1 Samuel 2 Study Notes: Hannah’s Song and Eli’s Wicked Sons
Hannah praises the LORD as the holy Rock who humbles the proud, lifts the needy, and will strengthen His anointed king. Eli’s sons abuse the sacrifices and ignore their father’s warning, while young Samuel grows in favor, and a man of God announces judgment on Eli’s house and a faithful priest to come.
General
Which reversal involving mothers does Hannah describe in her prayer (1 Samuel 2:5)?
Answer: The childless one bears seven, and the mother of many wastes away
Hannah praises God for overturning human situations: strong warriors are disarmed while the weak are given strength, those who were full must work for food while the hungry are satisfied, and the childless woman bears seven while the mother of many sons grows weak (2:4-5). Her own story is the clearest example, but she speaks of how God works in general. Scripture repeats this theme: the LORD makes the barren woman a joyful mother (Psalm 113:9), and the prophet calls the childless woman to sing for joy (Isaiah 54:1).
- 1 Samuel 2:4-5 (BSB)“The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble are equipped with strength. The well-fed hire themselves out for food, but the starving hunger no more. The barren woman gives birth to seven, but she who has many sons pines away.”Hannah describes God reversing human conditions, including the barren woman bearing children.
- Psalm 113:9 (BSB)“He settles the barren woman in her home as a joyful mother to her children. Hallelujah!”The psalmist praises the LORD for settling the barren woman as a joyful mother.
- Isaiah 54:1 (BSB)““Shout for joy, O barren woman, who bears no children; break forth in song and cry aloud, you who have never travailed; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband,” says the LORD.”The prophet calls the barren woman to sing because her children will outnumber those of the married woman.
Theological
Which maternal reversal appears among the overturned fortunes in Hannah’s prayer (1 Samuel 2:5)?
Answer: The childless one bears seven, and the mother of many wastes away
Hannah’s prayer catalogs God’s reversals: the mighty broken and the feeble strengthened, the sated hiring out for bread and the hungry satisfied, the barren bearing seven and the mother of many languishing (2:4-5). Her own experience is one instance, but she speaks of how God works generally. The same pattern runs through Psalm 113:9 and Isaiah 54:1: God exalts the lowly and humbles the self-sufficient.
- 1 Samuel 2:4-5 (BSB)“The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble are equipped with strength. The well-fed hire themselves out for food, but the starving hunger no more. The barren woman gives birth to seven, but she who has many sons pines away.”Hannah describes God reversing human conditions, including the barren woman bearing children.
- Psalm 113:9 (BSB)“He settles the barren woman in her home as a joyful mother to her children. Hallelujah!”The psalmist praises the LORD for settling the barren woman as a joyful mother.
- Isaiah 54:1 (BSB)““Shout for joy, O barren woman, who bears no children; break forth in song and cry aloud, you who have never travailed; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband,” says the LORD.”The prophet calls the barren woman to sing because her children will outnumber those of the married woman.
General
What charge did the man of God bring against Eli himself (1 Samuel 2:29)?
Answer: He put his sons’ honor ahead of God’s by sharing the best offerings
An unnamed prophet, called a man of God, brought Eli the LORD’s message. He reminded Eli that God had chosen his family’s line from all the tribes to serve as priests and had provided for them from the offerings (2:27-28). Then he asked why Eli’s house scorned God’s sacrifices, and he charged Eli with honoring his sons more than God, since they had all grown fat on the best of Israel’s offerings (2:29). The LORD’s principle followed: He honors the people who honor Him, while people who scorn Him will be lightly esteemed (2:30). Jesus taught the same order of love (Matthew 10:37) and promised that the Father honors those who serve Him (John 12:26). God later rebuked the priests of Malachi’s day in similar terms (Malachi 2:9).
- 1 Samuel 2:29-30 (BSB)“Why then do you kick at My sacrifice and offering that I have prescribed for My dwelling place? You have honored your sons more than Me by fattening yourselves with the best of all the offerings of My people Israel.’ Therefore, the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I did indeed say that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever. But now the LORD declares: Far be it from Me! For I will honor those who honor Me, but those who despise Me will be disdained.”The man of God charges Eli with honoring his sons above the LORD and declares that God honors those who honor Him.
- Matthew 10:37 (BSB)“Anyone who loves his father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me;”Jesus says that anyone who loves a son or daughter more than Him is not worthy of Him.
- John 12:26 (BSB)“If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, My servant will be as well. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.”Jesus promises that the Father will honor whoever serves Him.
- Malachi 2:9 (BSB)““So I in turn have made you despised and humiliated before all the people, because you have not kept My ways, but have shown partiality in matters of the law.””God later told unfaithful priests that He had made them despised because they did not keep His ways.
Theological
With what specific failure did the man of God charge Eli (1 Samuel 2:29)?
Answer: He put his sons’ honor ahead of God’s by sharing the best offerings
The man of God recounts the LORD’s gracious election of Eli’s ancestral house to the priesthood and its provision from the offerings (2:27-28), then indicts Eli for despising God’s sacrifices and honoring his sons above God, the household having fattened itself on the choicest offerings (2:29). The governing principle is reciprocal: God honors those who honor Him and brings contempt on those who despise Him (2:30). Christ demands the same priority of love (Matthew 10:37) and promises the Father’s honor to His servants (John 12:26), and Malachi applies the principle to a later corrupt priesthood (Malachi 2:9).
- 1 Samuel 2:29-30 (BSB)“Why then do you kick at My sacrifice and offering that I have prescribed for My dwelling place? You have honored your sons more than Me by fattening yourselves with the best of all the offerings of My people Israel.’ Therefore, the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I did indeed say that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever. But now the LORD declares: Far be it from Me! For I will honor those who honor Me, but those who despise Me will be disdained.”The man of God charges Eli with honoring his sons above the LORD and declares that God honors those who honor Him.
- Matthew 10:37 (BSB)“Anyone who loves his father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me;”Jesus says that anyone who loves a son or daughter more than Him is not worthy of Him.
- John 12:26 (BSB)“If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, My servant will be as well. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.”Jesus promises that the Father will honor whoever serves Him.
- Malachi 2:9 (BSB)““So I in turn have made you despised and humiliated before all the people, because you have not kept My ways, but have shown partiality in matters of the law.””God later told unfaithful priests that He had made them despised because they did not keep His ways.
General
What did the servant of Eli’s sons demand from people offering sacrifices (1 Samuel 2:15-16)?
Answer: Raw meat for the priest before the fat went on the altar
The narrator calls Eli’s sons wicked men who cared nothing for the LORD (2:12). Their servant would plunge a fork into the boiling pot and take whatever it brought up, and he even demanded raw meat before the fat had been burned, threatening to seize it if anyone objected (2:13-16). The law said the fat belonged to the LORD and was to be burned on the altar (Leviticus 3:16; 7:31), and it had already given the priests a fair share (Deuteronomy 18:3). By taking their own share before the LORD’s portion had even been burned, these priests treated His offering with contempt, and the narrator calls their sin very great in the LORD’s sight (2:17).
- 1 Samuel 2:12 (BSB)“Now the sons of Eli were wicked men; they had no regard for the LORD”The narrator calls Eli’s sons wicked men who had no regard for the LORD.
- 1 Samuel 2:15-17 (BSB)“Even before the fat was burned, the servant of the priest would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give the priest some meat to roast, because he will not accept boiled meat from you, but only raw.” And if any man said to him, “The fat must be burned first; then you may take whatever you want,” the servant would reply, “No, you must give it to me right now. If you refuse, I will take it by force!” Thus the sin of these young men was severe in the sight of the LORD, for they were treating the LORD’s offering with contempt.”The priest’s servant demands raw meat before the fat is burned, and the narrator judges the sin severe.
- Leviticus 3:16 (BSB)“Then the priest is to burn the food on the altar as a food offering, a pleasing aroma. All the fat is the LORD’s.”The law said the fat belonged to the LORD and was to be burned on the altar.
- Leviticus 7:31 (BSB)“The priest is to burn the fat on the altar, but the breast belongs to Aaron and his sons.”The priest was to burn the fat on the altar, while the breast was the priests’ portion.
- Deuteronomy 18:3 (BSB)“This shall be the priests’ share from the people who offer a sacrifice, whether a bull or a sheep: the priests are to be given the shoulder, the jowls, and the stomach.”The law already set out the priests’ rightful share of each sacrifice.
Theological
What demand did the priests’ servant make of worshipers at Shiloh (1 Samuel 2:15-16)?
Answer: Raw meat for the priest before the fat went on the altar
Eli’s sons are wicked and disregard the LORD (2:12). Through their servant they seized meat at will and even demanded it raw before God’s portion was offered, under threat of force (2:13-16). The fat was the LORD’s portion, to be burned on the altar (Leviticus 3:16; 7:31), and the priests’ due was already fixed by law (Deuteronomy 18:3). Seizing their own share before God’s portion had been offered was contempt for the offering itself, which is why the narrator judges their sin very great before the LORD (2:17).
- 1 Samuel 2:12 (BSB)“Now the sons of Eli were wicked men; they had no regard for the LORD”The narrator calls Eli’s sons wicked men who had no regard for the LORD.
- 1 Samuel 2:15-17 (BSB)“Even before the fat was burned, the servant of the priest would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give the priest some meat to roast, because he will not accept boiled meat from you, but only raw.” And if any man said to him, “The fat must be burned first; then you may take whatever you want,” the servant would reply, “No, you must give it to me right now. If you refuse, I will take it by force!” Thus the sin of these young men was severe in the sight of the LORD, for they were treating the LORD’s offering with contempt.”The priest’s servant demands raw meat before the fat is burned, and the narrator judges the sin severe.
- Leviticus 3:16 (BSB)“Then the priest is to burn the food on the altar as a food offering, a pleasing aroma. All the fat is the LORD’s.”The law said the fat belonged to the LORD and was to be burned on the altar.
- Leviticus 7:31 (BSB)“The priest is to burn the fat on the altar, but the breast belongs to Aaron and his sons.”The priest was to burn the fat on the altar, while the breast was the priests’ portion.
- Deuteronomy 18:3 (BSB)“This shall be the priests’ share from the people who offer a sacrifice, whether a bull or a sheep: the priests are to be given the shoulder, the jowls, and the stomach.”The law already set out the priests’ rightful share of each sacrifice.
General
What did God promise to raise up in place of Eli’s failing house (1 Samuel 2:35)?
Answer: A faithful priest who would do all that was in God’s heart
After the judgment on Eli’s house, God promised to raise up a faithful priest who would act according to His heart and mind. God would build him a lasting house, and he would serve before God’s anointed, the king God would choose, for all time (2:35). Those left in Eli’s family would come begging that priest for a priestly post just to get bread (2:36). The books of Kings record that Solomon removed Abiathar from serving as priest and so fulfilled what the LORD had said at Shiloh about Eli’s house (1 Kings 2:27), then appointed Zadok in his place (1 Kings 2:35). Kings does not call Zadok the faithful priest, though his appointment follows directly on that fulfillment. Many Christians have also seen the promise reaching its fullness in Jesus, whom Hebrews calls a faithful and merciful High Priest who atones for His people’s sins (Hebrews 2:17).
- 1 Samuel 2:35 (BSB)“Then I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest. He will do whatever is in My heart and mind. And I will build for him an enduring house, and he will walk before My anointed one for all time.”God promises to raise up a faithful priest with an enduring house who will serve before His anointed.
- 1 Kings 2:27 (BSB)“So Solomon banished Abiathar from the priesthood of the LORD and thus fulfilled the word that the LORD had spoken at Shiloh against the house of Eli.”Solomon’s removal of Abiathar is said to fulfill the word spoken at Shiloh against Eli’s house.
- 1 Kings 2:35 (BSB)“And the king appointed Benaiah son of Jehoiada in Joab’s place over the army, and he appointed Zadok the priest in Abiathar’s place.”Solomon appointed Zadok as priest in Abiathar’s place.
- Hebrews 2:17 (BSB)“For this reason He had to be made like His brothers in every way, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, in order to make atonement for the sins of the people.”Christ is called a merciful and faithful high priest who makes atonement for His people’s sins.
Theological
What does the LORD pledge to raise up as the counterpart to Eli’s rejected house (1 Samuel 2:35)?
Answer: A faithful priest who would do all that was in God’s heart
God promises a faithful priest who will act according to His heart and mind, with an enduring house that will minister before His anointed continually (2:35), while survivors of Eli’s line will beg him for priestly office for the sake of bread (2:36). Kings explicitly says Solomon’s removal of Abiathar fulfilled the word against Eli’s house (1 Kings 2:27), and it records Zadok’s appointment in his place (1 Kings 2:35), though it does not name Zadok as the promised faithful priest. Many Christians have seen the promise reaching its fullest sense in Christ, the faithful and merciful High Priest (Hebrews 2:17).
- 1 Samuel 2:35 (BSB)“Then I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest. He will do whatever is in My heart and mind. And I will build for him an enduring house, and he will walk before My anointed one for all time.”God promises to raise up a faithful priest with an enduring house who will serve before His anointed.
- 1 Kings 2:27 (BSB)“So Solomon banished Abiathar from the priesthood of the LORD and thus fulfilled the word that the LORD had spoken at Shiloh against the house of Eli.”Solomon’s removal of Abiathar is said to fulfill the word spoken at Shiloh against Eli’s house.
- 1 Kings 2:35 (BSB)“And the king appointed Benaiah son of Jehoiada in Joab’s place over the army, and he appointed Zadok the priest in Abiathar’s place.”Solomon appointed Zadok as priest in Abiathar’s place.
- Hebrews 2:17 (BSB)“For this reason He had to be made like His brothers in every way, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, in order to make atonement for the sins of the people.”Christ is called a merciful and faithful high priest who makes atonement for His people’s sins.
General
What does Hannah say about death and life, poverty and wealth (1 Samuel 2:6-7)?
Answer: The LORD rules over all of them
Hannah confesses that life and death are the LORD’s to give, that He sends people down to Sheol, the realm of the dead, and raises them up; both poverty and riches come from Him, and He humbles and lifts up (2:6-7). Nothing in human life lies outside His rule. God says the same of Himself through Moses (Deuteronomy 32:39) and Isaiah (Isaiah 45:7), and Job blessed the LORD who both gives and takes away (Job 1:21). This is God’s providence, His wise and active rule over all things. It does not make God the author of anyone’s sin, and it does not mean people stop being responsible for their choices; it means no life, death, or fortune escapes His hand.
- 1 Samuel 2:6-7 (BSB)“The LORD brings death and gives life; He brings down to Sheol and raises up. The LORD sends poverty and wealth; He humbles and He exalts.”Hannah declares that death and life, poverty and wealth, humbling and exalting are all in the LORD’s hands.
- Deuteronomy 32:39 (BSB)“See now that I am He; there is no God besides Me. I bring death and I give life; I wound and I heal, and there is no one who can deliver from My hand.”God Himself declares that He brings death and gives life and that no one can deliver from His hand.
- Isaiah 45:7 (BSB)“I form the light and create the darkness; I bring prosperity and create calamity. I, the LORD, do all these things.”The LORD claims prosperity and calamity alike as His work.
- Job 1:21 (BSB)“saying: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.””Job confessed that the LORD both gave and took away, and still blessed His name.
Theological
How does Hannah’s prayer account for life and death, poverty and riches (1 Samuel 2:6-7)?
Answer: The LORD rules over all of them
Hannah ascribes life and death, descent to Sheol and restoration, poverty and wealth, abasement and exaltation to the LORD (2:6-7). This is a confession of comprehensive providence, matching God’s own self-declaration in Deuteronomy 32:39 and Isaiah 45:7 and Job’s confession (Job 1:21). God’s sovereignty here extends over every outcome without making Him the author of sin or removing human accountability; Hannah’s point is that nothing in human experience falls outside His governing hand.
- 1 Samuel 2:6-7 (BSB)“The LORD brings death and gives life; He brings down to Sheol and raises up. The LORD sends poverty and wealth; He humbles and He exalts.”Hannah declares that death and life, poverty and wealth, humbling and exalting are all in the LORD’s hands.
- Deuteronomy 32:39 (BSB)“See now that I am He; there is no God besides Me. I bring death and I give life; I wound and I heal, and there is no one who can deliver from My hand.”God Himself declares that He brings death and gives life and that no one can deliver from His hand.
- Isaiah 45:7 (BSB)“I form the light and create the darkness; I bring prosperity and create calamity. I, the LORD, do all these things.”The LORD claims prosperity and calamity alike as His work.
- Job 1:21 (BSB)“saying: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.””Job confessed that the LORD both gave and took away, and still blessed His name.
General
How did the LORD bless Hannah in the years after she gave Samuel to Him (1 Samuel 2:20-21)?
Answer: She bore three more boys and two girls
Each year Hannah made Samuel a small robe and took it with her when she came with Elkanah for the yearly sacrifice. Eli would bless the couple and ask the LORD to give them more children to replace the son given to Him. The narrator then says the LORD showed His care for Hannah, and she had five more children, three boys and two girls, while the boy Samuel was growing in the LORD’s presence (2:19-21). Hannah had sung of God giving children to the barren (2:5), and now He did so in her own home. The psalmist praises God for this very thing (Psalm 113:9), and children are His gift (Psalm 127:3).
- 1 Samuel 2:19-21 (BSB)“Each year his mother would make him a little robe and bring it to him when she went with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice. And Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, “May the LORD give you children by this woman in place of the one she dedicated to the LORD.” Then they would go home. So the LORD attended to Hannah, and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the LORD.”Hannah brings Samuel a robe each year, Eli blesses the couple, and the LORD gives Hannah more children.
- Psalm 113:9 (BSB)“He settles the barren woman in her home as a joyful mother to her children. Hallelujah!”The LORD makes the barren woman a joyful mother of children, as He did for Hannah.
- Psalm 127:3 (BSB)“Children are indeed a heritage from the LORD, and the fruit of the womb is His reward.”Children are a heritage and reward from the LORD, so Hannah’s new children are His gift.
Theological
What further blessing does the narrator record for Hannah after Samuel’s dedication (1 Samuel 2:20-21)?
Answer: She bore three more boys and two girls
Eli’s annual blessing asked the LORD to give the couple offspring to replace the child dedicated to Him, and the narrator records that the LORD showed His care for Hannah, who bore three more boys and two girls, while Samuel grew in the LORD’s presence (2:19-21). The God she praised for making the barren fruitful (2:5) proves it in her own household, the gift celebrated in Psalm 113:9 and Psalm 127:3.
- 1 Samuel 2:19-21 (BSB)“Each year his mother would make him a little robe and bring it to him when she went with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice. And Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, “May the LORD give you children by this woman in place of the one she dedicated to the LORD.” Then they would go home. So the LORD attended to Hannah, and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the LORD.”Hannah brings Samuel a robe each year, Eli blesses the couple, and the LORD gives Hannah more children.
- Psalm 113:9 (BSB)“He settles the barren woman in her home as a joyful mother to her children. Hallelujah!”The LORD makes the barren woman a joyful mother of children, as He did for Hannah.
- Psalm 127:3 (BSB)“Children are indeed a heritage from the LORD, and the fruit of the womb is His reward.”Children are a heritage and reward from the LORD, so Hannah’s new children are His gift.
General
According to Hannah, what is true about human strength (1 Samuel 2:9)?
Answer: No one prevails through his own power
Hannah says that God watches over the path of those who are faithful to Him, while the wicked come to ruin in the dark, because no one wins by his own might (2:9). The safety of God’s people rests on His keeping, not on their power. The psalmist says the same: the LORD will not let His people’s feet slip (Psalm 121:3). The New Testament teaches that believers are kept safe by divine power until their salvation is complete (1 Peter 1:5); this is often called the perseverance of the saints, meaning that God keeps His true people to the end. God’s work is done not by human might but by His Spirit (Zechariah 4:6).
- 1 Samuel 2:9 (BSB)“He guards the steps of His faithful ones, but the wicked perish in darkness; for by his own strength shall no man prevail.”Hannah says God guards His faithful ones, the wicked perish, and no one prevails by his own strength.
- Psalm 121:3 (BSB)“He will not allow your foot to slip; your Protector will not slumber.”The LORD will not let His people’s feet slip; their Protector never sleeps.
- 1 Peter 1:5 (BSB)“who through faith are shielded by God’s power for the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.”Believers are shielded by God’s power until their salvation is revealed.
- Zechariah 4:6 (BSB)“So he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of Hosts.”God’s work is accomplished not by human might or power but by His Spirit.
Theological
What principle about human strength does Hannah state alongside God’s protection of His godly people (1 Samuel 2:9)?
Answer: No one prevails through his own power
Hannah sets God’s guarding of His godly people against the destruction of the wicked and grounds both in the principle that no one prevails by his own power (2:9). The preservation of the saints is God’s work, as Psalm 121:3 affirms and as Peter teaches of believers shielded by divine power for final salvation (1 Peter 1:5). Perseverance rests on God’s keeping, not on human strength, for His purposes advance by His Spirit rather than by might (Zechariah 4:6).
- 1 Samuel 2:9 (BSB)“He guards the steps of His faithful ones, but the wicked perish in darkness; for by his own strength shall no man prevail.”Hannah says God guards His faithful ones, the wicked perish, and no one prevails by his own strength.
- Psalm 121:3 (BSB)“He will not allow your foot to slip; your Protector will not slumber.”The LORD will not let His people’s feet slip; their Protector never sleeps.
- 1 Peter 1:5 (BSB)“who through faith are shielded by God’s power for the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.”Believers are shielded by God’s power until their salvation is revealed.
- Zechariah 4:6 (BSB)“So he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of Hosts.”God’s work is accomplished not by human might or power but by His Spirit.
General
True or False: The narrator explains the refusal of Eli’s sons to listen by saying the LORD had already resolved that they would die.
Answer: True
This is true. After Eli’s warning, the narrator says his sons refused to heed Eli, and he gives the reason: the LORD had purposed that they would die (2:25). Both things are true at once. The sons were responsible for their own refusal; they were already wicked, despised God’s offerings, and chose their sin (2:12, 17). Yet God was in control, and His judgment on them was settled. Scripture speaks this way elsewhere, as when the LORD hardened the hearts of the Canaanite kings so that they went to war against Israel and were destroyed without mercy (Joshua 11:20), and Paul teaches that God hardens whom He wills (Romans 9:18). God tempts no one to do evil (James 1:13), and He was not the author of their sin; yet He rules over even stubborn hearts to carry out His just judgment.
- 1 Samuel 2:25 (BSB)“If a man sins against another man, God can intercede for him; but if a man sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to their father, since the LORD intended to put them to death.”Eli’s sons refuse to listen to their father, and the narrator explains this by God’s purpose to put them to death.
- Joshua 11:20 (BSB)“For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts to engage Israel in battle, so that they would be set apart for destruction and would receive no mercy, being annihilated as the LORD had commanded Moses.”God likewise hardened the hearts of Israel’s enemies so that they would fight and be destroyed.
- Romans 9:18 (BSB)“Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden.”Paul teaches that God has mercy on whom He wills and hardens whom He wills.
- James 1:13 (BSB)“When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone.”God tempts no one to sin, so His purpose never makes Him the author of evil.
Theological
True or False: The narrator grounds the sons’ refusal to heed Eli in the LORD’s settled purpose that they should die.
Answer: True
This is true. The narrator links the sons’ refusal to listen with the LORD’s will to slay them (2:25). Their refusal was genuinely their own, the fruit of their established wickedness and contempt for the offerings (2:12, 17), and God’s purpose stood sovereignly over it. Scripture describes the same pattern of hardening as an act of judgment when the LORD hardened the Canaanite kings to fight Israel and so brought them to destruction (Joshua 11:20), and Paul states the principle that God hardens whom He wills (Romans 9:18). Divine sovereignty and human responsibility stand together here without contradiction, and God is never the author of sin (James 1:13).
- 1 Samuel 2:25 (BSB)“If a man sins against another man, God can intercede for him; but if a man sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to their father, since the LORD intended to put them to death.”Eli’s sons refuse to listen to their father, and the narrator explains this by God’s purpose to put them to death.
- Joshua 11:20 (BSB)“For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts to engage Israel in battle, so that they would be set apart for destruction and would receive no mercy, being annihilated as the LORD had commanded Moses.”God likewise hardened the hearts of Israel’s enemies so that they would fight and be destroyed.
- Romans 9:18 (BSB)“Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden.”Paul teaches that God has mercy on whom He wills and hardens whom He wills.
- James 1:13 (BSB)“When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone.”God tempts no one to sin, so His purpose never makes Him the author of evil.
General
Which New Testament song closely echoes Hannah’s praise of God for lifting the poor and needy to sit with princes (1 Samuel 2:8)?
Answer: Mary’s song after she greeted Elizabeth
Hannah praises God for lifting the poor and needy out of dust and ashes to sit with princes, and she grounds this in His ownership of the world’s foundations (2:8). Centuries later Mary, pregnant with Jesus, sang a song that echoes Hannah’s at many points. Both women rejoice in God as Savior (Luke 1:46-47), both praise Him for bringing down the mighty and lifting up the humble (Luke 1:52), and both speak of the hungry being satisfied (2:5; Luke 1:53). Psalm 113 uses the same picture of God lifting up the lowly to sit with princes (Psalm 113:7-8). Hannah’s praise for God’s answer to her prayer becomes a pattern for praising God’s greater work in sending His Son.
- 1 Samuel 2:8 (BSB)“He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap. He seats them among princes and bestows on them a throne of honor. For the foundations of the earth are the LORD’s, and upon them He has set the world.”Hannah praises God for lifting the poor and needy to sit with princes, because the earth’s foundations are His.
- Luke 1:46-47 (BSB)“Then Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!”Mary’s song opens with her spirit rejoicing in God her Savior, much as Hannah rejoices in God’s salvation.
- Luke 1:52 (BSB)“He has brought down rulers from their thrones, but has exalted the humble.”Mary praises God for bringing down rulers and exalting the humble, the same reversal Hannah celebrates.
- Luke 1:53 (BSB)“He has filled the hungry with good things, but has sent the rich away empty.”Mary also praises God for filling the hungry and sending the rich away empty, as Hannah sang of the hungry being satisfied.
- Psalm 113:7-8 (BSB)“He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the dump to seat them with nobles, with the princes of His people.”This psalm repeats Hannah’s picture of God lifting the poor from the dust to sit with princes.
Theological
Which New Testament canticle most closely echoes Hannah’s theme of God exalting the lowly (1 Samuel 2:8)?
Answer: Mary’s song after she greeted Elizabeth
Hannah celebrates God’s sovereign reversals, raising the poor and needy to the seats of princes, on the ground that the world itself rests on what belongs to Him (2:8). Mary’s song in Luke 1 echoes Hannah repeatedly: rejoicing in God as Savior (Luke 1:46-47), praising Him for deposing the mighty and exalting the humble (Luke 1:52), and celebrating the hungry filled (Luke 1:53; compare 2:5). Psalm 113:7-8 reproduces Hannah’s image almost exactly. Hannah’s praise for one answered prayer thus anticipates the pattern of God’s saving action that reaches its fullness in the coming of Christ.
- 1 Samuel 2:8 (BSB)“He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap. He seats them among princes and bestows on them a throne of honor. For the foundations of the earth are the LORD’s, and upon them He has set the world.”Hannah praises God for lifting the poor and needy to sit with princes, because the earth’s foundations are His.
- Luke 1:46-47 (BSB)“Then Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!”Mary’s song opens with her spirit rejoicing in God her Savior, much as Hannah rejoices in God’s salvation.
- Luke 1:52 (BSB)“He has brought down rulers from their thrones, but has exalted the humble.”Mary praises God for bringing down rulers and exalting the humble, the same reversal Hannah celebrates.
- Luke 1:53 (BSB)“He has filled the hungry with good things, but has sent the rich away empty.”Mary also praises God for filling the hungry and sending the rich away empty, as Hannah sang of the hungry being satisfied.
- Psalm 113:7-8 (BSB)“He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the dump to seat them with nobles, with the princes of His people.”This psalm repeats Hannah’s picture of God lifting the poor from the dust to sit with princes.
General
In the opening lines of her prayer, what does Hannah declare about the LORD (1 Samuel 2:1-2)?
Answer: None is as holy as He, and no other Rock compares
Hannah’s prayer begins with joy, not in her son but in the LORD and in His salvation, meaning His rescue (2:1). She then confesses that the LORD alone is holy, that no other God exists beside Him, and that He is a Rock beyond compare (2:2). A rock was a picture of safety and strength that does not move. Hannah’s words echo Moses, who asked who is like the LORD in holiness (Exodus 15:11) and called Him the Rock whose work is perfect (Deuteronomy 32:4); David later used the same picture (Psalm 18:31). The prayer is about who God is before it is about what He has done.
- 1 Samuel 2:1-2 (BSB)“At that time Hannah prayed: “My heart rejoices in the LORD; my horn is exalted in the LORD. My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies, for I rejoice in Your salvation. There is no one holy like the LORD. Indeed, there is no one besides You! And there is no Rock like our God.”Hannah’s prayer opens in joy over God’s salvation and confesses that no one is holy like Him.
- Exodus 15:11 (BSB)“Who among the gods is like You, O LORD? Who is like You—majestic in holiness, revered with praises, performing wonders?”Moses’ song at the sea asked the same question: who is like the LORD in holiness?
- Deuteronomy 32:4 (BSB)“He is the Rock, His work is perfect; all His ways are just. A God of faithfulness without injustice, righteous and upright is He.”Moses called the LORD the Rock whose work is perfect and whose ways are just.
- Psalm 18:31 (BSB)“For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?”David’s song also confesses that there is no Rock except our God.
Theological
What confession about the LORD’s character stands at the head of Hannah’s prayer (1 Samuel 2:1-2)?
Answer: None is as holy as He, and no other Rock compares
Hannah exults in the LORD and in His salvation (2:1) and then confesses His incomparable holiness, His uniqueness, and His reliability as the Rock (2:2). The language draws on the Song of the Sea (Exodus 15:11) and the Song of Moses (Deuteronomy 32:4), and David takes it up again (Psalm 18:31). Her praise is centered on God from the outset: before she speaks of reversals of fortune, she celebrates who God is.
- 1 Samuel 2:1-2 (BSB)“At that time Hannah prayed: “My heart rejoices in the LORD; my horn is exalted in the LORD. My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies, for I rejoice in Your salvation. There is no one holy like the LORD. Indeed, there is no one besides You! And there is no Rock like our God.”Hannah’s prayer opens in joy over God’s salvation and confesses that no one is holy like Him.
- Exodus 15:11 (BSB)“Who among the gods is like You, O LORD? Who is like You—majestic in holiness, revered with praises, performing wonders?”Moses’ song at the sea asked the same question: who is like the LORD in holiness?
- Deuteronomy 32:4 (BSB)“He is the Rock, His work is perfect; all His ways are just. A God of faithfulness without injustice, righteous and upright is He.”Moses called the LORD the Rock whose work is perfect and whose ways are just.
- Psalm 18:31 (BSB)“For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?”David’s song also confesses that there is no Rock except our God.
General
How does the narrator describe the boy Samuel, in contrast to Eli’s sons (1 Samuel 2:26)?
Answer: He kept growing and was approved by God and people
Right after describing the sons’ refusal to listen, the narrator turns back to Samuel: the boy kept growing taller and was looked on with approval by both God and people (2:26). The chapter keeps placing the two side by side, the corrupt priests and the faithful child (2:11-12, 18, 21). Luke uses almost the same words about Jesus as a boy, saying He increased in wisdom and was approved by God and people (Luke 2:52) and that God’s grace was upon Him (Luke 2:40). In the next chapter the LORD’s presence with the growing Samuel is stated outright (3:19).
- 1 Samuel 2:26 (BSB)“And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the LORD and with man.”In contrast to Eli’s sons, the boy Samuel keeps growing and is approved by God and people.
- Luke 2:52 (BSB)“And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.”Luke describes Jesus’ growth in strikingly similar words, as growing in favor with God and man.
- Luke 2:40 (BSB)“And the Child grew and became strong. He was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him.”Luke also says that the child Jesus grew strong, with God’s grace upon Him.
- 1 Samuel 3:19 (BSB)“And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and He let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground.”As Samuel grew, the LORD was with him, confirming the favor described here.
Theological
What does 1 Samuel 2:26 say about Samuel, set against the account of Eli’s sons?
Answer: He kept growing and was approved by God and people
The narrative alternates between the degenerate priests and the faithful child (2:11-12, 18, 21), and 2:26 records Samuel’s continued physical growth and the approval he enjoyed from God and people alike. Luke’s description of the boy Jesus closely echoes this verse (Luke 2:52; compare 2:40). The LORD’s presence with Samuel is made explicit in 3:19.
- 1 Samuel 2:26 (BSB)“And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the LORD and with man.”In contrast to Eli’s sons, the boy Samuel keeps growing and is approved by God and people.
- Luke 2:52 (BSB)“And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.”Luke describes Jesus’ growth in strikingly similar words, as growing in favor with God and man.
- Luke 2:40 (BSB)“And the Child grew and became strong. He was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him.”Luke also says that the child Jesus grew strong, with God’s grace upon Him.
- 1 Samuel 3:19 (BSB)“And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and He let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground.”As Samuel grew, the LORD was with him, confirming the favor described here.
General
What sign did the man of God give Eli concerning Hophni and Phinehas (1 Samuel 2:34)?
Answer: Both of them would die on a single day
Along with announcing that Eli’s family line would lose its strength and that its members would not live to old age (2:31-33), the man of God gave Eli a sign to confirm the whole message: Hophni and Phinehas, his sons, would both die on one day (2:34). The sign came true in chapter 4, when the Philistines captured the ark and both sons were killed in the same battle (4:11), and a messenger brought Eli the news that they were both dead (4:17). God’s word of judgment did not fail.
- 1 Samuel 2:34 (BSB)“And this sign shall come to you concerning your two sons Hophni and Phinehas: They will both die on the same day.”The man of God gives Eli a sign: Hophni and Phinehas will both die on one day.
- 1 Samuel 4:11 (BSB)“The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.”The sign is fulfilled when the ark is captured and Eli’s two sons are killed in the same battle.
- 1 Samuel 4:17 (BSB)“The messenger answered, “Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has been a great slaughter among the people. Your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are both dead, and the ark of God has been captured.””The messenger’s report to Eli confirms that both sons died that day.
Theological
What confirming sign accompanied the oracle against Eli’s house (1 Samuel 2:34)?
Answer: Both of them would die on a single day
The oracle announces the cutting off of the strength of Eli’s house and the loss of old age from his line (2:31-33), and it is authenticated by an imminent sign: Hophni and Phinehas will perish on a single day (2:34). The sign is fulfilled precisely in the battle of chapter 4, where the ark is taken and both sons fall (4:11), as the messenger reports to Eli (4:17). The near fulfillment guarantees the remainder of the word.
- 1 Samuel 2:34 (BSB)“And this sign shall come to you concerning your two sons Hophni and Phinehas: They will both die on the same day.”The man of God gives Eli a sign: Hophni and Phinehas will both die on one day.
- 1 Samuel 4:11 (BSB)“The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.”The sign is fulfilled when the ark is captured and Eli’s two sons are killed in the same battle.
- 1 Samuel 4:17 (BSB)“The messenger answered, “Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has been a great slaughter among the people. Your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are both dead, and the ark of God has been captured.””The messenger’s report to Eli confirms that both sons died that day.
General
How does Hannah’s prayer end (1 Samuel 2:10)?
Answer: With God strengthening His king and raising His anointed high
Hannah’s prayer closes with God judging the whole earth to its farthest edges, strengthening His king, and exalting His anointed, the one He has set apart by anointing with oil (2:10). Israel had no king at this time (Judges 21:25), so these words look ahead. The books of Samuel go on to tell how God gave Israel a king, and David’s own song ends by praising God for His help to His king and anointed (2 Samuel 22:51). At the birth of his son John, while Jesus, the Son of David, was already on the way, Zechariah praised God for raising up a mighty Savior in David’s house (Luke 1:69). Many Christians have seen Hannah’s final line as reaching beyond David to Christ, the Anointed One.
- 1 Samuel 2:10 (BSB)“Those who oppose the LORD will be shattered. He will thunder from heaven against them. The LORD will judge the ends of the earth and will give power to His king. He will exalt the horn of His anointed.””Hannah’s prayer ends with God judging the earth and strengthening His king, His anointed one.
- Judges 21:25 (BSB)“In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”Israel had no king at the time, which makes Hannah’s mention of God’s king striking.
- 2 Samuel 22:51 (BSB)“Great salvation He brings to His king. He shows loving devotion to His anointed, to David and his descendants forever.””David’s song closes by praising God for His saving help to His king and anointed, David and his descendants.
- Luke 1:69 (BSB)“He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David,”Zechariah praises God for raising up a horn of salvation in the house of David, the line of God’s anointed king.
Theological
With what climactic note does Hannah’s prayer conclude (1 Samuel 2:10)?
Answer: With God strengthening His king and raising His anointed high
The prayer ends with the LORD judging the whole earth and strengthening His king, lifting high the strength of His anointed (2:10), though Israel as yet had no king (Judges 21:25). The line anticipates the monarchy that the books of Samuel narrate; David’s song closes on the same note of God’s help to His king and anointed (2 Samuel 22:51), and Zechariah praises God for raising up a mighty Savior from David’s house (Luke 1:69). Many Christians have seen the verse reaching its fullest sense in Christ, the Anointed One.
- 1 Samuel 2:10 (BSB)“Those who oppose the LORD will be shattered. He will thunder from heaven against them. The LORD will judge the ends of the earth and will give power to His king. He will exalt the horn of His anointed.””Hannah’s prayer ends with God judging the earth and strengthening His king, His anointed one.
- Judges 21:25 (BSB)“In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”Israel had no king at the time, which makes Hannah’s mention of God’s king striking.
- 2 Samuel 22:51 (BSB)“Great salvation He brings to His king. He shows loving devotion to His anointed, to David and his descendants forever.””David’s song closes by praising God for His saving help to His king and anointed, David and his descendants.
- Luke 1:69 (BSB)“He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David,”Zechariah praises God for raising up a horn of salvation in the house of David, the line of God’s anointed king.
General
When Eli rebuked his sons, what argument did he make (1 Samuel 2:25)?
Answer: When a person wrongs God Himself, who will plead his case?
Eli, now very old, heard about all the wrongs his sons were committing against Israel, including their sexual sin with women who worked at the sanctuary entrance. He asked why they were doing these things and warned them that what God’s people were saying about them was not good (2:22-24). His argument was this: when one person wrongs another, God can step in between them, but when someone wrongs the LORD Himself, who can plead for him (2:25)? Job felt the same lack of anyone to stand between him and God (Job 9:33). The New Testament answers Eli’s question: Christ Jesus is the one go-between who stands for people before God (1 Timothy 2:5), and He lives forever to plead for all who approach God by Him (Hebrews 7:25).
- 1 Samuel 2:22-25 (BSB)“Now Eli was very old, and he heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they were sleeping with the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. “Why are you doing these things?” Eli said to his sons. “I hear about your wicked deeds from all these people. No, my sons; it is not a good report I hear circulating among the LORD’s people. If a man sins against another man, God can intercede for him; but if a man sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to their father, since the LORD intended to put them to death.”Eli hears of his sons’ sins and warns them that no one can plead for a person who sins against the LORD.
- Job 9:33 (BSB)“Nor is there a mediator between us, to lay his hand upon us both.”Job also lamented that there was no one to stand between him and God.
- 1 Timothy 2:5 (BSB)“For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,”Paul names the one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.
- Hebrews 7:25 (BSB)“Therefore He is able to save completely those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them.”Christ always lives to intercede for those who draw near to God through Him.
Theological
What reasoning did Eli use in rebuking his sons (1 Samuel 2:25)?
Answer: When a person wrongs God Himself, who will plead his case?
Informed of his sons’ abuses, including their sexual sin with the women serving at the sanctuary entrance, Eli remonstrates with them (2:22-24) and argues that while an offense between people can be arbitrated by God, an offense against the LORD Himself leaves no one to intercede (2:25). Job voiced the same need for an arbiter (Job 9:33). The question finds its answer only in the one mediator, Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5), whose perpetual intercession saves completely all who draw near by Him (Hebrews 7:25).
- 1 Samuel 2:22-25 (BSB)“Now Eli was very old, and he heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they were sleeping with the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. “Why are you doing these things?” Eli said to his sons. “I hear about your wicked deeds from all these people. No, my sons; it is not a good report I hear circulating among the LORD’s people. If a man sins against another man, God can intercede for him; but if a man sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to their father, since the LORD intended to put them to death.”Eli hears of his sons’ sins and warns them that no one can plead for a person who sins against the LORD.
- Job 9:33 (BSB)“Nor is there a mediator between us, to lay his hand upon us both.”Job also lamented that there was no one to stand between him and God.
- 1 Timothy 2:5 (BSB)“For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,”Paul names the one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.
- Hebrews 7:25 (BSB)“Therefore He is able to save completely those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them.”Christ always lives to intercede for those who draw near to God through Him.