7
Notwithstanding high authority, I cannot look for Ramah, as most modern writers do, anywhere within the
ancient territory of Benjamin. The expression, "Mount Ephraim," might indeed be taken in a wider sense; but
then there is the addition "an Ephrathite," that is, an Ephraimite. Keil's suggestion that Elkanah was
originally an Ephraimite, but had migrated into Benjamin, is wholly unsupported.
8
Some of the Rabbis fancifully render it, "the watchers," or prophets.
9
With one exception - 2 Chronicles 28:7 - Levites seem in civic respects to have been reckoned with the
tribes in whose territories they were located, as Judges 17:7. This would be a further undesigned fulfillment
of Genesis 49:7.
10
The Mosaic Law tolerated and regulated, but nowhere approved it, and in practice polygamy was chiefly
confined to the wealthy.
11
If the inference be admitted, Judges 11:40; 21:19, must also refer to the Feast of the Passover. On the
observance of this feast during the period of the Judges, comp. Hengstenberg, Beitr. 3. 79, etc.
12
This in all probability is the correct rendering.
13
That Eli was a descendant of Ithamar, not of Eleazar, appears from 1 Chronicles 24:1, Abimelech being the
great-great-grandson of Eli. Ewald, suggests that Eli was the first high-priest of that branch of the family of
Aaron, and that he was invested with the office of high-priest in consequence of his position as judge.
Other writers have offered different explanations of the transference of the priesthood to the line of Ithamar
(comp. Keil, Bibl. Comm. 2. 2, pp. 30, 31). But the Scriptural narrative affords no data on the subject. It gives
not the personal history of Eli, nor even that of the house of Aaron, but of the kingdom of God.
14
Ver. 13, literally rendered: "She was speaking to her heart."
15
Ver. 18, literally: "And her face was the same face no more to her."
16
This we infer from the addition, "and his vow," in ver. 21.
17
The period of suckling was supposed to last three years (2 Maccabees 7:27). A Hebrew child at that age
would be fit for some ministry, even though the care of him might partially devolve on one of the women
who served at the door of the tabernacle.
18
This literal rendering will sufficiently bring out the beautiful meaning of her words. It is difficult to
understand how our Authorised Version came to translate "lent."
19
They had brought with them three bullocks - two for the usual burnt and thank-offerings, and the third as
a burnt sacrifice at the formal dedication of Samuel. The meat-offering for each would have been at least 3/10
of an ephah of flour (Numbers 15:8).
20
Possibly it would be more accurate here to translate, "deliverance."
21
In the original, "knowledge" is in the plural; I have rendered this by "all knowledge."
22
Many interpreters understand this not of man's but of Go d's deeds, as meaning that God's doings were
fixed and determined. But this seems very constrained. I would almost feel inclined to discard the Masoretic
correction of our Hebrew text, and retaining the Chethib to translate interrogatively, "And are not deeds
weighed?"