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.

Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons?

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.

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.

So the

And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad. And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the LORD, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and the LORD remembered Hannah.

Wherefore it came to pass that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the LORD.

COMMENT.-Though the Israelites so grievously neglected the worship of the Lord at Shiloh, the place where He had set His name, there were some who faithfully went up three times a year to the three feasts of the Passover, the Weeks, and the Tabernacles. One of these was a man named Elkanah, who lived at Ramah, one of the cities of the Levites, in the tribe of Ephraim, so that he was sometimes called an Ephraimite, though he was really one of the family of Kohath, descended from Korah. He had two wives -Hannah, whose name means "grace," and Peninnah, a pearl."

* A wicked, reprobate person.

† Asked of God.

It was somewhat as it was with Rachel and Leah: the childless wife was the best beloved, but the mother of the many children vexed the barren woman with taunts and mockery. But, unlike Rachel, Hannah did not turn on her husband with "Give me children, or I die." She betook herself unto the Lord. It must be remembered that the desire of children was with Israelite women far more than the tender yearning for the joy and love of motherhood; it was the hope to be parent, either directly or remotely, to the Seed of theWoman, the Seed of Abraham, in whom all nations should be blessed; the Sceptre of Judah, the Prophet like unto Moses-for by these names they already knew Him who was to come. Her grief, and the sorrow she suffered from Peninnah, were so great that her husband perceived it, and strove to comfort her; but she must have been a woman of the kindest and meekest spirit, since she never seems to have complained to him of the woman who had become an adversary or enemy to her. Only she poured out her soul before the Lord. After the family had eaten and drunk, i.e. partaken of their peace-offerings, with cups of wine -the means, like a sacrament, by which they made themselves sharers in the sacrifice-she went apart in the women's court to pray. It was just as a Christian now offers special prayers at the Communion of the Body of Christ, the Great Sacrifice, with special hope and confidence. So fervent was her unspoken prayer, that her agitation was mistaken by the high priest for the effect of wine, and he rebuked her; but she answered with humble meekness that touched his heart, and won his blessing on her and on her prayer and vow.

For she had not prayed for a son merely to be her pleasure and protector. Her desire was to give him to the Lord all his life, making him one of those persons who set themselves apart for special devotion to God, left their hair long, and drank no wine, and were called " Nazarites," from a word meaning “separate." Therefore, when the babe for whom she had prayed was granted to her, she named him Samuel, or "asked of God," and viewed him not as hers, but as the Lord's. And thus, like Rachel, Hannah is a type of the Gentile Church-later a mother—but beloved.

Eli, the present high priest, was a descendant of Ithamar, not

Phinehas. He was the first distinguished high priest since Phinehas, and was likewise Judge, probably over the tribes within the Jordan, while Jephthah was protecting those on the eastward.

LESSON XXXIX.

THE DEDICATION OF SAMUEL.

I SAMUEL i. 21-28; ii. 1-10, 18-21.

And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer unto the LORD the yearly sacrifice, and his vow.

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, O 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 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.

There is none holy as the LORD:

For there is none beside thee:

Neither is there any rock like our God.

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.

The bows of the mighty men are broken,

* I am glad.

+ Open wide in praise.

+ Pride.

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 borne seven ;

And she that hath many children is waxed feeble.

The 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.

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.

But Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a chuid, 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.

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 bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the LORD.

COMMENT. While her babe was young, Hannah remained at home to tend him; but as soon as he was able to do without her care, she remembered that she had promised him unto the Lord. She was not like those who make vows in their distress and forget them when their trouble is over, for she denied herself all the delights of watching his boyhood, and brought her little Nazarite with his long hair upon his shoulders to be presented to the Lord for his special service. The three bullocks were-one for the burntoffering, an atonement to purify the dedication; the other two for a thank-offering and a feast with the wine and flour. The words "the child was young" imply in the Hebrew that he was a child indeed, humble, simple, and obedient, fit to be thus consecrated,

and, indeed, one of the children of whom our Lord said, “Of such is the kingdom of heaven.”

And at that dedication, Hannah, the first of the children of Korah in whom we find the gift of holy psalmody that was to shine so brightly in the family afterwards, led a solemn song of thanksgiving, full of prophecy. She speaks of her horn being exalted. This image is taken from the gazelles of the hills, or the wild bull of Ephraim, creatures that raise their horned brows in dignity when happy. Her mouth is opened to rejoice in the salvation or safety that the Holy Spirit, who was speaking by her, assured her the boy she had dedicated would give to Israel, through trust in God, the Rock of Strength. Just as Peninnah could no more boast over her, no more should the enemies of Israel rejoice over them, when once the Levite boy should be led forth against them by God; for, as she goes on to say, the Lord can set up the poor and weak, and bring down the proud and mighty ; for the earth is His temple, and rests upon His will. "He shall give strength unto His king, and exalt the horn of His Anointed." Thus did the inspired mother conclude her song of consecration of him who should anoint twe kings for Israel, and in one of them set apart the royal line whence the Seed should come. It is Hannah who thus, first of all, prophesying far, far on beyond either David or Saul, uses this word Anointed-Messiah in the Hebrew, Christ as we use it from the Greek-denoting the kingly, priestly, and prophetic offices of the Redeemer. He it is who is the "salvation" of all the world; He it is who putteth down the proud and wise in their own conceit, and exalteth those who humble themselves; who made the Jews, once full, go hungry away, and filled those who hungered and thirsted after righteousness; who accepted the formerly barren Gentile Church, when the Jewish ceased to bring forth children unto Him; who raised the beggar from the dunghill to be carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom, and who at the end shall put down all enemies under His feet. So far and so gloriously did Hannah's song look on and on, though not in full understood by her who sung or by those who heard. There it remained-to be sung by the Levites, a little altered, as the 11th Psalm; and it can hardly be doubted that it was taken up and made fuller and more glorious by the ever-blessed Mary, when she was giving