Thursday, February 1, 2024

Reading for February 9th

 Read 1 Samuel 1.1-18. In 1.1-18: Hannah's request. In verse 3: Elkanah's annual pilgrimage to the temple of Yahweh or house of the Lord (v. 7) in Shiloh shows him to be a righteous man. Lord of host or "armies" (Heb., "sebaoth") describes the Lord's leadership in wars both divine and on behalf of Israel. In verses 5-8: The value of a woman's ability to bear children in ancient Israel lies behind Hannah's depression. Her barrenness is comparable to that of Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel in Genesis and of Samson's mother in Judg 13. In verse 11: Nazirites were devoted to the Lord for some special purpose and were prohibited from drinking alcohol or eating grapes, cutting their hair or beards, and approaching a dead body (Num 6,1-21). Intoxicants refers to a form of beer. In verse 13: Eli thought she was drunk either because his eyesight was poor (3.2) or because he had lost the capacity to discern the sacred from the secular, and therefore could not tell that Hannah was praying. Comments or Questions..

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