New English Translation
1 Samuel 1:11
11She made a vow saying, “O Lord of hosts, if you will look with compassion on the suffering of your female servant, remembering me and not forgetting your servant, and give a male child to your servant, then I will dedicate him to the Lord all the days of his life. His hair will never be cut.”
1 Samuel 1:11 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.
- New International Version (NIV)And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)And she vowed a vow and said, "O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then she made a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.”
Context of 1 Samuel 1:11
9On one occasion in Shiloh, after they had finished eating and drinking, Hannah got up. (Now at the time Eli the priest was sitting in his chair by the doorpost of the Lord’s temple.) 10She was very upset as she prayed to the Lord, and she was weeping uncontrollably. She made a vow saying, “O Lord of hosts, if you will look with compassion on the suffering of your female servant, remembering me and not forgetting your servant, and give a male child to your servant, then I will dedicate him to the Lord all the days of his life. His hair will never be cut.” 12As she continued praying to the Lord, Eli was watching her mouth. 13Now Hannah was speaking from her heart. Although her lips were moving, her voice was inaudible. Eli therefore thought she was drunk.
Read all of 1 Samuel 11 Samuel 1:11 word by word
וַתִּדֹּ֨ר נֶ֜דֶר וַתֹּאמַ֗ר יְהוָ֨ה צְבָא֜וֹת אִם־רָאֹ֥ה תִרְאֶ֣ה׀ בָּעֳנִ֣י אֲמָתֶ֗ךָ וּזְכַרְתַּ֙נִי֙ וְלֹֽא־תִשְׁכַּ֣ח אֶת־אֲמָתֶ֔ךָ וְנָתַתָּ֥ה לַאֲמָתְךָ֖ זֶ֣רַע אֲנָשִׁ֑ים וּנְתַתִּ֤יו לַֽיהוָה֙ כָּל־יְמֵ֣י חַיָּ֔יו וּמוֹרָ֖ה לֹא־יַעֲלֶ֥ה עַל־רֹאשֽׁוֹ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And she vowedנָדַרnâdar · to vowH5087
- a vowנֶ֫דֶרneder nêder · vowH5088
- and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- O Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- of hostsצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · HostsH6635
- if thou wilt indeedרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- on the afflictionעֳנִי‛ŏnîy · afflictionH6040
- of thine handmaidאָמָה'âmâh · maidservantH519
- and rememberזָכַרzâkar · to rememberH2142
- me, and not forgetשָׁכַחshâkach shâkêach · to forgetH7911
- but wilt giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- a manאֱנוֹשׁ'ĕnôsh · humanH582
- childזֶ֫רַעzera‛ · seed: childrenH2233
- all the daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- of his lifeחַיִּיםchay · lifeH2416
- and there shall no razorמוֹרָהmôrâh · razorH4177
- comeעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
- upon his headרֹאשׁrô'sh · headH7218
Cross-references for 1 Samuel 1:11
- Genesis 28:20Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God is with me and protects me on this journey I am taking and gives me food to eat and clothing to wear,
- Numbers 21:2So Israel made a vow to the Lord and said, “If you will indeed deliver this people into our hand, then we will utterly destroy their cities.”
- Numbers 30:3“If a young woman who is still living in her father’s house makes a vow to the Lord or places herself under an obligation,
- Judges 11:30Jephthah made a vow to the Lord, saying, “If you really do hand the Ammonites over to me,
- Ecclesiastes 5:4When you make a vow to God, do not delay in paying it. For God takes no pleasure in fools: Pay what you vow!
- Genesis 29:32So Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, “The Lord has looked with pity on my oppressed condition. Surely my husband will love me now.”
- Exodus 4:31and the people believed. When they heard that the Lord had attended to the Israelites and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed down close to the ground.
- 2 Samuel 16:12Perhaps the Lord will notice my affliction and this day grant me good in place of his curse.”
- Psalms 25:18See my pain and suffering! Forgive all my sins!
- 1 Samuel 1:19They got up early the next morning and after worshiping the Lord, they returned to their home at Ramah. Elkanah had marital relations with his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her.
- Genesis 8:1But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and domestic animals that were with him in the ark. God caused a wind to blow over the earth and the waters receded.
- Genesis 30:22Then God took note of Rachel. He paid attention to her and enabled her to become pregnant.
- Psalms 132:1O Lord, for David’s sake remember all his strenuous effort,
- Numbers 6:5“‘All the days of the vow of his separation no razor may be used on his head until the time is fulfilled for which he separated himself to the Lord. He will be holy, and he must let the locks of hair on his head grow long.
- Judges 13:5Look, you will conceive and have a son. You must never cut his hair, for the child will be dedicated to God from birth. He will begin to deliver Israel from the power of the Philistines.”
Commentaries on 1 Samuel 1:11
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 11I will give him unto the Lord - Samuel, as a descendant of the house of Levi, was the Lord's property from twenty-five years of age till fifty; but the vow here implies that he should be consecrated to the Lord from his infancy to his death, and that he should not only act as a Levite, but as a Nazarite, on whose head no razor should pass.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 11vows are characteristic of this particular age of the Judges. (Compare Judges 11:30; Judges 21:5; 1 Samuel 14:24.) For the law of vows in the case of married women, see Numbers 30:6-16; and for the nature of the vow, see the marginal references.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-18Verses 9-18 Hannah mingled tears with her prayers; she considered the mercy of our God, who knows the troubled soul. God gives us leave, in prayer, not only to ask good things in general, but to mention that special good thing we most need and desire. She spoke softly, none could hear her. Hereby she testified her belief of God's knowledge of the heart and its desires. Eli was high priest, and judge in Israel. It ill becomes us to be rash and hasty in…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 11Hannah promised to dedicate her child to the Lord as a Nazirite (see Numbers 6:1–21). She might have hoped her child would be like Samson, a deliverer of God's people (compare Judges 13). A deliverer was someone who rescued the Israelites from their enemiesRead the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1111. she prayed ... she vowed a vow--Here is a specimen of the intense desire that reigned in the bosoms of the Hebrew women for children. This was the burden of Hannah's prayer; and the strong preference she expressed for a male child originated in her purpose of dedicating him to the tabernacle service. The circumstance of his birth bound him to this; but his residence within the precincts of the sanctuary would have to commence at an earlier age than…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Samuel 1:11
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Samuel 1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
New English Translation — © 1996-2016 Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C.
Commentaries