in her prayer (1 Samuel 1:11), prophesied of that King (2:10) in Whom all Israel's hopes were fulfilled, and

Whose kingdom is the subject of grateful praise alike by the Virgin -mother, and by the father of the Baptist

(Luke 2).5

But to turn to the history itself. Once more the Sanctuary had been restored to its former and God-destined

position, and Eli the high-priest judged in Israel.6 Once more God had visibly interposed to own the

institution of Nazarites, which, more than any other, symbolized Israel's spiritual calling of voluntary self-

surrender to God.

Alone, and unaided by man, the Nazarite Samson had made war for God against the Philistines. In the

miraculous strength supplied from on high, he had prevailed against them. But neither priest nor Nazarite of

that time had realized the spirituality of their calling. Both had been raised up to show what potentiality for

good there was in God's institutions; and both were removed to prove that even God's institutions were

powerless, except by a continuous and living connection with Him on Whose presence and blessing

depended their efficacy. But already God was preparing other instrumentalities - a prophet, who should

receive and speak His Word, and another Nazarite, voluntarily devoted to God by his mother, and who

would prevail not in the strength of his own arm, but by the power of prayer, and by the influence of the

message which he brought from God. That prophet, that Nazarite was Samuel His birth, like that of Samson,

was Divinely announced; but, in accordance with the difference between the two histories this time by

prophecy, not as before, by angelic message. Samuel was God-granted, Samson God-sent; Samuel was God-

dedicated, Samson was God-demanded. Both were Nazarites; but the one spiritually, the other outwardly;

both prevailed-but the one spiritually, the other outwardly. The work of Samson ended in self-indulgence,

failure, and death; that of Samuel opened up into the royalty of David, Israel's great type-king.

Up in Mount Ephraim, due west from Shiloh,7 lay Ramah, "the height," or by its full name, Ramathaim

Zophim, "the twin heights of the Zophites."  8 From Joshua 21:20, we know that, amongst others, certain

districts within the tribal possession of Ephraim were assigned to the Levitical families which descended

from Kohath.

One of these - that of Zophai or Zuph (1 Chronicles 6:25, 35) -had given its name to the whole district, as

"the land of Zuph" (1 Samuel 9:5). From this family sprang Elkanah, "the God-acquired," or "purchased," a

name which characteristically occurs in the Old Testament only in Levitical families.9 It was not in

accordance with what "was from the first," that Elkanah had two wives,10 Hannah ("favor," "grace") and

Peninnah ("pearl," or "coral"). Perhaps the circumstance that Hannah was not blessed with children may

have led to this double marriage. "Yearly" - as has been inferred from the use of the same peculiar

expression in Exodus 13:10 - "at the Feast of the Passover,"  11 the one above all others to which families as

such were wont to "go up" (Luke 2:41), Elkanah came to Shiloh with his household for the twofold purpose

of "worshipping" and of "sacrificing" peace-offerings according to the law (Exodus 23:15; 34:20;

Deuteronomy 16:16).

Although, Eli being old, the chief direction of the services devolved upon his unworthy sons, Hophni and

Phinehas, yet these were joyous occasions (Deuteronomy 12:12; 16:11; 27:7), when the whole household

would share in the feast upon the thank-offering. At that time Elkanah was wont to give to Peninnah and to

her children their "portions;" but to Hannah he gave "a portion for two persons,"  12 as if to indicate that he

loved her just as if she had borne him a son. Whether from jealo usy or from malevolence, Peninnah made

those joyous seasons times of pain and bitter emotion to Hannah, by grieving and trying to make her

dissatisfied and rebellious against God. And so it happened each year: Hannah's sorrow, as time passed,

seeming ever more hopeless. In vain Elkanah tried to comfort her by assurance of his own affection. The

burden of her reproach, still unrolled from her, seemed almost too heavy to bear.

It was surely in the noble despair of faith - as if in her own way anticipating t he New Testament question:

"Lord, to whom shall we go?" - that Hannah rose from the untasted sacrificial feast, with the resolve to cast

upon the Lord the burden she could not bear. It was early evening in spring time, and the aged high-priest