An Overview of I Samuel 1-4 Answers

1. Who was Elkanah, Hannah, and Peninnah?

• “Now there was a certain man of Ramathaimzophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was

Elkanah, the

son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite

: And

he had two wives

; the

name of the one was

Hannah

, and the name of the other

Peninnah

: and

Peninnah had children, but Hannah

had no children

” (I Samuel 1:1-2).

• The barren among Israel shows us their condition as a nation (Deuteronomy 7:12-14).

• At the same time, some great men have come from those once barren:

o Isaac (Genesis 11:30; 17:19).

o Jacob and Esau (Genesis 25:21-26).

o Samson (Judges 13:1-5).

o John the baptizer (Luke 1:36ff.).

2. Why did Hannah receive a worthy [double] portion from her husband at the time of offering?

• “And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her

daughters, portions:

But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the LORD had shut

up her womb

” (I Samuel 1:4-5).

3. What did Hannah’s adversary do unto her?

• “And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her

womb. And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, so she provoked her;

therefore she wept, and did not eat” (I Samuel 1:6-7).

• The implication is that Peninnah was Hannah’s adversary.

4. What did Hannah vow unto the Lord?

• “So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat

upon a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD. And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the

LORD, and wept sore. And she vowed a vow, and said,

O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the

affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine

handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come

upon his head

” (I Samuel 1:9-11; cf. Ecclesiastes 5:4-6).

5. What did Eli think as he noticed [marked] the mouth of Hannah and what occurs as he talks with her?

• “And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli marked her mouth. Now

Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she

had been drunken. And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee. And

Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor

strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD. Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of

Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto. Then Eli answered and

said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him. And she said, Let

thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was

no more sad” (I Samuel 1:12-18).

• This is a good lesson of putting our burdens upon the Lord in prayer (Philippians 4:6).

6. How did the Lord answer Hannah’s request unto Him?

• “And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the LORD, and returned, and came to

their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the LORD remembered her. Wherefore it

came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called

his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the LORD” (I Samuel 1:19-20).

7. Did Hannah keep her vow to God?

• Yes: “But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child be weaned,

and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the LORD, and there abide for ever. And Elkanah her

husband said unto her, Do what seemeth thee good; tarry until thou have weaned him; only the LORD

establish his word. So the woman abode, and gave her son suck until she weaned him. And when she had

weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and

brought him unto the house of the LORD in Shiloh: and the child was young. And they slew a bullock, and

brought the child to Eli. And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by

thee here, praying unto the LORD. For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I

asked of him: Therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD.

And he worshipped the LORD there... And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister

unto the LORD before Eli the priest” (I Samuel 1:22-28; 2:11).

8. What does Hannah show us about God in her prayer (I Samuel 2:1-10)?

• The fact that the Holy Spirit revealed it, shows it to be truth (John 17:17).

• 2:1 And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD:

my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies

; because I rejoice in thy salvation. cf. Psalms 18:3

• 2:2

There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our

God

. cf. Isaiah 46:9

• 2:3 Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a

God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. cf. Proverbs 16:2

• 2:4-5 The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength. They

that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren hath

born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble. cf. Isaiah 5:15

• 2:6-8 T

he LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up

. The LORD

maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up. He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and

lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of

glory: for

the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, and he hath set the world upon them

. cf. Daniel 4:35

• 2:9-10 He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall

no man prevail. The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon

them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn

of his anointed. cf. Psalms 37:28

9. What was the difference between Eli’s sons and Samuel?

• “

Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD.

And the priests' custom with the

people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was in seething,

with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand; And he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that

the fleshhook brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that came

thither. Also before they burnt the fat, the priest's servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give

flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have sodden flesh of thee, but raw. And if any man said unto him,

Let them not fail to burn the fat presently, and then take as much as thy soul desireth; then he would answer

him, Nay; but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force.

Wherefore the sin of the young men

was very great before the LORD: for men abhorred the offering of the LORD. But Samuel ministered before

the LORD, being a child, girded with a linen ephod

. Moreover his mother made him a little coat, and brought

it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice” (I Samuel 2:12-

19).

10. What is meant by Eli’s sons being called the sons of Belial (use your concordance to look up verses allowing the
Bible to define the meaning of the term)?

• The terms means worthless, without profit (BDB).

• (Deuteronomy 13:13) Certain men, the children of Belial, are gone out from among you, and have

withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known;

• (Judges 19:22) Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain sons of

Belial, beset the house round about, and beat at the door, and spake to the master of the house, the old

man, saying, Bring forth the man that came into thine house, that we may know him.

• (Judges 20:13) Now therefore deliver us the men, the children of Belial, which are in Gibeah, that we

may put them to death, and put away evil from Israel. But the children of Benjamin would not hearken to the

voice of their brethren the children of Israel:

• (I Samuel 1:16) Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my

complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto.

• (I Samuel 2:12) Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD.

• (I Samuel 10:27) But the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him,

and brought him no presents. But he held his peace.

• (I Samuel 25:17) Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do; for evil is determined against our

master, and against all his household: for he is such a son of Belial, that a man cannot speak to him.

• (I Samuel 25:25) Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, even Nabal: for as his name is,

so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: but I thine handmaid saw not the young men of my lord,

whom thou didst send.

• (I Samuel 30:22) Then answered all the wicked men and men of Belial, of those that went with David,

and said, Because they went not with us, we will not give them ought of the spoil that we have recovered, save

to every man his wife and his children, that they may lead them away, and depart.

• (II Samuel 16:7) And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and

thou man of Belial:

• (II Samuel 20:1) And there happened to be there a man of Belial, whose name was Sheba, the son of

Bichri, a Benjamite: and he blew a trumpet, and said, We have no part in David, neither have we inheritance

in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel.

• (II Samuel 23:6) But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot

be taken with hands:

• (I Kings 21:10) And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou

didst blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die.

• (I Kings 21:13) And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him: and the men of Belial

witnessed against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did blaspheme

God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died.

• (II Chronicles 13:7) And there are gathered unto him vain men, the children of Belial, and have

strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and

tenderhearted, and could not withstand them.

• (II Corinthians 6:15) And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with

an infidel?

11. Was Samuel Hannah’s only child now that God had blessed her?

• No: “And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, The LORD give thee seed of this woman for the

loan which is lent to the LORD. And they went unto their own home. And the LORD visited Hannah, so that

she conceived, and bare

three sons and two daughters

. And the child Samuel grew before the LORD” (I

Samuel 2:20-21).

12. Did Eli allow his sons to come between himself and the Lord?

• Yes: “Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the

women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And he said unto them, Why do ye

such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people. Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I

hear: ye make the LORD'S people to transgress. If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him:

but if a man sin against the LORD, who shall intreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the

voice of their father, because the LORD would slay them. And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour

both with the LORD, and also with men. And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith

the LORD, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh's house?

And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon mine altar, to burn incense, to

wear an ephod before me? and did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the

children of Israel? Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my

habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of

Israel my people? Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy

father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I

will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine

arm, and the arm of thy father's house, that there shall not be an old man in thine house. And thou shalt see

an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel: and there shall not be an old man in

thine house for ever. And the man of thine, whom I shall not cut off from mine altar, shall be to consume thine

eyes, and to grieve thine heart: and all the increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age. And

this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they

shall die both of them. And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine

heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever. And

it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in thine house shall come and crouch to him for a piece of

silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priests' offices, that I may eat

a piece of bread” (I Samuel 2:22-36).

13. How many revelations were being made known as we begin the third chapter of I Samuel?

• The word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation (I Samuel 3:1).

14. When the Lord first communicates with Samuel, was Samuel confused?

• Yes, he thought three times that it was Eli that called him (I Samuel 3:4-8). Eli then figures it was God

trying to communicate with Samuel and instructs Samuel to answer the Lord the next time he called. He did as

Eli instructed (I Samuel 3:8-10).

15. What did God reveal to Samuel this first time Samuel has a revelation from Him?

• “And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one

that heareth it shall tingle. In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his

house: when I begin, I will also make an end. For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the

iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not. And therefore

I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor

offering for ever” (I Samuel 3:11-14).

16. Did Samuel tell Eli what God had revealed unto him?

• Yes: “And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel

feared to shew Eli the vision. Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here am

I. And he said, What is the thing that the LORD hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God do

so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that he said unto thee.

And Samuel

told him every whit, and hid nothing from him

. And he said, It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good”

(I Samuel 3:15-18).

17. Did Samuel become a leader in Israel?

• Yes: “And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.

And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD” (I

Samuel 3:19-20).

18. Were the children of Israel successful against the Philistines before bringing the ark of God into their midst?

• No, four thousand men were slain (I Samuel 4:1-2).

19. Were the children of Israel successful against the Philistines after bringing the ark of God into their midst?

• No, thirty thousand fell as the Philistines fought, FEARING THE ARK OF GOD, yet they did not want to

be in captivity (I Samuel 4:3-10).

20. Did God’s revelation to Samuel causing ears to tingle come true?

• Yes, the ark was gone and the sons of Eli were killed (I Samuel 4:11; 17; 22; cf. Exodus 30:6).

21. What happened to Eli when the news of what happened at the hands of the Philistines came unto him?

• “And the messenger answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a

great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of

God is taken. And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the seat

backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And

he had judged Israel forty years” (I Samuel 4:17-18).

22. What happened when Phinehas' wife heard of all the events which had occurred?

• “And his daughter in law, Phinehas' wife, was with child, near to be delivered: and when she heard the

tidings that the ark of God was taken, and that her father in law and her husband were dead, she bowed

herself and travailed; for her pains came upon her. And about the time of her death the women that stood by

her said unto her, Fear not; for thou hast born a son. But she answered not, neither did she regard it. And

she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken,

and because of her father in law and her husband. And she said, The glory is departed from Israel: for the

ark of God is taken” (I Samuel 4:19-22).

• His name literally means “no glory”.

Having A Basic Understanding of Some Old Testament Truths
Part 40 – Hannah Being Barren Through The Birth Of Ichabod [No Glory] (I Samuel 1-4)

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