Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary1 Samuel 2

Hannah’s Song of Praise This section contains Hannah’s prayer of praise after God answered her request for a son. Her song celebrates God’s holiness, power, and care for the humble. It shows that God brings down the proud and lifts up those who trust in Him. Hannah’s prayer looks beyond her own situation and praises God for His justice and faithfulness to all His people. v. 1: Hannah begins her prayer by rejoicing in the Lord

v. 2: She praises God’s holiness, saying,“There is no one holy like the Lord

v. 3: Hannah warns against pride and boasting. She says,“Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance, for the Lord

v. 4: She explains that God reverses situations. The bows of the mighty are broken, but the weak are made strong. God can change anyone’s circumstances.

v. 5: Those who had plenty may have to work for food, and those who were hungry will have more than enough. Hannah uses her own life as an example, saying that the woman who was barren now has seven children, while the one with many children is weak.

v. 6: She says,“The Lord

v. 7: The Lord

v. 8: God can raise the poor from the dust and lift the needy from the garbage heap. He can set them among princes and give them a place of honor. God is in control of the world and cares for those who trust Him.

v. 9: The Lord

v. 10: Hannah ends with a prophecy: those who oppose the Lord

Samuel’s Early Service and the Wickedness of Eli’s Sons This section describes how Samuel began serving in the house of the Lord

v. 12: Eli’s sons were wicked men who did not know the Lord

v. 13: When people brought offerings, Eli’s sons would send a servant with a fork to take meat from the pot for themselves, instead of waiting for the proper part that belonged to them according to God’s law.

v. 14: The servant would stick the fork into the pot, and whatever he brought up, Eli’s sons would take for themselves. They did this to all the Israelites who came to Shiloh to worship.

v. 15: Before the fat was burned as an offering to God (which was required by law), Eli’s sons would demand raw meat from the people, so they could roast it instead of boiling it as God commanded.

v. 16: If anyone protested and said the fat must be burned first, the servant would insist on taking the meat by force. This was a great sin against the Lord

v. 17: The sin of Eli’s sons was very great in the Lord

v. 18: But Samuel served before the Lord

v. 19: Every year, his mother made him a little robe and brought it to him when she came to the temple with her husband for the yearly sacrifice. This shows her love and care for Samuel, even though he lived far from home.

v. 20: Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, asking God to give them more children because they had given Samuel to serve the Lord

v. 21: The Lord

v. 22: Eli was very old and heard of all the evil things his sons were doing, including sleeping with women who served at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. Their actions were shameful and gave God’s people a bad reputation.

v. 23: Eli confronted his sons, asking why they did such evil things. He told them that he heard bad reports from the people about their behavior.

v. 24: Eli warned them not to continue, saying their actions were making the Lord

v. 25: Eli said that if someone sins against another person, God can judge between them, but if someone sins against the Lord

v. 26: Meanwhile, the boy Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the Lord

God’s Message of Judgment to Eli This section records a warning from God to Eli, the high priest, about the future of his family. God sends a prophet to remind Eli of His past kindness, but also to warn of coming judgment because of the sins of Eli’s sons and Eli’s failure to stop them. The message shows that God expects faithfulness from those who serve Him, and He will not ignore sin, even among leaders. v. 27: A man of God came to Eli with a message from the Lord

v. 28: God chose Eli’s family out of all the tribes of Israel to be His priests, to offer sacrifices, burn incense, and wear the ephod before Him. God also gave the priests a portion of the offerings brought by the Israelites.

v. 29: The prophet asked Eli why he scorned God’s sacrifices and honored his sons more than God by allowing them to take the best parts of the offerings. Eli was guilty because he did not stop their wickedness.

v. 30: The Lord

v. 31: God announced that the time would come when He would cut short Eli’s family line. There would be no old man left in Eli’s family, and their strength would be broken.

v. 32: Eli would see distress in God’s house, and although Israel would have blessings, there would never again be an old man in Eli’s family.

v. 33: God said that one of Eli’s descendants would be left to serve at the altar, but he would only bring sadness, not blessing. All the other descendants would die in the prime of life.

v. 34: As a sign that this message was true, both of Eli’s sons, Hophni and Phinehas, would die on the same day.

v. 35: God promised to raise up a faithful priest who would do what is in God’s heart and mind. This priest would be blessed, and his family would serve before God’s anointed king forever.

v. 36: The remaining members of Eli’s family would have to beg for a place to serve and for food, showing how completely God would humble them for their unfaithfulness.