(1) There was a man from Ramathaim of the Zuphites, in the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham son of Elihu son of Tohu son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.

(2) He had two wives, one named Hannah and the other Peninnah; Peninnah had children, but Hannah was childless.

(3) This man used to go up from his town every year to worship and to offer sacrifice to the LORD of Hosts at Shiloh.—Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the LORD there.

(4) One such day, Elkanah offered a sacrifice. He used to give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters;

(5) but to Hannah he would give one portion only—though Hannah was his favorite—for the LORD had closed her womb.

(6) Moreover, her rival, to make her miserable, would taunt her that the LORD had closed her womb.

(7) This happened year after year: Every time she went up to the House of the LORD, the other would taunt her, so that she wept and would not eat.

(8) Her husband Elkanah said to her, “Hannah, why are you crying and why aren’t you eating? Why are you so sad? Am I not more devoted to you than ten sons?”

(9) After they had eaten and drunk at Shiloh, Hannah rose.—The priest Eli was sitting on the seat near the doorpost of the temple of the LORD.—

(10) In her wretchedness, she prayed to the LORD, weeping all the while.

(11) And she made this vow: “O LORD of Hosts, if You will look upon the suffering of Your maidservant and will remember me and not forget Your maidservant, and if You will grant Your maidservant a male child, I will dedicate him to the LORD for all the days of his life; and no razor shall ever touch his head.”

(12) As she kept on praying before the LORD, Eli watched her mouth.

(13) Now Hannah was praying in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice could not be heard. So Eli thought she was drunk.

(14) Eli said to her, “How long will you make a drunken spectacle of yourself? Sober up!”

(15) And Hannah replied, “Oh no, my lord! I am a very unhappy woman. I have drunk no wine or other strong drink, but I have been pouring out my heart to the LORD.

(16) Do not take your maidservant for a worthless woman; I have only been speaking all this time out of my great anguish and distress.”

(17) “Then go in peace,” said Eli, “and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of Him.”

(18) She answered, “You are most kind to your handmaid.” So the woman left, and she ate, and was no longer downcast.

(19) Early next morning they bowed low before the LORD, and they went back home to Ramah. Elkanah knew his wife Hannah and the LORD remembered her.

(20) Hannah conceived, and at the turn of the year bore a son. She named him Samuel, meaning, “I asked the LORD for him.”

(21) And when the man Elkanah and all his household were going up to offer to the LORD the annual sacrifice and his votive sacrifice,

(22) Hannah did not go up. She said to her husband, “When the child is weaned, I will bring him. For when he has appeared before the LORD, he must remain there for good.”

(23) Her husband Elkanah said to her, “Do as you think best. Stay home until you have weaned him. May the LORD fulfill His word.” So the woman stayed home and nursed her son until she weaned him.

(24) When she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with three bulls, one ephah of flour, and a jar of wine. And though the boy was still very young, she brought him to the House of the LORD at Shiloh.

(25) After slaughtering the bull, they brought the boy to Eli.

(26) She said, “Please, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you and prayed to the LORD.

(27) It was this boy I prayed for; and the LORD has granted me what I asked of Him.

(28) I, in turn, hereby lend him to the LORD. For as long as he lives he is lent to the LORD.” And they bowed low there before the LORD.

Pasuk 1

(1) And there was a man. It all follows the order: Moshe gave over the Torah to Yehoshua and Yehoshua to the Elders and each Judge to his successor until it reached Eili who gave it over to Shmuel¹I.e., the “ו” of וְאֵלֶה links the Book of Shmuel with the preceeding Book of Shoftim and serves as a link between the oral tradition as stated in the Mishnah, “…and the Elders…” as we learned (in the Mishnah), "… and the Elders [gave it over] to the Prophets…"²Maseches Avos 1:1.

(2) From Ramasayim Tsofim. There were two hills each visible to the other.³Elkonoh lived in Romoh, see below verse 19; and he prophesied in Tsofim—Da’as Sofrim.⁴Maseches Megillah 14a. Targum Yonoson renders צוֹפִים: "of the disciples of prophets."

(3) Elkonoh. He was a Levite of the sons of Aviosof, the son of Korach —his ancestry is thus recorded in Divrei Hayomim.⁵I Divrei Hayomim 6:19-23.

(4) From the land of Ephrayim. [Targum] Yonoson renders "on the mountain of the house of Ephrayim." The Midrash Aggadah [renders] אֶפְרָתִי —a palace dweller, an important person,⁶Rashi emphasizes that אֶפְרָתִי does not mean that he was from the tribe of Ephrayim because it has already been established that he was from the tribe of Leivi. as in "let us extend אַפִּרְיוֹן to Rabbi Shimon,"⁷Maseches Bava Metzia 119a. [meaning] an expression of favor.

Pasuk 2

(1) This man would go up. This is the present tense, i.e., he would go up from one appointed season to another, to Shilo.⁸He would go to Shiloh on the three pilgrimage festivals of Pesach, Shavuos and Sukkos. The Midrash Aggadah [renders] that the route he followed this year he did not take the next year in order to publicize [his pilgrimage] to the Bnei Yisroel that they should do likewise.⁹See Talmud Yerushalmi, Berachos 9:5.

Pasuk 3

(1) It happened on the day. It happened on the festive day.

Pasuk 4

(1) One choice portion. One choice portion which is fit to be accepted with a friendly countenance.¹⁰אַפָּיִם referring to the face rather than to the portion. Ralbag renders “a double sized portion.”

Pasuk 5

(1) Her rival. Her husband's other wife, Penina.

(2) Frequently anger. Anger after anger, i.e., always.' Therefore it is written 'also [גֵם] anger.' She would say to her, "Did you buy your older son a cloak today, or your younger son, a shirt?"

(3) In order that she should complain. In order to make her complain. Our Rabbis explain, 'in order to make her storm,' that she pray. Penina had good intentions.¹¹ Maseches Bava Basra 16a.

(4) Her womb. Lit., opposite her womb, and so is every expression of the word .¹²See Rashi, Bereishis 7:16.בְּעַד (1) He would do this. Elkonoh.

(5) Year after year. He would give her a choice portion to demonstrate to her that he loved her; and her rival, according to the affection which her husband demonstrated to her, would anger her more and more.

(1) Am I not better to you. Don't I love you more dearly.

(2) Than ten sons. That Penina has borne to me.¹³Others interpret that Elkonoh did not mean literally ten sons and with reference to Penina, but rather he was expressing his love to Chana and happened to pick that number , as we find the same number in Vayikra 26:26.—Radak

(1) Eating in Shilo. The 'ה' is not dotted and the 'א' is voweled with a short kametz and its [meaning is] 'after eating in Shilo and after drinking,'¹⁴Eili therefore suspected that she was drunk because prayer usually takes place before eating or drinking—Da’as Sofrim. and this expression is properly used both for masculine and feminine. After אָכְלָה is a gerund. It is constructed like ,¹⁵Vayikra 25:6.לְאָכְלָה an expression equivalent to an infinitive [i.e., לֶאֶכוֹל]. (2) And Eili the kohen was sitting on the chair. On that day he was seated on a large chair,¹⁶The defective spelling of ישֵׁב [instead of יוֹשֵׁב] indicates that he just recently sat down because he was a newly appointed judge. See Rashi Bereishis 19:1. for he was appointed Judge over Yisroel.

(3) Near the doorpost. [Lit. on the doorpost] meaning near the doorpost.

(1) Adonoy of Hosts. Why was this Name designated here? She [Chana] said before Him, "Lord of the universe, You created two hosts in Your world. The heavenly beings neither multiply nor do they die; the earthly beings both multiply and die. If I am of the earthly beings, let me multiply and die, and if I am of the heavenly beings, let me not die." I found [this explanation] in the Aggadah of R. Eliezer the son of R. Yose Haglili. Our Rabbis in Maseches Berachos,¹⁷ expounded what they expounded: —Until then, there was no one person who called the Holy One, Blessed is He, [Master of] Hosts. She said thus before Him; "Lord of the universe, of all the hosts which You created in Your world, is it difficult for you to grant me one son?"

(2) If You look at. In Maseches Berachos,¹⁸Ibid. our Sages expounded what they expounded.

(3) Your maidservant. [The word 'maidservant'] is stated three times in this verse, corresponding to the three mitzvos which a woman is commanded to observe.¹⁹They are the laws of: 1. Menstruation .2 נִדָּה Separation of the dough .3 חַלָּה Kindling of the Shabbos lights [הַדְלָקַת הַנֵּר]. (4) Male offspring. I.e., righteous men, as it is written, "Two men [אֲנָשִׁים] who were righteous."²⁰I Melachim 2:32.

(5) Males. I.e., important men,²¹ See Maseches Berachos 31b. as it is written, "wise… and known men ]אֲנָשִׁים[.²²Devarim 1:13.

(6) Then I will give him to Adonoy. I.e., that he be fit to be given to Adonoy. (7) And a razor.²³See Maseches Nazir 66a where the very same difference of opinion is discussed. R. Nehorai renders מוֹרָה meaning a razor as Scripture states regarding Shimshon, in Shoftim 13:5, “the razor [מוֹרָה] must not be wielded on his head.” And R. Yose holds that [מוֹרָה] is a connotation referring to the fear of man. Targum Yonoson renders, "and the fear [וּמַרְוַת] of man will not be upon him."

(1) Watched her mouth. He waited for her to stop, as Targum Yonoson renders, 'and Eili waited until she stopped.'

(2) Watched. An expression of waiting, as in, "[and his father] kept the matter in mind ]שָׁמַר["²⁴Bereishis 37:11. i.e., waited, [and similarly] "do not wait [תִשְׁמוֹר] for my sin."²⁵Iyov 14:16.

(1) Eili thought she was drunk. Because they were not accustomed to praying silently.

(1) No, my lord. You are not master in this matter. You have revealed that the Holy Spirit is not resting upon you, otherwise you would have known that I am not intoxicated from wine.²⁶Maseches Berachos 31b.

(1) Do not deliver your maidservant. Because she had spoken harshly to him, she tried to appease him, so that he deliver her not, unprotected and disgraced, to her rival, the wicked woman.

(2) For it is out of much grievance. That I have spoken harshly to you.

(3) Grievance. In some instances, it [שִֹיחִי] is an expression of heartache. Another explanation of מֵרֹב שִֹיחִי, according to Targum, "because of much provocation and anger, I have prolonged my prayer until now."

(4) And anger. My rival angers me.

(5) Do not deliver. An expression of giving over, as in, "'Do not deliver me to the will of my tormentors."²⁷Tehillim 27:12.

(1) Your request. The א is missing, to infer [שֵׁלָתֵךְ] an expression of children,²⁸Others render שֵׁלָתֵך as being derived from שָׁלָל [=plunder], meaning that her soon to be born son will “take of the goods [שָׁלָל of the Torah,” i.e., he will gain much knowledge and understanding of the Torah.—Radak as in, "and her young [וּבְשִׁלְיָתָהּ] who emerges from…."²⁹Devarim 28:57.

(2) Will grant the request. He foretold to her that her prayer had been accepted.

(1) May your maidservant find favor. To beg for compassion on her behalf.

(2) And no longer had the [sad] look on her face. Meaning the face of anger.

(1) And came to their home… and Elkonoh knew. From here [we learn] that a traveler is forbidden to have marital relations.³⁰Maseches Kesubos 65a.

(1) And as the seasons and days passed. The minimum of seasons [תְּקוּפוֹת] is two, and the minimum of days [יָמִים] is two. Hence, [she gave birth] after six months [=two seasons] and two days.³¹Maseches Rosh Hashanah 11a. From here [we learn] that a woman who gives birth in her seventh month of pregnancy, can give birth after entering part of the seventh month.

(2) Shmuel. After the Name of God [א־ל], and in reference to the incident he was so called, for I requested [שָׁאַל] him of

הַשֵׁם[=מא־ל]. (1) The festival offering. [Targum renders] the sacrifices of the appointed seasons.

(2) And his vow. The vows he made between festivals he would offer on the next festival.³²Ibid., 6a.

(1) When [the boy] will be weaned. At the end of twenty-two (other versions, twenty-four) months, for that is the period for a child to nurse.

(2) And shall remain there forever. Forever in the Levitic sense,³³It can also refer to the fifty year period of Yoveil. i.e., fifty years as it is said, "from the age of fifty he shall retire from the work force."³⁴Bamidbar 8:25. Figuring as follows, we determine that Shmuel's lifetime was fifty-two years: Eili judged Yisroel for forty years.³⁵I Shmuel 4:18. On the day of Chana's prayer he was appointed judge.³⁶Above verse 9. By subtracting the year in which Chana conceived Shmuel, there remain thirty-nine years. Shmuel governed Yisroel from the time of Eili's death for thirteen years, as follows: On the day of Eili's death, the Ark was captured, and it remained in the land of the Philistines for seven months.³⁷Below 6:1. From there, it was brought to and remained in Kiryas Yearim until Dovid brought it up after he had reigned seven years in Chevron over Yehudah, and all of Yisroel had accepted him as their king. And it is written, "From the day the Ark came to rest in Kiryas Yearim, there ensued many days, and they became twenty years."³⁸I Shmuel 7:2. Subtracting from them seven years which Dovid reigned in Chevron discloses that from the time the Ark was captured until Shaul's death, were thirteen years and seven months; and Shmuel died four months before Shaul.

(1) But may Adonoy fulfill His word. Because you requested of Him male offspring,³⁹Above, verse 11. and Eili foretold you through Divine inspiration, "the God of Yisroel will grant your request,"⁴⁰Above, verse 17. may 'ה fulfill His word. This is the simple interpretation. In Midrash Aggadah, however, Rabbi Nechemyah said in the name of Rabbi Shmuel, the son of Rabbi Yitzchok: Every day a Divine voice would resound throughout the world and say, "A righteous man is destined to arise, by the name of Shmuel." Thereupon, every woman who bore a son, would name him Shmuel. Once they saw his deeds, they would say, "This is not [the] Shmuel." But when this one [Shmuel] was born and people saw his deeds, they said, "Apparently this one is the one [i.e., expected righteous man]." This is what he [Elkonoh] meant when he said, "May Adonoy fulfill His word," i.e., that this be the righteous Shmuel.

(1) One eiphah of flour. I heard in the name of Rabbi Yitzchok Halevi, that she brought one eiphah of flour, the equivalent of three seahs, from which to extract three tenths of an eiphah of fine flour, the required amount for one bull.⁴¹See Bamidbar 15:8-9. As we learned in the Mishnah:⁴²Maseches Menachos 76b. The showbread was made of twenty-four tenths of an eiphah from twenty-four seahs; i.e., one tenth part of an eiphah of fine flour from each seah of wheat.

(2) And a flask of wine. For a libation. (3) Though the child was still a lad. The Targum renders, 'though the child was still young.'

(1) They brought the child to Eili. To show that his prophecy was fulfilled. Our Sages expounded what they expounded, explaining that he [Shmuel] ruled on a point of law, that a kohein is not necessary for sacrificial slaughter, as it is stated in [Maseches] Berachos.⁴³ 31b.

(1) Please my lord. Take care of him, that he become your disciple. But according to the Midrash of our Sages, [she asked of Eili] not to punish him with death.

(1) This is the child that I prayed for. Do not say, "this one shall die and another shall be given to you."⁴⁴Ibid.

(1) And I have dedicated him to Adonoy. Just as a person who lends a utensil to his master, or lends him his son to serve him.

(2) He is dedicated. Enpruntez in Old French, i.e., you have no right to punish him, for the Holy one, Blessed is He, has become his borrower; because I have lent [Shmuel] to Him, He must return him to me.⁴⁵Another interpretation of “שָׁאוּל” is that it refers to Shaul. She stated by Divine inspiration, “as long as Shmuel lives, Shaul will live.” Shmuel was no longer alive at the time of Shaul’s death. (3) He then prostrated himself. Shmuel. Others say, Elkonoh.