1 Samuel Week 1

November 12, 2025

So, we are going to be going through the book of 1 Samuel and as we always do, we will go through this book verse by verse. As always, this is an open conversation Bible study, while God shows me things, He may also show others things as well to other people so we can learn and grow from each other. So, I would ask, as I always do, for us all to commit to this study, be here each week, read through it as we go through it, and let’s learn and grow as we go through it together!

First Samuel was written by Samuel, with input from Nathan and Gad also. It was written to the people of Israel and it was written at an estimated time of between 931 BC and 722 BC. This time is determined because of two major events: In 1 Samuel 27:6 mentions the Ziklag belonged to the kings of Judah which would represent a post Solomon era, and Solomon’s death was in 931 BC.

First Samuel also does not mention the major event of the falling of the Northern kingdom of Israel to Assyria which if it had happened in this timeline, would have been mentioned, so that is how scholars come up with these dates. In this book we will look at the life of Samuel, and we will also look at the rise and fall of the first king, Saul. This is a book with a lot of content and amazing truths.

1 Samuel 1:1 – “There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.

As we look at this book, and time period, Samuel starts his life when the judges still ruled and he will be the first priest, prophet, and judge, if you will, to serve under the 1st king. As we will find out, Samuel is the one who will anoint Saul as the first king, and he will then later anoint David as the next king.

1 Samuel 1:2 – “He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.”

The importance of the first two verses, and the lineage, is to get us to Hannah, who would become the mother of Samuel and who would dedicate her son to the work of the Lord and leave him at the temple, as we will soon learn. We also see a KEY here is that Hannah had no children, and we will see clearly how that will play a role in this book. We also see how Elkanah’s other wife does have children, and that also plays a part here as well, but then again, everything God writes down has importance to it.

1 Samuel 1:3 – “Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the Lord Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the Lord.”

We see here and Elkanah was a man of faith and he went and fulfilled God’s commands by going to the temple. This tent of meeting, the tabernacle, where he went was in Shiloh. We also see here that this was the place that Eli, and his two sons, were priests. This also will play a major role in the life of Samuel, and other events.

1 Samuel 1:4-5 – “Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. 5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the Lord had closed her womb.”

Here we see again that Elkanah is faithful to go to the temple at Shiloh, and when he does, he distributes the portions of meat, but to Hannah he gives double because he feels bad for her because her womb has been closed by God, and he deeply loves her.

1 Samuel 1:6-7 – “Because the Lord had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. 7 This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat.”

Because Hannah had no children, Peninnah would continually provoke and irritate Hannah, throwing in her face she could not have children. As you can also see, this was not a short period of time, the Scripture says it went on for year after year. When you study the culture of the Jewish people in those days, not having children would cause them to be seen as less than those who did have children, flawed or not worthy. Also, in those days, not having children had an effect on the husbands, and could even be referred to as being an embarrassment to them. Even though Elkanah loved Hannah, there was still this cultural weight that was carried with not having children.

This provoking was so bad that it would cause Hannah to weep. Remember, there is a difference between being upset and weeping, but it was her husband’s other wife, and the weight that she had to carry where she lived and the people who looked down on her for being barren.  It was all of these things that drove her to weeping and not eating. To me, this sounds like a state of depression, which would be totally understandable in these circumstances.

1 Samuel 1:8 – “Her husband Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?”

Elkanah then pleads with Hannah to eat and even tries to change her focus. He tries to get her to focus on their relationship, which is noble, but he knew what his other wife was doing, and what was going on with the people around her. We can see here that he did love her enough to try to get her to focus on that love and change her perspective.

1 Samuel 1:9-10 – “Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the Lord’s house. 10 In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly?

We see here with all that Hannah is going through that she stands up in the house of the Lord and she prayed. She prayed and she wept crying out to God for a Son and taking away the shame from the community, and silencing Peninnah, Elkanah’s other wife. In all of this though, I believe Hannah truly wanted a son, so badly that she is weeping. It is a mixture of emotions for sure, but make no mistake, she wanted children. Remember, not only did Peninnah have the joy of having children, Hannah watched as she spent time with her children raising them, teaching them, loving them, and watching them grow and develop, all things Hannah had never experienced.

1 Samuel 1:11 – “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.”

Hannah then makes a vow to God.

Vow – Hebrew word here is “NEDAR” which means promise or pledge, and remember, she is making this commitment to God. I want you to think about what she is promising, she is saying Lord, please give me a son and I will give him right back to you. I will give him to you forever. No razor on his head refers to that of a Nazarite vow which represents someone who has been totally committed to God.

Numbers 6:1-5 – “The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘If a man or woman wants to make a special vow, a vow of dedication to the Lord as a Nazirite, 3 they must abstain from wine and other fermented drink and must not drink vinegar made from wine or other fermented drink. They must not drink grape juice or eat grapes or raisins. 4 As long as they remain under their Nazirite vow, they must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine, not even the seeds or skins. 5 “‘During the entire period of their Nazirite vow, no razor may be used on their head. They must be holy until the period of their dedication to the Lord is over; they must let their hair grow long.”

With these verses we can see clearly what Hannah is referring and vowing to commit to.

1 Samuel 1:12-14 – “As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk 14 and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.”

We see here that Hannah is in the temple and praying to God, and as Eli is watching, he sees Hannah’s lips moving but nothing coming out of her mouth, so he thinks she is drunk. The celebration of the feast was often accompanied by drinking and this type of praying and weeping was not normal for someone to go before the Lord, so Eli just assumed she was drunk. Then he addresses her and asks her the question of how long will she be drunk and when is she going to stop drinking and go before the Lord sober.

What is frustrating to me is that these feasts were celebrations to God, the question you would have to ask is why are people getting drunk and why would the priest allow anybody to go into the temple, or approach the Lord, in a drunken state? We will see more about Eli, and things he let go later, he definitely struggled in areas of being a priest and things that should have been addressed that were never addressed.

1 Samuel 1:15-16 – “Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. 16 Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.”

Hannah then quickly clarifies things, she lets Eli know she had not been drinking, not beer or wine, but that she was in sorrow, and she was simply pouring her heart out to the Lord, which is what she should be doing. Then she declares, she was not a wicked woman.

Wicked – Hebrew word is “BELIAL” which actually means worthlessness or lawlessness. So, she is defending herself here that she is neither, but rather is filled with great sorrow. Interesting to note, people were getting drunk on BEER and WINE back in those days, and even Eli the priest acknowledges that to much of these things is a wicked thing to do. It says it right here plainly.  If it is clear in the Old Testament and the New Testament, why do Christians do it?

1 Samuel 1:17 – “Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.”

We then see Eli speak peace over her and the blessing of God not just hearing her, but granting her request.

Peace – Hebrew word here is “SHALOM” which refers to a place without conflict, which Hannah had much of, but also wholeness, well-being, and safety. Again, with this word, Eli is speaking over her what only God can truly give. It is a deep spiritual peace with the absence of conflict.

1 Samuel 1:18 – “She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.”

Hannah responds to Eli, and after his encouraging words to her, and her pouring her heart out to the Lord, she goes and she eats and she had hope. The downcast demeanor was gone and she was in a better position. Eli did his job in encouraging Hannah and giving her hope!

1 Samuel 1:19-20 – “Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. 20 So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.”

After all this happens, the prayer, fasting, and then hope, the next morning they go and worship the Lord together and then they head back home. Elkanah then goes and lies with his wife, and when this happens, it says the Lord remembers Hannah and He opens her womb. And at the right time, Hannah becomes pregnant and she gives birth to a son. She then names the boy Samuel, and here we see the birth of a man that will be used mightily by the Lord. This is such a display of the faithfulness of God when we will press into God and seek Him for the answers to our needs.

Matthew 6:33 – “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

When you look at the writings we just went through, it was not until, the Scripture says, Hannah poured her heart out to the Lord did He answer. When she stopped focusing on her circumstances and what she did not have, and when she laid her situation at the Lord’s feet, she was no longer downcast, and she had her prayer answered. Too many times, we hold onto things and until we let them go, so the Lord can handle them, He cannot because we refuse to let Him. Today, let go of that thing, or those things, that you want, and need, God to handle!