "asked of God"; he was an answered prayer before he was a gift given back.
- Returned — "lent" carries the sense of returned to the Lord who gave him; others read it as given outright.
- Freely — she did not cling or repent of her vow; faith rose above nature and gave gladly, not grudgingly.
- Through death — the parents killed a bull first; we hand our children back to God only on the ground that Another died for them.
- Worship — the transaction ends in worship, and worship frames the whole life that follows.