Exposition of the Whole Bible

ie ie, J Ue eb eire ro eres LORI. letyareicads -¥.1. Then went Boaz up to the gates 8c.j > Tm the middle of the day, as ‘Yo/epbus * fayss to the gate deem her, and the field her hufband left, which he refafed.to do, ¥. 1—8. upon which Boaz redeemed both, and married Ruth before the elders of the city as witneffes, and who congratulated him het_on that occafion, ¥. g—12.

was born, called Oded by the neighbours, ¥.13—17. and the chapter is concluded with the genealogy of David, who fprung from him, ¥. 18—22. of the city, where people were continually paffing, and repafling to and fromthe country, and where he was moft:ikely to meet with the perfon he want= andjed to fee and converfe with, and where-courts ‘of “t to whom a fonjjudicature were ufually,heldy and: where it was proper to call one to determine the affair he hadan hand; fo the Targum, ‘* and Boa went up tothe: gate of the houfe of judgment of the Sambedrim 2?

= and fet bim down. there; waiting for the perfon or give him notice of it; or 1 faid és he faid’ in his perfons pafling by, with whom he chofe co fpeak: and behold, the kinfman of whom Boax /pake, came by; the kinfman that was nearer than he, of whom he and winnowers, as Boaz had beens wxto whom.be faid, bo; fuch an. one; calling him» by -his*name though itis not exprefled; whichthe writervof this hiftory might not know, or if he did, thought it not material ro. give:it:, fome have been of ‘opi+ pion, that itis purpofely «concealed,.as. atjuft -re+ taliation to him, that as he chofe not to raife-up feed to his kinfman, toperpetuatechis name, fo his own is buried in oblivion; though ic might be done in his favour, that his name might not-be| known, and lie under difgracey* for refufing to the part he ought according to» the’ law to have done; hence the plucking off the fhoe, and fpitting in his:face, were:.done. to fuch) an. one by way of contempt and reproach.» The words are peloniialmont, words ufed by the Hebrews of sperfons and places, whofe names they either could not, or -did not chufe to mention, which» two! words are contracted into palmoni in Dan. viii. 13. of this man-wasTZob or Tobias, according’to fome Fewifo writers, fee the note on. ch, iii. 13. to him Boaz faid, turn afide, and fit down here, and be turned afide, and fat down; inftead of going’ right forward, as he intended, about his bufinefs, turned on one fide as he was defired, and fat down heart and mind, purpofing todo it; or he faid it \to Ruth, promifing her that he would do it: ‘faying, duy it before the inhabitants, and before the what to do in this affair, whether to redeem it or |not: for there'is none to‘redecim it befides thee, and am after’ thee’, he was the firft, and Boaz was the ‘next near kinfman, to whom the right of redemption' belonged: and he Said, I will redeem it; he chofé to make the purchafe, he liked the land, which he’ ‘probably full well’ knew, and it might lie near his own,. and make a’ good addition to it; and asthe widow was determined, and under'a‘heceffity to fell, he might expect to have it at a cheap aét}rate; all which might induce him at once to agree to be the purchafer...

y.%5. Then faid Foaz, &c.] In order to try the kinfman, whether he would ‘abide by ‘his’ réfolution he acquaints bim with what he had as‘ yet concealed: what day thou buyeft the field of Naomi, thou wmuft buy it alfa of Ruth the Moabite(s, the wife of the dead; the wife of Mablon who was dead, the The namejeldeft fon of ‘Naomi, and \fo' his widow, Ruth the Moabite/s, had the reverfion of the eftate; wherefore the purchafe muft be made of her as well as of Naomi,*and the purchafe could not be made of her without marrying her; which though no law hejobliged to, yet it feems to be a condition of the purchafe annexed to it by Naomi, that fhe would by Boaz. F ' "fell it to-no man, unlefs he would confent to marry

¥. 2. And he took ten men of the elders of the city, &cc.| Who-were fuch, not merely in age but’ in office, who were the heads of thoufands, fifties and tens; ten of whom were a quorum to do bufinefs in judiciary affairs, to determine fuch «matters as Boaz had to propofe, as to whom the right of demption of a brother and kinfinan’s widow, and her eftate, belonged, and who were the proper witnefles-of the refulal of the one to do it, and of the other’s doing it; and from hence theYews* gather, that the bleffing of the bride and bridegroom at their marriage, isnot to be done by lefs than ten perfons: and faid, fit ye down here, and they fat down, and fo made a full court.

¥. 3. And be faid unto the kinfman, &c.|) That is, Boaz faid to the kinfman he called to, and who fat down by him before the ten elders that were prefent: Naomi, that is come again out of the land of Moab, felleth a parcel of land; meaning, that fhe was determined upon it, and was about to do it, and would do it quickly, and he had it in commiffion to propofe it to apurchafer: which was our brother Elimelech’s; not in a ftriét-fenfe, but being akin to the kinfman and himfelf, and having been a neighbour ef them all, and an inhabitant of the place, he is called: their brother; though fome Fewifo writers ‘ fay, that-he was in a ftri& fenfe # brother of Boaz and this kinfman, and that Yod, Blimelech and Boaz were brethren, and fo Tob was reckoned the neareft kinfman, and had the firft right to redeem, becaufe he was the elder brother; but this does not feem likely; fee the note on ch. Ruth, for whofe fettlement fhe ‘had a great’ concern, having been very dutiful and affectionate to her; which is clearly intimated in the next claufe: to raife up the name of the dead upon his inberi- éazce; and fo Naomi had another end to anfwer re-jthereby, not only to provide a good hafband for her daughter-in-law, but to perpetuate the name of her fon, agreeable to the defign of the law in Deut, xxv. 5.°~. y. 6. Aud ibe kinfman faid, I cannot redeem it for my/elf, &c.] On fuch a condition, becaufe he had a wife, as the Targum fuggefts; and to take another, would, as that intimates, tend to introduce contention into his family, and make him uncom: fortable; fo Fofepbus fays*, he had a wife and children,: for that reafon it was not convenient for him to take the purchafe on fuch a condition: /e/ I mar my own inheritance; he corfidered, that as he had a wife and children already, and as he might have more by marrying Rats, his family-expences would be increafed, and his eftate diminifhed; and what would remain muft be divided among many, and, this eftate in particular go to Ruth’s firftborn, whereby his own inheritance would be {cattered and crumbled, and come to little or nothing; add to all which, he might fuppofe that her ancient mother Naomi would be upon his hands to maintain alfo: redeem thou my right for thy/elf; which I am ready to give up to thee, for thou haft no wife, as the Targum exprefies it: for I cannot redeem it; in the circumftances | am, and upon the condition annexed to the purchafe.;

Bias. > to ¥.7. Now this was the manner in former time

¥. 4. And Ethought to advertife thee, 8c.) To in Ifrael concerning redeeming, &c.] It is acuftom, and not.a law, that feems here referred to, when an eftate was bought and fold; not the law in Lev. xxv. 25. for though that. refpects the redemption of an eftate by anear kinfman, yet no fuch manher was enjoined, as here practifed afterwards, made mention of; nor the law in Deut, xxv. 5. which does not concern the redemption of eftates, nor a kinfman’s marrying the widow of a deceafed kinfman, but a brother’s marrying the widow of a deceafed brother, and the rites and ceremonies there enjoined upon refufal, are different from thofe here uled; though Fo/epbus i is exprefs for it, that the Jaw is here referred to; but this is not only concerning purchafe of eftates, but concerning changing allo, one field for another, as 4den Ezra interprets it: for to confirm all things, the following cuftom was obferved for the confirmation of any bargain whatever, whether by fale or barter, and where there was no marriage in. the cafe: a man plucked aff bis face, and gave it to his neighoour; fignifying thereby, that he yielded his right to him in the thing fold or bartered; the Targum fays, he plucked off the glove of his right-hand, which perhaps was then in ufe, when the Yargumift wrote, and anfwered the fame purpofe; and, according to Farchi, it was a linen cloth, veil or handerchief that was ufed, and delivered by the one to the other; and of this way of buying, writes Eiias*, at this day, fays he, we purchafe by a linen cloth or handkerchief, called /udar, which is a garment; and this two witneffes take and explain before them the words of their agreement, and each of the witneffes ftretches out the fkirt of the garment, and thofe that take upon them to confirm every matter, touch the fkirt of their garments; and this is called purchafing by /udar, or the linen cloth: and this was a teftimony in I/rael; a witnefs to, or a confirmation of the bargain made; but who gave the fhoe, whether the kiniman or Boaz, is not certain from the text; and about which the Fewifh writers are divided, as archi obferves.

¥. 8. And therefore the kinfman faid unto Boaz, Duy it for me, &c.} Which is repeated to fhew he gave his, full confent to it, that-he fhould make the purchafe of it if he pleafed, and which he confirmed by the following rite: fo be drew off bis fooe, thereby fignifying that he relinquifhed his right to the purchafe of the eftate, and ceded it to him 3 the Targum has it, ‘* and Boaz drew off the, glove off his right-hand, and bought it of him;” and fo Aben Ezra, ‘* and Boaz drew off his fhoe, and gave it to his kinfman,” as if this was fome acknowledgment for yielding his right unto him; and about this there is a great diffenfion among the Fewifh writers!; one fays it was the fhoe of Boaz that was plucked off; another fays it was the fhoe of the kinfman; which latter feems righteft: and it may be obferved, that this cuftom is different from what is enjoined, Deut. xxv. there the woman was to pluck off the fhoe of him that refufed to marry her, but here the man plucked off his own fhoe who chofe not to redeem; nor is there mention of {pitting in his face; nor does it appear that Ruth did the one or the other; though Fo/epbus™ affirms it, and fays, that fhe both plucked off his fhoe, and fpit in his face; neither of which are mentioned.

¥.9. And Boaz faid unto the elders, and unto all the people, &c.] Who were prefent at the gate of the city, or in court: ye are witneffes this day that

I have bought ali that was Elimelech’s, all the land which belonged to him, who was the hufband of, Naomi, and the father of Ruth’s hufband, whofe eftate Boaz now bought, paying the value for it to Naomi: and all that was Chilion’s and Mablon’s; the two fons of Elimelech, who, had they been living, would have enjoyed their father’s eltate; but they being dead, it devolved on the mother, and after her on the widows, who mutt therefore agree to the fale of the eltate, as Ruth did, fee y. 5: Of Orpab no notice is taken, because fhe returned to her own land; and befides Adahlon, the hufband. of Ruth, was the elder brother, and therefore had the firft right to the inheritance; but as it was in the hands of Naomi now, the purchafe was made of her principally, and therefore Boaz is faid to purchafe it of she band of Naomi; to whom the money was paid, and who delivered ‘the eftate to him. ’ —

¥.10. Moreover, Ruth the Moabitef, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchafed to be my wife, 8c. } Which was the condition on which the purchaie of the land was, that whoever bought that fhould take her for his wife; nor did Boaz do evil in marrying her, though a Meabtite/s. Moab was not one of the nations with whom marriage was forbidden3 and though it was a heathenifh and idolatrous nation, and fo on that account it was not fit and proper to marry with fuch, yet Ruth was become a profelytefs; nor was this contrary to the law in Deut. xxiii. 3. fince, according to the fenfe the Fews give of it, it refpeéts men, and not women, and fuch men who otherwife were capable of bearing offices in the congregation; ‘* an Ammonite, and a Moabite, they fay", are forbidden, and their prohibition is a perpetual one, but their women are free immediately:” +o raife up the name of the dead, upon his inheritance, the name af Mablon, Ruth’s former hufband, to whom the inheritance would have come had he lived; the raifing up of his name is net upon a fon of her’s by Boaz, for her firft-born was called Obed, and not Mahlon, and is always {poken of as the fon of Boaz, and not of Mahlon, but upon his inheritance, having bought his wife along with it, which the regifter of the purchafe would fhew, and fo caufe his name to be remembered; and, as Farchi fays, when Rush went in and out uponsthe eftate or inheritance, they would fay this was the wife of Mablon, and fo thro” her his name would be made mention of: that the name of the dead be not cut off from among bis brethren, and from the gate of this place; might not be quite forgotten both in the city and in the court, and be remembered no more: ye are witneffes this day; this is repeated, that they might anfwer to it, as they do in the next verfe.

y.11. And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, faid, we are witneffes, 8c.) Both of the purchafe of the eftate by Boaz, being legally made, and of the marriage of Rath to him, the condition of the bargain: the Lord make the woman that is come into thine houfe; not into his houfe ftrictly and literally taken, the place of his habjtation; for both he and fhe were now at the gate of the city, and as yet fhe was not introduced into his houfe; but by his marriage of her fhe was brought into his family, and was become a principal part of it, being his wife. This is a with, prayer or benediction of the elders, of one in the —~ name of the reft, congratulating the married cou-

See Leo Modena’s Hiftory of the Rites, &c. of the pr

ple, arid withing them well: and particularly that the. woman, Boaz had married before them’ as wits nefles, might be /ike Rachel and like Leaby which two did build the houfe of Irael; the two wives. Facob; the Targum adds, with twelve tribes for as did. though fome: of the:tribes {prung fron their maids, which ‘they. gave to Facob,yet the children born of them were: reckoned’ theirs:

tion, as fome exprefs it.’ Rachehis-fer before Lead, and a’ redeemer, for which th women bleffed°God, and ftitred her up to do the fame. “ Aifhech observes that the women faid, ‘bleffed be the Lord, bécdute of from him would {pring ‘the Meffiah ‘of’ the Lord, \Some refer this ‘to’ Bozz, ‘to whom the name of ‘kinfman, or redéemer, more properly be longed} and who appéared to have done the office by a'moral’ eftima- jand duty of fuch an ohe;’ by redeeming ‘the eftate of his kinfmah,’ and marrying his widow; "thé ef

The inhabitants of Bethlehem, as they fell into her thongh the youngeft, and had the feweit children, becaufe the was his firft wife in his intention, and according to »the covenant »niade with ‘her. father, though impofed upon and ‘deceived; and’ fhe was his moréslawful wife, and. his? moft beloved ‘one. By-thevchildfenof thefe two, and their maidens; the:houfe or family of J/zelwas-built up, and'became’ avereat nation, confifting.of twelve tribes, very numerous: and do \thou worthily in Epbratab, end be famous in Bethlebem; twonames of -one an thefame place, Gen. xxxv.agui Mic. v. 20"-Thefe words: feem to; be idirected ito Boaz, particularly praying,: that he might cotinue to do worthy and virtuous actions, as well: as\increafe inowealth and riches, powenand authority, and retain his name and fame, and grow in credit and reputation'amonghis! fellow-citizers. vanst bs ty wes. ow ¥.12. And let. thy. boufe belike the houfe of Pharez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah, &c.\ Of whole: tribe the Betblebemites were; vandswere alio< of the hhoufe or family of Pharcay as appearsyrom yond, %&c,,, who. was born to Judah oti amar, one of an-' -other nation, as Ruth was, and fromewhom fprung avery numerous family, one/of;the five:families of Fudab; and they wifhothatthe familyof soaz, *by Ruth, might be-as numerous; and if Boaz was the fame.with Jézan, as the Fews day, though that wants proof, he bad a very numerous’ offspring, thirty fons and.thirty. daughters, udg. xii 8, 9. of the. feed» which the Lord.ifoall: give ‘thee. of this fent, for’ they do, as it were, | point: to: her; and that the was a young woman;sthouglna: widow: the Jews fay, fhe was forty years of age, as ob-| ferved in ch. iii! 10. and the elders with and pray, he might have a numerous family of the “children the Lord would give him by her; and this might be the rather expected of her, as being a young woman, yet only as the gift of God, as children are, Pf cxxvil. 3..

¥. 13. So Boaz took Ruth, and fhe was bis wife, &c.] ‘Without any other rites or ceremonies than’ what are here exprefied; for as yet the rites and ceremonies, now in ufe with the Fews o, in marriages, had not obtained: aud when be went in unio duty performed by him: the Lord gave ber’ conception; for this is of God, letythe circumftance of the perfon, as to age, be as-it may: aad she bare a fon, at the year’s end, as Fo/ephus ® relates. ES XB) Sie By y.14. And the women faid unto Naomi, &c.]

company; or perhaps thefe were the women that were called to the labour of Ruth, and attended the birth of the child: d/effed be the Lord, which bath not left thee this day without a kinfman, a grand-child born to her that day. In Moab the was bereaved of her hufband and of two fons; but now fhe is not left without a relation, a kinfman, fect of which was, that'a fon'was born; who would be heir'of the eftate; “bur the’ text (Peaks of What was doné that day, and‘what fs after faid’cin the next verfe;' all relates. to the child born "that bis name may be fameus’in Tracts fome refer this to the ‘namie '6f God, by’ whole providence ‘this was broughr about; others, ‘to Boz, who was well fpoken of for his charity, integrity, and humility fhewn; ‘in“téedeeming the eftate, and taking’ Ruth to wife's! or rather it réfers to the new-born child, of whom they'exprefs their hope and‘ confidence, that'when he came to tnan’s’ eftate would 'be’ very famous *andhonourable in Lael, being a Worthy and virtuotis'fian himfélf,"and the progenitor of fuch illaftriats: perfons; ‘as Feffe, David, 8c." and Seer he Melia ON St aes

Wig. nd be foal bé unto thee a'reftorer of thy life, Sees] *° OF the joys, "pleatares and ‘comforts of it, which’ fhe had’ beendeprived ‘of ‘through ‘the death of Her hufband ahd her two’ fons, ‘ever fince which ‘fhe had ‘lived a forrowful life; all’ the comfort' fhe had’was'trom her daughter-in-law, aid now a grand-child being born ‘to-her of her, would be a means ofteftoring comfort to ‘her mourning, forrowful fpirit, and give her:pleafure ‘in ‘thofe,’yeats~ in which fhe die nor expect aty > and a nourifber of thine old age’ that’would when grown up feéd her, fupport her} ‘and fupply her with all neceffaries of life, being heir toa large and'rich éftate: for thy danghter-in-law “which loveth thee; Ruth, the wife of Boaz, who iad fhown hef love; in leavin herown country \ané Kindred, to come along with her into a ftrange‘land,) and ‘who ‘had laboured for her fupport in it, ‘afd {till retained the fame affection for her: which 1s better to thee than feven fons, hath borne bin’, “either which had been fo in the time of her widowhood, as the Zargum; or rather, which was fo now, being the wife of fo rich a perfon, and having now brought forth a fon, heir to the eftate, who would be more capable of doing for her, than if fhe had feven fons living, having no other than their paternal eftate.

y¥. 16. And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bofom, &c.}. As a token of her moft tender

|love and affection for it; this itis probable fhe did her; which is a modeft expreffion of thejconjugal quickly after the birth of it: and became a nur/e unto it that is, after the mother had fuckled and weaned it, then fhe took it from her, and brought it up. r v.17. And the women her weighbours gave it a name, &c.\ <Fofephus {ays*, Naomi gave it by the advice of her ncighbours; very probably on the eighth day when he was circumcifed, and the neighbours were invited on that occafion, at which time it feems it was ufual to give names to childrén, fee Luke i. 59. ‘Che Romans gave names to females on the-8th day,’ to the males on the gth, hence the goddefs Nunding had her namé:; the Greeks generally on the 10th, fometimes on.the 7th *: it was commonly the province of the father to give the nam*, name, and fometimes his fielghbours and neareft friends were called, and in their prefence the name was given, and by any of them he fhould chute in down with Jacob into Egypt, beirig darititd ‘ble latid of Canaan, Gen. wlvi. 22. called dram in Matt. iz 3. Zwkeuiii, 33.

there is a fon born to Naomi, to|

her family, and even to herfelf, being, born of her Aram by the Sepsuagint, and fo in Matt. i. 3. Lake who had been wife to her eldeft fon; and this was to her as inftead of him, and was as he to her; fo Aben Ezra compares this with Exod. ii. 10. and moreover, this child was born, as the neighbours prefaged, for the great comfort and advantage of Naomi, to be her fupporter and nourifher in her old ape, ¥. 15. and they called bis name Obed s which fignifies ferving, as Fo/ephus * rightly obferves, though he does not always give the true fenfe of Hebrew words: this name was given, not in remembrance of the fervice his mother was obliged to, before marriage with Boaz; but rather on the account of the fervice that he would be of to Naomi, as they hoped and believed; though the reafon of prince of the tribe of Fudab, as the Tar; and fo he was when the J/raelites were come our of - Egypt, and were in the wildernefs at the time’ of the dedication of the altar, Numb. vii. 12. called Nat affon, Matt. i. 4. Lyke iii. 32. and Nablbon begat ili. 33. and Ram begat Amminadab; in whofe na there is no variation, neither in the book br uicles nor in. the Evangelifis; both thefe, as well as the next, were born in £gypt. A

Salmon; or, as in the Hebrew text, Salmab, and in 1 Chron. ii. 11. Salma, and yet inthe verfe following Salmon, as we read it. rie rie of it, as given by the Zargum, is not to be overlooked, which interprets it, ‘‘ who ferved the Lord of the world with a perfect heart;” and fo they might have fome refpect to his being hereafter a fervant the harlot, whom he married, Mort, i. 5, the- {fame perfon that makes a principal part of this book, and whom the Targum here tales’ to be the judge Jbzan, as in ch. i. 1. fee.the note there: ° of the Lord: he is the father of Feffe; and the father of David; fo Feffe is called the Bethlehemite, 1 Sam. xvi. 1. being of the city of Bethlehem, of which city Boaz was when his fon Obed was born, and Boaz begat Obed; of Ruth; of whom: fee the preceding verfes..: © Wager y.22. And Obed begat Feffe, &ci) “The Bethy lehemite, the father of David: and Feffe begat Dawho was the father of Jefe; of whom was David vid; the Targum adds, the king of I/rael; and fo king of J/rael, and from. whom fprung. the Meffiah, for whofe fake this book was written, that his genealogy might clearly appear; and of which ufe it is made by the evangelifts Matthew and Luke. ¥.18. Now thefe are the generations of Pharez, &c.]. The fon of Fudab, by Tamar before-mentioned, ¥. 12. fee Gen. xxxvill, 29. for. the intention of this genealogy is to confirm the truth of Jacob's prophecy, of Shilob the Meffiah coming from the tribe of Fudab, Gen, xlix. 10. and therefore it begins with Pharez, well kn fon of Fudah, and ends with David, whofe fon the Meffiah was to be, as is owned by all Jews and Gentiles that believe the divine revelation: Pharez begat Hezron; who was one of thofe that went the Syriac and Arabic verfions add, the’kingy from whence it is by fome concluded, that: ‘this book was written by Samvel, not only after the birth of David, but after he had been anointed’ king: by him: here being but four generations mentioned, from the coming of the J/raelites into Canaan, to the birth of David, which was 360 years, each of the four perfons, Salmon, Boaz, Obed vand Feffé, muft beget a fon when 100 years old and upwards; and which is not at all incredible, as appears by inftances in later times, and therefore not at aji improbable, that in thofe ancient times men of fabriety and good coniftitutions fhould have children at {uch an age.:

The Firft Book of SAMUEL, otherwife called the Firft Book of KINGS.

pies is commonly Called Sa- Pp? muel, or the book of Samuel, age ‘in the Syriac verfion, the book ISS of Samuel the prophet; and in YZ the Arabic verfion, the book of Samuel the prophet, which ASS 2 is the firft book of the kings; and in the Septuagint verfion, the book of the kingdom: it has the name of Samuel, becaufe it contains-an hiftory of his life and times; and the Fews fay* ic was written by hims,and as it may well enough be thought to be to the end of the 24th chapter; and the reft might be written by Nathan and Gad, as may be gathered from 1 Chron. xxix. 29. as alfo the following book that bears his name; and: both may be called'the books of kings, becaufe they give an account of the rife of the kings in Ifrael, and of the two firft of them; though fome think they were written by Jeremiah, as Abarbinel; and others afcribe them to Ezra: however, there is no doubt to be made of it, that this book was written by divine infpiration, when we confider

8 pads: chapter gives an account of the parents of Samuel, ot the trouble his mother met with from her rival, and comfort from her hufband, ¥. 1—8. of her prayer to God for a fon, and of her vow to him, fhould one be given her, ¥. g—10. of the notice Ei took’ of her, and of his cenfure on her, which he afterwards retraéted, and comforted her, ¥. 12—18. of her conception and the birth of her fon, the nurfing and weaning of him, ¥. 19—23. and of the prefentation of him to the Lord, with a facrifice, ¥. 24-28. ©

¥.1. Now there was a man of Ramathaim-zophim, of mount Ephraim, &c.] Ramathaim is a word of the dual number, and fignifies two Ramabs, the city confifted of two ‘parts, being built perhaps on two hills, and were called Zophim, becaufe, as the Rabdins fay, they looked one to another; or rather becaufe firuated on eminences, the ferie§ Of its hiftory, its connection and harmony with other parts of fcripture; the feveral things borrowed from it, or alluded to in the book of Pfalms, particularly what is obferved in Pf. cxiu. 7,8. feems to be taken out of 1 Sam. ii, 8. and the fanction which the Lord gives to it, by referring to a fact in it, whereby he ftopped the mouths of the Scribes and Pharifees cavilling at his difciples, Aéati. xii. 3, 4. compared with 1 Sam. xxi. 3,4, 5,6. yea, even as Huetius » obferves, fome heathen writers have by their teftimonies confirmed fome paffages in thefe books, which they feem to have been acquainted with, as Nicolaus of Damajcus*, and Eupolemus*, it contains an hiftory of the government of £//, and of the birth of Samuel, and his education under him; of the fucceffion of Samuel in it, and the refignation of it to Sau, when he was chofen king; of his adminiftration of his office, and of things done in the time of it, both before and after his rejection, and of the perfecution of David by Saul, and is concluded with his death.:

there were watch-towers in theth, where watchmea were placed; or becaufe they were inhabited by prophets, who were fometimes called watchmen, Ezek. iii. 17. and here is thought to be a chool of the prophets, fee ch. xix. 19g—24. and which feems to be countenanced by the Targum, in which the words are paraphrafed thus, ‘‘ and there was one man of Ramatha, of the difciples of the prophets;”” or, as others think, the fenfe is this, this man was one of the Ramatbites, the inhabitants of Ramab, and of the family of Zuph, or the Zupbhites, which gave the name to the land of Zuph, and the grand anceftor of Elkanab is in this verfe called Zupé, fee ch. ix. 5. According to Feroms, this is the fame with Arimathea, of which Fofeph was, Matt, xxvii. 57. for thus he writes, ‘* ¢rmatha Sophim, the city of Helcanab and Samuel, in the Thamaitic region near Dio/polis (or Lyddz) from whence was Fe/eph, who in the Gofpels is faid to be of Cinta.

but Reland * thinks it cannot be the fame that was about Lydda, which was all a champaign country;

lem, and not the weft, and fo it follows: of ae

' Ephraim which is added to diftinguifh it trom} other Ramabs in feveral tribes, as in Benjamin, Naphtali, &e. though this may refer not to the fitua-| tion of Remathaim, but to the country of this} man, who. was originally of mount, Ephraim, as} was the Levite in Fudg..xix.a, who was the caufe of much evil to J/rae/, as this was of great good, as Kimchi obferves: and his name was Elkanab;

which fignifies, Ged hath poffefed; that is, poflefled facrifice unto the Lord of bots in Shilob; where th him, or he was in poffeffion of God; he had an anceftor of the fame name, 1 Chron, vi. 23. This man was-a Levitey one of the Kobathites, and a defcendant of Kora,; fo that the famous prophet Samuel was of the fons-of Korab: the fon of Feroham, the fon of Elihu, the fon of. Tobuy the fon of Zuph; the three laft of thefe names are fomewhat differently read in 1 Chron. vi. 26, 27. where ‘they are Eliab, Nabath, Zopbai, and in ¥. 34, 45. Eliel, Toah, Zupb:.an Epbrathite;.which appellation is to be connected, according to Kimchi, not with Elkanah, but with Zuph; though neither of thern were fo Called from Bethlebem-Fudab, the inhabitants of which were indeed called Ephrathites from Epbratah, another name of it; fo E/imelech and.his fons Mablon and Cbilion, being of that city, were fo called Ruth i,'2. not from their being of the tribe of Ephraim, as Feroboam of that tribe is called an. Epbrathite, 1 Kings xi. 26. fee Fudg. xii. 5. for thefe were Levites, the de- {cendants of Kobath, in the line of Korah; but becaufe they fojournéd in mount Ephraim, or dwelt there, as Elkanah did; and it is well known that the Kobathites had cities given them in the tribe of Ephraim, Jofb. &Xi. 5. 21. 22..

y. 2. And he had two wives, &c.] Which tho’ connived at in thofe times, was contrary to the ofiginal law of marriage; and for which, though a good man, he was chaftized, and had aggteat deal of vexation and trouble, the two wives not agreeing with each other; perhaps not having children by the one, fo foon as he hoped and wifhed for, he took another: the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah; the firtt name fignifies grace or gracious, and fhe was a woman who had the grace of God, and very probably was alfo very comely, beautiful, and acceptable, as fhe was in the fight of her hufband; the other, ficnifies a cornered gem, a precious ftone or jewel, as the pearl, ruby, amethyft, 8c. Very likely Hannab was his firft wife, and having no-children by her he took Peninnab, who proved tobe a rough diamond’: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no.children; how many Peninnab had is not faid, perhaps ten; fee ¥. 8. and that Hannab had none was not becaufe fhe was naturally barren, but: becaufe the Lord had fhut up her womb, or fe-: {trained her from bearing children, to put her upon.

praying for one, and that the birth of Samuel might be the more remarkable; fee ¥. 5. Re

¥. 3. This ‘man went up out of bis city yearly,

&c.] From year to year; or as the Targum, from the time of the folemn appointed featt to the folemn appointed. feaft, from one to another; there males in J/rael were to appear at whereas this was in the mountains of, Epbraim,, i ite. thi as which muft be fought for, to the north of Feru/atc were three of them in. the year, at which: the ta placehe went up to as follows: 0 worfbip- tabernacle was, the place of worfhip, and the a tar of burnt-offerings, on which facri were ~ ed. This place,“according ‘to Bunting » 5 was miles‘ from Ramab, though others fay it was not more than 7 miles from it;_ hither he went to worfhip, or bow before the Lord; toupray unto him, as itis commonly interpreted; and being put before facrifice, is faid to be preferable-to that, and more acceptable to God, and’ more cligible to be done in the. tabernacle or temple than at home 5 Luke xviii, 10. and though he is faid to go u facrifice, it is not to be underftood of: his performing it himfelf, but by, others, by the prief, for he himfelf was a, Levile, and could not off fae crifices. This is the firft time that mention made of this title of Jehovah, Lord of hoft all the hofts and armies. in heaven and in. eart the Lord of Sabaoth, asin Fam. v. 4. from R3¥, an boff, or army; and from hence the heathens called fome of their deities by the name of Sabazius

‘as Jupiter. Sabazius*; andthe Pbhrygians and

Thracians uled to call Bacchus, Sabazius, and other, Grecians following them did the fame *:. and the two fous of Eli, Hopbni and Phineas the, Bisehgh he. Lord were there; Eli was the next judge of # Tfrael atter Samfon, and who alfo was the high-prieft, as is generally fuppofed; but. when. and how. the high-priefthood came into, his family is no where faid, who was a defcendent of _Athamar, the. younger fon of Aaron, in whofe line it continued — tothe time of Solomon; and Fofephus * places three between Phinebas and El, who were,all of the line of Eleazar, whom he calls Abiezer, Bouci,. and Ozis; but their f{cripture-names are Abifbua, Bukki, and Uzzi, 1 Chron. vi. 50, 51. And according to him, after Uzzi came Eli to be highprieft, and therefore muft be the firft of the line of Ithamar that. was in that office... His two fonsare mentioned as officiating as priefts hae) time Ev/kanab uled to..go: yearly thither to worfhip and facrifice; who were..very wicked men, as.appears by. an, after-account ‘of them, and. it is, generally thought, that this is obferyed here tofhew, that the wickednefs of thefe priefts did not hinder this good man from, doing his duty 5. nor did he make ule of it as an.excufe for not attending worfhip of the fanctuary,.. ‘esas a ¥.4. Aid when the time was that ‘ie D6 fered, &c.J~ That is, brought his offering to prieft, to offer it for him, which was at one, ol three feftivals.. According to R.. haga this was at the ihc enes entecoft 5 bu thinks it was at the time of the ingathe fruits of the earth, which was a time of reje even the feaft of tabernacles, and which is moft likely: be gave to Peninnab bis wife, and toall ber fons and ber daughters portions; parts of the offering, every one a part, or portion;

y. 6. And ber adverfary alfo provoked ber fore, &c.] That is, Peninnah, the other wife of Evkanah; for when a man had more wives, two or more, they were ufually at enmity to one another, as the two wives of Socrates were, being always jealous left one fhould have more love and refpect than the other from the hufband; and this woman provoked Hannah one time after another, and continually, by upbraiding her with her barrennefs; and this was another reafon why Elkanah did could to comfort her, not only becaufe the had reftrained her from bearing children, but becaufe alfo fhe that envied and emulated her, fadly provoked her: fer to make ber fret; and be uneafy, and murmur at, and complain of her unhappy circumftances: fome render it, decau/e foe thundered ' againft her that is, Peninnah was exceeding loud and clamorous with her reproaches and fcoffs, which were grievoufly provoking Hannah. So faid Socrates, when Xantippe firlt fcolded at him, and then poured foul water on him: did not I fay, fays he, that Xantippe firft thunders, and then rains™? ecaufe the Lord bad fout up ber womb, it was this Peninnab upbraided her with, and at which Hannab fretted and griethat is, Peniniab, along with her hufband; with whom fhe went every year to the tabernacle at Shi- /ob: fo fhe provoked her; her rival Hannaby upby which it ap-) braiding her with her barrennefs; to which fhe was {tirred up by feeing her hufband on thele feftivals take fo much notice of her, and fhew fo much love and refpect for her; as always to give her the beft portion... 4aarbinel thinks, that Peninnah and Han- » {nab lived at two feparate places; the one at Ramab and the other at Ramatha, which both together are called Ramatbaim;, and that they only met with and faw one another at thefe feftivals, and then it was that the one was fo very infulting and provoking to the other: therefore foe wept and did not eat; that is, Hannah wept: at the infules, reproaches, and fcoffs; caft at her by her antagonift; infomuch that fhe could not eat of the peaceofferings, though her: hufband always gave her the beft part and portion of them; but her grief took away her ftomach. and appetite; that. fhe could noteat; fee P/. xlii. 3.

pears, that this was a peace-offering he offered, the greater part of which belonged to the owner, and which he made a feaft of for his family and friends; fee Deut. xii. 5, 6; 7. and xvi. 10—15. Jerom ® interprets thefe portions of garments.

y¥. 5. But unto Hannab be gave a worthy portion, &c.] Or, one choice portion, as the Zargums the beft part or portion in the peace-offering, of what the prieft had not; he had the breaft and the right fhoulder, the next beft piece he gave to Hannah; and the word being of the dual number, fome render it a double portion; others; ove part of two faces*;, which Ferom interprets, which might be received with a chearful countenance, it was fo good and excellent in its kind, others interpret it that he gave it with a forrowful' and difpleafed countenance, becaufe of the reafon following, that fhe had no children; but Bex Gerfom underftands it of a part or portion of meat that had two faces or appearances; that he gave her one of the pieces, one part of which was very fat, andthe other rio fat on it, fo that fhe might chufe what fhe liked bett: for he loved Hannah; loved her beft, and therefore did every thing to pleafe ‘her, and make her comfortable under her affliction for want of children, and to ‘exprefs his tender affection for her: but the Lord bad fhut up her womb, reftrained her from conception, and bearing children; fee Gen. wx. 18. or though the Lord bad fut up ‘her womb * s this didnot abate his love to’her.

y. 8. Then faid Elkanah ber hufhand to. her, Hannah, why weepet thou?) Since it was a.time of rejoicing,as every. feftival: was, efpecially at the hadjingathering of the fruits of the earth: and why eate? thou not? fince they were at a feaft, and fhe had the beft: part and portion of the provifion: 4zd why is thy heart grieved? to fuch a degree that fhe could neither eat nor drink: am wot I better to thee than ten fons? which, as Farchi fays, Peninzab had borne ito him; his \meaning is, that the fhare fhe had in ‘his love:and. affeClions, ought to have been efteemed by her more, than if fhe had ten or many children by him; and it fuggefts that Peninnah would have been glad ‘to have had fuch a» fhare in his affections as Hannab had; and it'would have been more eligible to her, than to have borne him fo many children as fhehad. eet

¥.9. So Hannab rofe up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drank, &c.] After dinner, after E/kanab and Peninnab, and their children, had eaten heartily, and drank freely, and made a comfortable meal, and even a feait of it, allhejat the place where the tabernacle and altar were, Lordjand their peace-offerings were offered up, part of which they had been regaling themfelves with, The Targum is, *‘ after fhe had eaten in Shiloh, and after fhe had drank;” for upon the intreaty of her hufband, and to make himeafy, fhe might be prevailed upon to eat fomewhat, though it might be but little; and to drink, though it was but water; for as for wine and ftrong drink, fhe declares tojafterwards fhe had not drank, ¥. 15. now Eli the prieft fat upon a feat by a poft of the temple of the Zord; for fo the tabernacle was called, and fometimes the temple is called a tabernacle, Fer. x. 20. Now at the door-pofts and fide of the threfhold of the temple of the Lord, as the Targum; at the entrance of the great court of the J/raelites, Eli

‘ved. had a feat placed, on which he fat; this muft be y.7. And as be did fo year by year, &c.] Elka- ‘nah went up every year to Shiloh, and offered facrifices, taking his family with him, and gave to Peninnab and her children their portion, and to Hannah a double portion, or if but one yet the belt: when fhe went up to the houfe of the Lord; at the gate of the court of ‘the tabernacles, by the pillars of it; for in the court itfelf, none afterwards might fitbut kings of the family of David*; here Eli fat as an high-prieft and judge, to give advice in difficult cafes, and to try and judge all caufes that were brought before him; fome fay ° that he was follows: and there fball-norafor come upon bis bead 3» as was not to come upon a Nazarite, during his’ Nazaritefhip, Numb. vi. 5. and as fach a vow) ade by a woman contradicts the tradition of the; ews rir ae they give another ft: his claufe' as the Targum, which paraphrafes it, “ and the fear of man thall not be pen iiapee about this there is a divifion”; but that Samuel. was a Nazarite, and a. perpetual one, -is the fenfe, - of their béftinterpreters. eee yt. 12. And it came topafs, as foe conting ing before the Lord, &c.| Being very earneft;

on this day conflituted: an high-prieft, and others fay ie was now made ajudge 5 but no doubt he was boththigh prieft and judge before this time.

caufe of ‘her barrennefs, and the taunts and reflections fhe had met with on that account ¢ her life was bittér'to her, fhe could take no pleafure in any of the comforts of it: and prayed unto the Lord, and wept fore 5 her prayer was with ftrong crying and tears; it was very fervent and affectionate 5 fhe prayed moft vehemently, and wept bitterly. This perhaps was about the time of the evening-facrifice, about three or four o’clock in the afternoon; feeing it was after dinner that fhe arofe.up and went to prayer in the houfe‘of God, at the door of the tabernacle, or near it, as it fhould feem ‘by. the notice Eli took of her, who fat there:

is a tradition of the Fetes", that'a man may vow his fon to be a’ Nazarite, ‘but a womanmmay not; but as this inftance*contradi¢ts the tradition, they endeavour to explain away this vow, as it may refpect a Nazarite, asowill be obferved hereafter: faid,O Lord of hofis 5 this is properly the firft this title was ufed by any that we ‘know ‘of; though it.is exprefled in y. 3. there it is ufed as the words of the writer of this hiftory, and fo, lune ‘after this prayer was put up; feethe note there; and it is an obfervation in the Ta/mud*, that from the day God ‘created the world, no man called ‘him the Lord of hofts, till Hannah came and called him fo: if thou wilt indeed look upon the affiction of thine handmaid, the forrow of heart the had, the reproach fhe met ‘with, on accountof her having no children: and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid; which petitions are'the in other words, and are repeated to denotehervehemence and importunity in prayer, and may allude to ufages among men, that will look upon a perfon in diftrefs, and turn away and forget them, and never thinkiof them more; which fhe deprecates may not be ‘her cafe with God: but wilt give unto thine bandmaid a man-child; or, a feed of men‘; afonin the midft of men, as the Targum; fuch as is defireable by ‘men, asa male-child:for the moft part is; though fome Yewih writers interpret it the feed of righteous, wife, andunderftanding men, fuch as be fit to Serve the Lord, which feems to be a fenfé foreign to the text; a man-child fhe afks, becaufe no other could ferve the Lord in the temple; and that fhe meant \by ‘this phrafe fuch an one is clear, becaufe fhe vowed that a rafor fhould not come on its head, which is never faid of females, as Kimebi obferves: then will I give bim unto the Lord all the days of his life, to fervehim, and minifter unto him in the fanétuary; being born a Levite, it was incumbent on him to ferve the Lord, and he had a right to his fervice; but then a common Levite ‘did not enter on it until25 or go years of age, and was not always ferving, but was difmiffed from it at 505 but the child fhe vows, if the Lord would give her fuch an one, fhould be trained up in his fervice from its infancy, and continue in it all the days of its life; a and) importunate with him: to grant her requeft, and, therefore repeated her petition, and prolonged her) prayer, being unwilling to let the Lord go, until, fhe -had a promife, or fome fatisfaGtion, that the, ©» ffhould have the thing fhe afked; fome think the continued an hour in prayer: that Eli marked her. moath; obferved the motion of her lips, and no herjdoubt her diftorted countenance, and lift-up eyes and Evka-jand hands, but chiefly the former;’ not Knowing what the woman was at, and what could be the a'vow of Nazaritehip, it)meaning of fuch motions. ~ Os ' ys 13. Now Hannah, foe fpoke in ber heart, 8c.) Itwas mental prayer fhe ufed, fome ejaculations of, her mind fhe fent upto. God, which fhe was fenfible were well known tohim, and fhe needed, not to exandi prefs vocally: only ber lips moved; as\ her heart, timejendited, and fent up her petitions, as if fhe had forjufed words and phrales ih form > but ber voice was, not beard, that fhe might not feem to be oftentatious in her prayer, and that fhe might not interrupt others in their devotions; and the knew that her voice was not neceflary with reéfpeét to God: therefore Eli thought foe had been drunken; bythe motions fhe made, and geftures fhe ufed, as if the was muttering, fomething to herfelf, and by her long)continuance therein, and it being after a feaft f{he had been at with her hufband, and the reft of the family; from all which EZ concluded this mutt amejbe her cafe.; ay

~y¥. orn. And fhe vowed a vow, 8&c:).~Which might be confirmed by her hufband 5 otherwife the vow of a woman,” if difapproved of by hufband, was not valid,.Namb. xxx. 8. nab might take the’ fate vow his wife did, and fo it ftood’; for as this was.

y. 14. dnd Eli faid unto her, how long wilt thou de drunken? &c.} What every day drunk? ‘what continually in this wicked practice? when will it be left off? for E/i might have obferved on other days, and at other times, odd looks, and a ftrange behaviour in her, which ‘he took for the effects of drinking too much wine:..or how long will this drunken fit laft? the had been a confiderable time as he thought in it, and it was not gone off yet: ofthe Targum is, “* how long wilt thou behave like. a fool, or, a mad woman;”” as drunken people generally do act, as if they were fools, or mad: put away thy wine from thee; not as if the had any with her there to drink of, but he advifes her, fince it had fuch an effect upon her, to abftain from it, and wholly difufe it, and fo break off fuch an habit and cuftom fhe had got into; or he would have her go home and fleep it out, and wait till the had digefted it, and the ftrength of it was gone off, ‘before fhe came to fuch a place of devotion jand worfhip; from hence the Jews fay “ it may be” learnt, that adrunken perfon oughtnot to pray. _ y. 15. dnd Hannah anfwered and faid, no, my /ord, &c.] That is not my cafe, you have greatly miftaken it; the anfwered with great mildnefs and meeknefs, without falling into a paffion at fuch a {candalous imputation upon her, and with t and was jrefpect and reverence to Ei, fuitable to his “== to be alio a perpetual Nazarite, as Samfon was, as fo in after times the high-prieft ufed to be addrefied after this manner, particularly on the day of atonement, Lord bigh-prieft, dofo and fo*; words of Hanuab are interpreted as not fo very re; Apectful, as if the fenfe was, not, a Lord, artthou in this matter 5 nor does the, Holy Ghoft. dwell upon thee’; which thou haft fufficiently fhewn, thou wouldit never have fufpected me of nels: I am a woman of a forrowful fpirit; de- _ prefied with trouble and grief on accountof afflictions; if fhe was drunk, it, was not with wine, but with forrow: or @ woman of a hard fpirit * which.is fometimes taken in an ill fenfe, and according to Abarbinel is-here denied by her, who connects this claufe with the preceding thus; not, my lord, am I a woman of a hard fpirit, or fuch a hardened wretch, and fuch an impudent woman, as I muft be, were it fo, to come drunk into the houfe of God, and pretend to pray unto him: J ave drank neither wine, nor firong drink s not any fortof intoxicating liquors that day, neither wine new or old, asthe Targum: but have poured out my foul before the Lord, the affliction of,it, as the fame paraphrafe; the grievances and diftrefies, the complaints of her foul, which were many, and which fhe had poured out before the Lord freely and plentifully, and which had taken up fome time to doit; fee Pf Ixii..8. and the title of Pf. cii. where phrafes fimilar to this are ufed, and which feem to be taken from hence.

¥.17. Then Lli anfwered and faid, go in peace, _&c.] He found he was miftaken in her, and that her difcourfe was not only fober and rational, but religious and ipiritual; and therefore difmifles her in peace, and bids her not diftrefS herfelf with what he had faid to her, nor.with any thing fhejbeen Sau had met with from others, or from the Lord; but| expect peace and profperity, and particularly fucce{fs in what.fhe had been engaged, and had been folicitous for: and the God of Ifrael grant thee thy petition that thou baft aofked of bint; which,may be confidered either as a prayer for her, he joining with her in a requeft to the Lord, that what the had afked might be granted oras a prophecy that fo it would be, it being revealed to him by the Holy Ghoft, as the high-prieft of the Lord; or|su imprefled by an impulfe upon his {pirit, that the favour afked would be given; and therefore fhe| might go home in peace, and with fatisfaétion of continued and increafed; and thatas héhad prayindeed thefeled: for her, he would {till ufe his intereft.at the throne of grace for her:.fo the woman went ber wey; took her leave.of £%, and went from the tabernacle..to her hufband: and did eat; what reor;mained of the peace-offerings, which were to be drunken-Jeaten. that night, and not left till they morning 5 and though fhe. would not eat her dinner, ber heart was fo. full of grief, yet the could now. make a good fupper, being eafed and relieved in her mind: and her countenance was no more fad; forrowful and dejected, but chearful, brifk, and lively; believing that her prayers, and thofe of the high-prieft;. would be anfwered.

y. 19. Aud they rofe up in the morning early, &c.} Partly for devotion, and partly for the fake of their journey: and worfhipped before the Lord; went up to the tabernacle, and prayed with their faces cowards that part of it, the weftern part, where ftood the ark of thesLord, the fymbol of the divine prefence; and when they no doubt gave thanks for all the favours they had received there, and. prayed for a fafe and profperous journey home, committing themlelves to the care of divine providence: and returied, and came to their houfe to Ramab.; or Ramatha, the fame. with Ramathaim, y..1.,Adarbinel thinks that, Elkanah had two houfes, one at Ramab for Peninnab, and another at Ramathator Hannah; and that this was Hazuab’s \houfe, to which they, returned and came; azd Elkanuah knew Hannah bis wife; cohabited with her as a man. with his wife; itis a modeft expreffion as fhe mult be tojof the.conjugal act; fee Gen. iv. 1. and is obferved to thew, that the conception and birth of Samuel, were not ina fupernatural way, but inthe ordinary Thejway and manner of generation: and the Lord remembered her; the prayer fhe had made to him, opened her, womb, as he had before fhut it, and gave her power.to congeive.

come drunk into the fanétuary.of God; fee 1 Sem. xxv. 17,25. Drunkennefs in man is an abomi-j nable crime, but much more in a woman. Romans * forbad wine to women, and drunkennefs in them was a capital crime, as adultery, or any other; and indeed a drunken woman js liable to all manner of fin: for.out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I fpoken hitherto; out of the abundance of the heart the mouth will {peak, whether itis matter of trouble or of joy; Hannab was full of grief, and her mouth full of complaints, on which fhe long dwelt, inorder to give vent thereunto, and eafe herfelf.

y.20. Wherefore 2t came to pals, when the time was come about, after Hannah had conceived, &c.] Or, at the revolutions of days”; atthe end of a year, the heart ofjof acompleat year, as Ben Melech, from their return from Shilod; for.it might be fome time after their return that fhe conceived; or rather the fenfe is, that at mine month’s,end, the ufual time of a woman’s going with child from her conception, which is the date here given: that fhe bare afon; was brought to bed of afon: and called bis name Samuel, faying, becaufe I have afked bim of the Lord; one would think rather his name fhould have, for the reafon.given; but as Bex Gerom obferves, givers of names are not always grammatically ftrict and critical in them, or in the etymology of them, as in the names of Reuben and Noah, in which he inftances; and this may be the rather overlooked in a,woman, than. in aman of learning. According to Kimchi, it is asdf it was Seu/-mee/; that is, afked of God, and by.contraction Samuel; but Hillerus * gives a better account of this name, and takes it to be compofed of Saui- -el, afked before God, in the fight of God, before the ark of God... This name Hannaé gave her on (for fometimes the father, and fometimes the mother gave the name) in memory of the wonder- mind. ful favour and goodnefs of God in granting her re-

¥.18. And foe faid, let thine bandmaid find grace in thy fight, &c.| She had found favour in,his fight the perceived, and fhe defires it ymight be queft; and to imprefs her own mind with a fenfe of the obligation fhe lay under, to perform her vow, and to engage her fon the more readily to give up himfelf to the fervice of God, when he reflected on of the child, to ftay longer: tarry sill thou have

| weaned him; when he would be more fit for the his name, and the reafon of it. b y. 21; And the man Elkanah, and all bis houfe, journey, and to be left behind:

&c.] All his family, excepting Hannah, and her fon Samuel; or all the men of his houfe, as the ‘Targum; for only the males were obliged to appear at the three feftivals: went upto Shiloh, to the houfe of God there: to offer unto the Lord the yearly facrifice; either the paffover, to which men commonly went up with their families; fee Luke ‘ii. 41, 42. or rather it may be what was offered at the feaft of Tabernacles, as Abarbinel thinks, the time of the in-gathering the fruits of the earth, when men went up with their families to offer facrifice, and exprefs their Joy on that account, Deut. xvi. 10—15. and his vow; »which he had made between feaft and feaft; for whatever vows men made at home on any account, they paid them at the yearly feftivals; and «this vow might be on the account of the birth of his fon, by way of thankfgiving for that.

¥. 22. But Hannah went not up, &c.| For women, though they might go if they pleafed to the yearly feafts, yet they were not obliged to it; whether fhe went up at the time for her purification, and for the prefenting and redemption of ‘the firftborn, is not certain; fome fay the Levites were not obliged by that law, the perquifites of it falling to them, and fo did not go up; others that fhe did, though it is not expreffed, the feriptures not relating all faéts that were done; though by what follows, it looks as if fhe did not: for fhe faid unto ber hufband, I will not go up, until the child be weaned, which, according to ‘archi, was at theend of 22 months; but others fay at the end of 24 months, or 2 years, as Kimchi and Ben - Melech; and fometimes a child was three years old before it was weaned, and fometimes longer, which very probably was the cafe here; fee the note on Gen, xxi. 8.

only the Lord eftablife bis word; which fome underftand of the prophecy of Eli, that God would grant her requeft, which being delivered under the direction of the Spirit of God, is called his word; but this was already fulfilled and eftablifhed by Hannab’s bearing a fon: or the word dis refers not to the Lord, but to Samuel, and fo may refpect the word which his mother fpake concerning him; either when fhe made her vow, as Abendana, that he fhould be a perpetual Nezarite, and the Lord’s as Jong as he lived; and fo Elkanah wifhes that he might have health and grow ftrong, and be fit for the fervice of the Lord, and live many years to perform it 5 or what fhe had juft now faid, as Abarbinel, that he fhould abide in the houfe of God for ever, or as long as he lived: fo the woman abode; at home, whilft Elkanah and his family went up to Shiloh: and gave her fon fuck until foe weaned him, did not put him out to a wet ordry nurfe, but fuckled him herfelf with what nature had provided for his nourifhment, as becomes women to do,’ it their circumftances of health, and the provifions of nature will admit of it. ch Saas ¥.24. And when fhe bad weaned bim, &c:} At the ufual time of weaning children; fee the note on the preceding verfe; fome refer this not only to the milk of the breaft, from which he was weaned, but to fuch food as was common to children, and fo fuppofes him grown up to nine or ten years of age: fhe took him up with ber; to the tabernacle at Shilob, at a yearly feftival: with three bullocks; for three forts of offerings, burnt-offering, fin-offering, and peace-offering; or fince one only is fpoken of as flain, that is, for facrifice, the other two might be for food to entertain her family and friends with whilft there; or as a prefent to

Comeftor * obferves, there was a three-|the fold weaning of children in old times; the firft from their mother’s milk, when three years old; the fecond from their tender age, and care of a dry nurfe when feven years old; the third from childifh manners, when at twelve years of age; and that it is this laft and metaphorical weaning which is here meant, when Samuel was 12 yearsof age, and fit to ferve in the temple; but the proper fenfe is beft, fince fhe is faid to bring him when weaned: her reafon for it feems to be this, becaufe had fhe went up with her fucking child, the muft have brought him back again, fince he would not be fit to be left behind, and would be entirely uncapable of any kind of fervice in the fanétuary; and according to the nature of her vow, fhe could not think of bringing him back again, after fhe had once entered him there: and then J will bring him that be may appear before the Lord; and minifter in the fervice of the fanétuary in what might be fuitable to his age; there and then fhe would prefent him, and give him up to the Lord, as fhe had promifed fhe would: and there abide for ever; that is, as long ashelived; for her vow was that he fhould be a Nazarite all the days of his life, and be feparated tothe fervice of God, as long as he hada being in high-prieft, to whofe care fhe committed her fon: and one ephab of flour, if the bullocks were all facrificed, three tenth déals, or three tenth parts oftheephah, went fora meat-offering to each bullock, which made nine parts out of ten, andthe © tenth part fhe had to dilpofe of at pleafure; fee Vamb. xv. 9. though that feems to be reftrained to a burnt-offering only: anda bottle of wine 5 part - of which might be for the drink-offering which always attended a meat-offering, and the reft for her. own ufe, and that of her friends: and brought bim to the houfe of the Lord in Shiloh; the tabernacle there, and delivered him up to the care of the highprieft, to be trained up in the fervice of God: and ¢he child was young; avery child, very young in years, a little infant; not a fucking child, as the Zargum, becaufe weaned, otherwife of a very tender age; though fome think this expreffes that he was a well-grown lad, and was fharp and acute, and could well diftinguifh between good and evil.

¥.25. 4nd they flew a bullock, &c.| On spike three Hannah brought, unlefs the fingular is put for the plural, and fo all three were flain, fome for facrifice, and fome for food perhaps; or if only one was flain, it might be offered as a facrifice previous to the prefentation of Samuel; or elfe was the world. made a prefent of to E/i, at the introduction of Sa-

¥. 23. And Elkanah her hufband faid unto her, do what feemeth thee good, &c.| He fpake like a kind and indulgent hufband, knowing that fhe would not thereby break any law of God; and it might be more for her own health, and the health muelto him, as follows: and brought the child to Zi; to be under his care, to be inftru@ted and ~ trained up by him in the fervice of the tabernacle; ~= from hence it appears, that Elkanah the hufband of Hannah came along with her at thistime.

~and take him under his care as his difciple or cho- mn he i Be &. yd } t —, ‘ eee ee ee ee athens FROM £4 a eets vt hollgee” Se otek. ytised baie *y. 26. yi id foe faid, O my lord, &c.] According: t rgum, it is a fupplication or requeft, 1 befeech thee, my lord; that is, to look upon her.fon, perhaps-he: knew not ithen-partioularly what ir was the afked 5 nor did dhe acquaint him with feat parting as fhe now,did, having obtained ‘ef the Lord t what. fhe.was fo felicitous for, and now makes lar, to inftruét him in the law of God, andenter hitn into ‘his fervice; to which kh might,be very ‘backward and indifferent, and even treat it. with fome degree of contempt, that fuch a young.Leite fhould be brought to him, when the fooneft the Levites were admitted was at 25 years.of age: as thy foul liveth, my lord, which Ben Gerfom takes for the form.of.an oath, as if the fwore to. the truth of what. follows by the life of the highprieft; but as it was forbidden to {wear by any by the living God, by his life, it can’t be thought Yo good a woman as Hennah would be guilty of fuch a finful and heathenifh practice; this rather is mention of wich thankfulndS. 9 6 W..28., Dherefore alfa I have lent bimtothe Lord, &c ].To be employed in his fervice, not fora few days,, months, or years, bur, for his whole’life. 'Che Yargum is, “* 1 dave: delivered him that he may minifter before the Lord;” as fhe had ré- ceived him from him. as an anfwer of prayer, the gave-him, up to. him again:according to her vow": gins as he Viveth he feall: be lent unto the Lord»; butlor as the Targum, ‘‘ allthe days that he lives he fhall be miniftring beforesthe Luord;?? or all the days be hall be ajked (or required) by or for the Lord®; that.is, he fhall be Jent unto’ him, and ferve him awifh or prayer for his life and health, and t

‘continuance thereof, to bring up her fon in the exercife Of true religion; Jam the woman that flood by thee bere, praying unto the Lord; by which.it appears, that £/i was now at. the tabernacle, and. in ‘the fame place he was,-¥. 9. when fhe, was, fome years ago praying near him, at the diftance of 4 cubits, as the Jews fay: fhe takes no notice of his miftaking her for a drunken woman, nor of his cenfure'on her, and the reproof he gave her; but puts him in mind only of her praying to the Lord, ftanding near to him, which made him take the, more notice of her; ftanding is a prayer-pofture; the “Fews fay there- is no ftanding but what is prayer, ‘or prayer is meant by it; fee the note on Matt. Whe See

¥. 27. For this child I prayed, &¢.] Which the now had in her hand, and was prefenting to Zi: and the Lord bath given. me my petition which I afked of bim and which he alfo defired might be granted her, or foretold that it. would be, ¥. 17. tho’

FN this chaptet the fong of Hannab is recorded, y. 1—r1o. and an account issgiven of the ree turn of Elkanah and Hannab to their own home, and of the care fhe took yearly to provide acoat for Samuel, and of her being bleffed with many other children, and of the growth and miniftry of Sauel of his kingdom.

as long. as it is defired and be worfhipped the Lord there; in the tabernacle at the fame ‘time; either Elkanab, who with Hannab brought: the child to Ei, and now gave thanks to God for giving them the child, and prayed»unto him that he might be received into the fervice ‘of the fan¢ctuary; ‘or elfe Eli, to. whom the child was brought for admittance, who when he. heard that Hannab’s requeft was »granted, which he had intreated alfo might be, or had declared it would be, bowed his head, and gave-thanks to God for it; or rather the child Samuel, ashe was taught and trained up, bowed himfelf, before the Lord, and worfhipped him in the tabernacle.as foon as he was brought into it, though a child; for he only is fpoken of in this and the preceding verfe; and by fome interpreters the name Samuelis fupplied; the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and, Arabie verfions read in the plural number, and they worfbipped the Lord there 5 thatis, Elkanab and his wife; fo Mr. Weem/e ® tranflates and interprets it.

fhe had been favoured with, and celebrates the divine perfections, and treats of the dealings of God with men, both in away of providence and grace; but prophefies of things that fhould be done hereatter in J/rael, and particularly of the Mefiab and There is a great likenefs in this fong to the fong of the virgin Mary; compare

‘wickednefs of the fons of £4, y.12—17. and of Eii’s too gentle treatment of them when he reproved them for it, ¥. 22—-25. and of a fharp meflage fent him from the Lord on, that account, threaten- the Lord; not in her fon the Lord had given her, but »in the goodnefs and -kindnefS of the Gord in ing deftruction to his houfe, of which the death of beftowing him.on her, as an anfwer of ‘prayer;

his two fons would be a fign, y, 2736, yn. Und Hannah prayed and jrid, 8c.] She

“had prayed before, but that was mental, this vo-

‘cal; fhehad pr and was anfwered, and had fe prayed for, and now the givesthanks for

‘§t, and thank{giving is one kind of prayer, or a “Spart of it; fee 1 Tim. ii. 1. Phil. iv. 6. wherefore though what follows is a fong, it was expreffed in prayer; and therefore it is faid fhe prayed, and that by a fpirit of prophecy, as the Targum; hence fhe

‘is by the Fews* reckoned one of the feven pro-

- ‘pheteffes 5 and indeed in this fong fhe not only re-

“+. ‘lates the gracious experiences of divine goodnefs