1 Samuel 2:27-36
 
27 One day a man of God came to Eli and gave him this message from the Lord: “I revealed myself to your ancestors when they were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt. 28 I chose your ancestor Aaron from among all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer sacrifices on my altar, to burn incense, and to wear the priestly vest as he served me. And I assigned the sacrificial offerings to you priests. 29 So why do you scorn my sacrifices and offerings? Why do you give your sons more honor than you give me—for you and they have become fat from the best offerings of my people Israel!

30 “Therefore, the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I promised that your branch of the tribe of Levi would always be my priests. But I will honor those who honor me, and I will despise those who think lightly of me. 31 The time is coming when I will put an end to your family, so it will no longer serve as my priests. All the members of your family will die before their time. None will reach old age. 32 You will watch with envy as I pour out prosperity on the people of Israel. But no members of your family will ever live out their days. 33 The few not cut off from serving at my altar will survive, but only so their eyes can go blind and their hearts break, and their children will die a violent death. 34 And to prove that what I have said will come true, I will cause your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, to die on the same day!

35 “Then I will raise up a faithful priest who will serve me and do what I desire. I will establish his family, and they will be priests to my anointed kings forever. 36 Then all of your surviving family will bow before him, begging for money and food. ‘Please,’ they will say, ‘give us jobs among the priests so we will have enough to eat.’”

2:27 A man of God is a synonym for “prophet” (e.g., 9:6; 2 Kings 1:9). Thus the LORD has said is the regular prophetic “messenger formula.” In Samuel this formula appears also in 1 Sam. 10:18; 15:2; 2 Sam. 7:5, 8; 12:7, 11; 24:12. In the ancient world, messengers were supposed to recite their messages verbatim, so the messenger would begin with “[The sender] has spoken thus” and use the first person in the body of the message (e.g., Gen. 45:9).

2:29 You is plural here. The form of the verb scorn indicates a habitual action. By scorning the offerings, Eli is scorning the Lord and honoring his sons, while the Lord honors those who honor him and lightly esteems those who despise him (v. 30).

2:30 Though the Lord promised, he can revoke his promise for willful disregard of the terms of the promise. Far be it from me is a statement of strong denial of the previous statement (e.g., Gen. 44:7; 1 Sam. 12:23; 2 Sam. 20:20; cf. also 1 Sam. 20:9).

2:31–34 This is a curse for breaking the Lord’s covenant, with punishment given in words of curses similar to the curses in the covenant. Behold, the days are coming is an eschatological formula often found in the Prophets. The only one who shall be spared is Abiathar, who escaped when the priests of Nob were killed (22:20). Solomon later banished him to Anathoth; see 1 Kings 2:26–27, where it is stated that the banishment was a fulfillment of the prophecy against Eli. Jeremiah was probably descended from this house (Jer. 1:1). All the descendants is a general statement, because there are references to those who were left (see the previous clause in 1 Sam. 2:33, as well as v. 36). Eli will not live to experience the punishment, but the death of his two sons on the same day will be a sign to him that the prophecy is true.

2:35 The faithful priest with a sure house is probably Zadok, priest under David and a descendant of Ithamar’s brother Eleazar, son of Aaron (2 Sam. 8:17; 1 Chron. 24:3; see also Judg. 20:28). The Hebrew word “faithful” is the same as “sure” later in the sentence: the ne’eman priest will have a ne’eman house. The anointed is the king. The wording here is similar to that in 2 Samuel 7, where David is promised a “sure” house (2 Sam. 7:16).

Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 495–496.

4. Can a person be good enough to go to heaven? No. Because Jesus rose from the dead, proving He is God, I believe a person is saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

(John 1:12, 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 4:1-25, 5:1-2, 6-11, 6:23, 10:1-4, 10:9; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 2:1-9; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Titus 3:4-7)

1 Samuel 2:18-21, 26
 
18 But Samuel, though he was only a boy, served the Lord. He wore a linen garment like that of a priest. 19 Each year his mother made a small coat for him and brought it to him when she came with her husband for the sacrifice. 20 Before they returned home, Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, “May the Lord give you other children to take the place of this one she gave to the Lord.” 21 And the Lord blessed Hannah, and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.

26 Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew taller and grew in favor with the Lord and with the people.

2:18–21 The story returns to another na‘ar (“young man, boy”), Samuel (cf. note on vv. 12–17, “young man”). Before, Samuel was ministering “in the presence of Eli the priest” (v. 11), but now he is ministering simply before the LORD, in the garment of a priest. The linen ephod was probably a simple tunic or apron worn by priests (22:18) or sometimes by others, as by David as he brought the ark to Jerusalem (2 Sam. 6:14).

2:26 Similar language is used in Luke 2:52 to describe the physical and spiritual growth of the boy Jesus.

Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 495.

4. Can a person be good enough to go to heaven? No. Because Jesus rose from the dead, proving He is God, I believe a person is saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

(John 1:12, 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 4:1-25, 5:1-2, 6-11, 6:23, 10:1-4, 10:9; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 2:1-9; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Titus 3:4-7)

1 Samuel 2:27–30

27 One day a man of God came to Eli and gave him this message from the Lord: “I revealed myself to your ancestors when they were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt. 28 I chose your ancestor Aaron from among all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer sacrifices on my altar, to burn incense, and to wear the priestly vest as he served me. And I assigned the sacrificial offerings to you priests. 29 So why do you scorn my sacrifices and offerings? Why do you give your sons more honor than you give me—for you and they have become fat from the best offerings of my people Israel!

30 “Therefore, the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I promised that your branch of the tribe of Levi would always be my priests. But I will honor those who honor me, and I will despise those who think lightly of me.

2:27–28 Did I indeed reveal …? Did I choose him …? These are rhetorical questions, expecting “Yes, indeed!” as an answer. The house of your father in vv. 27, 28, 30 is a technical term referring to Eli’s extended family. “Your father” probably refers specifically to Ithamar, son of Aaron, who was made a priest of the Lord at Mount Sinai along with his father and brothers (Ex. 28:1; cf. 1 Chron. 24:3). Eli was a descendant of this house, according to 1 Chron. 24:3, where it is stated that his great-great-great-grandson Ahimelech was “of the sons of Ithamar.” The descent from Eli to this Ahimelech is as follows: Eli—Phinehas—Ahitub (1 Sam. 14:3)—Ahimelech—Abiathar (22:20)—Ahimelech (2 Sam. 8:17; 1 Chron. 24:6). The duties of the priest were to go up to the Lord’s altar, i.e., (1) to burn offerings on the altar (e.g., Lev. 1:9), which was connected with the privilege of being sustained from portions of the sacrifices, a privilege that Eli’s sons were abusing (1 Sam. 2:12–17); (2) to burn incense on the altar of incense (Ex. 30:1; see Luke 1:9); and (3) to wear an ephod before God. This ephod was probably not the linen garment of 1 Sam. 2:18, but the jeweled breastplate described in Exodus 28 that symbolized the people of Israel, with pockets for the sacred lots (for priests casting lots, see Lev. 16:8, etc.). According to 1 Sam. 21:9, that ephod was later kept in the sanctuary of Nob, and Abiathar took it with him when he escaped to David (23:6). I gave to the house of your father all my offerings by fire. Except for the case of burnt offerings, which were wholly burned, when an offering was made, part was burned as a “memorial portion,” but the rest of the grain offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings and a part of the peace offerings were normally eaten by the priests (Lev. 6:14–18; 7:1–38).

2:27 A man of God is a synonym for “prophet” (e.g., 9:6; 2 Kings 1:9). Thus the LORD has said is the regular prophetic “messenger formula.” In Samuel this formula appears also in 1 Sam. 10:18; 15:2; 2 Sam. 7:5, 8; 12:7, 11; 24:12. In the ancient world, messengers were supposed to recite their messages verbatim, so the messenger would begin with “[The sender] has spoken thus” and use the first person in the body of the message (e.g., Gen. 45:9).

2:29 You is plural here. The form of the verb scorn indicates a habitual action. By scorning the offerings, Eli is scorning the Lord and honoring his sons, while the Lord honors those who honor him and lightly esteems those who despise him (v. 30).

2:30 Though the Lord promised, he can revoke his promise for willful disregard of the terms of the promise. Far be it from me is a statement of strong denial of the previous statement (e.g., Gen. 44:7; 1 Sam. 12:23; 2 Sam. 20:20; cf. also 1 Sam. 20:9).


Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 495–496.

4. Can a person be good enough to go to heaven? No. Because Jesus rose from the dead, proving He is God, I believe a person is saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

(John 1:12, 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 4:1-25, 5:1-2, 6-11, 6:23, 10:1-4, 10:9; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 2:1-9; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Titus 3:4-7)

1 Samuel 2:18-25

18 But Samuel, though he was only a boy, served the Lord. He wore a linen garment like that of a priest. 19 Each year his mother made a small coat for him and brought it to him when she came with her husband for the sacrifice. 20 Before they returned home, Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, “May the Lord give you other children to take the place of this one she gave to the Lord.” 21 And the Lord blessed Hannah, and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.

22 Now Eli was very old, but he was aware of what his sons were doing to the people of Israel. He knew, for instance, that his sons were seducing the young women who assisted at the entrance of the Tabernacle. 23 Eli said to them, “I have been hearing reports from all the people about the wicked things you are doing. Why do you keep sinning? 24 You must stop, my sons! The reports I hear among the Lord’s people are not good. 25 If someone sins against another person, God can mediate for the guilty party. But if someone sins against the Lord, who can intercede?” But Eli’s sons wouldn’t listen to their father, for the Lord was already planning to put them to death.

2:18–21 The story returns to another na‘ar (“young man, boy”), Samuel (cf. note on vv. 12–17, “young man”). Before, Samuel was ministering “in the presence of Eli the priest” (v. 11), but now he is ministering simply before the LORD, in the garment of a priest. The linen ephod was probably a simple tunic or apron worn by priests (22:18) or sometimes by others, as by David as he brought the ark to Jerusalem (2 Sam. 6:14).

2:22–23 The women were not Canaanite cult prostitutes, as is sometimes speculated. Lying with them was considered among the sons’ evil dealings.

2:25 if someone sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him? This shows the need for a mediator between man and God. Because of Eli’s sons’ willful rejection of him, it was the will of the LORD to put them to death. When God is determined to destroy, no human intercession is effective. For the writers of the Bible, the fact that divine providence and human character mingle means that destinies are regarded as ultimately the result of the divine will. The most obvious example is Pharaoh in Ex. 7:13, 22, etc. But this does not mean that people are not accountable; Hophni and Phinehas had rejected God, even ignoring their father’s warning.

Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 495.

4. Can a person be good enough to go to heaven? No. Because Jesus rose from the dead, proving He is God, I believe a person is saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

(John 1:12, 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 4:1-25, 5:1-2, 6-11, 6:23, 10:1-4, 10:9; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 2:1-9; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Titus 3:4-7)

1 Samuel 2:11-17

11 Then Elkanah returned home to Ramah without Samuel. And the boy served the Lord by assisting Eli the priest.

Eli’s Wicked Sons

12 Now the sons of Eli were scoundrels who had no respect for the Lord 13 or for their duties as priests. Whenever anyone offered a sacrifice, Eli’s sons would send over a servant with a three-pronged fork. While the meat of the sacrificed animal was still boiling, 14 the servant would stick the fork into the pot and demand that whatever it brought up be given to Eli’s sons. All the Israelites who came to worship at Shiloh were treated this way. 15 Sometimes the servant would come even before the animal’s fat had been burned on the altar. He would demand raw meat before it had been boiled so that it could be used for roasting.

16 The man offering the sacrifice might reply, “Take as much as you want, but the fat must be burned first.” Then the servant would demand, “No, give it to me now, or I’ll take it by force.” 17 So the sin of these young men was very serious in the Lord’s sight, for they treated the Lord’s offerings with contempt.

2:13–14 The priests were to be supported by portions of the sacrifices of the people. In various parts of the Mosaic law the portion to be given to the priests is specified for various sacrifices, e.g., Deut. 18:3 (shoulder, cheeks, and stomach) and Lev. 7:31–32 (breast and right thigh). But the practice in 1 Sam. 2:13–14 has little in common with the regulations on priestly rights.

2:15–16 This is an extraordinary situation: the priest, who was supposed to know the rules of sacrifice, was engaging in behavior that shocked even the ordinary worshiper. The fat was normally removed from certain internal organs and offered as a burnt offering to God (see Ex. 29:13; Lev. 3:3–5). Also, the priest would normally take his share right after killing the animal, before giving it to the worshiper.

2:17 It was because the sons of Eli did not know the Lord (v. 12) that they could treat with contempt his holy sacrifices that he had commanded for worship.


Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 494–495.

4. Can a person be good enough to go to heaven? No. Because Jesus rose from the dead, proving He is God, I believe a person is saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

(John 1:12, 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 4:1-25, 5:1-2, 6-11, 6:23, 10:1-4, 10:9; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 2:1-9; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Titus 3:4-7)

4. Can a person be good enough to go to heaven? No. Because Jesus rose from the dead, proving He is God, I believe a person is saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

(John 1:12, 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 4:1-25, 5:1-2, 6-11, 6:23, 10:1-4, 10:9; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 2:1-9; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Titus 3:4-7)

1 Samuel 2:11-36

11 Then Elkanah returned home to Ramah without Samuel. And the boy served the Lord by assisting Eli the priest.

Eli’s Wicked Sons

12 Now the sons of Eli were scoundrels who had no respect for the Lord 13 or for their duties as priests. Whenever anyone offered a sacrifice, Eli’s sons would send over a servant with a three-pronged fork. While the meat of the sacrificed animal was still boiling, 14 the servant would stick the fork into the pot and demand that whatever it brought up be given to Eli’s sons. All the Israelites who came to worship at Shiloh were treated this way. 15 Sometimes the servant would come even before the animal’s fat had been burned on the altar. He would demand raw meat before it had been boiled so that it could be used for roasting.

16 The man offering the sacrifice might reply, “Take as much as you want, but the fat must be burned first.” Then the servant would demand, “No, give it to me now, or I’ll take it by force.” 17 So the sin of these young men was very serious in the Lord’s sight, for they treated the Lord’s offerings with contempt.

18 But Samuel, though he was only a boy, served the Lord. He wore a linen garment like that of a priest. 19 Each year his mother made a small coat for him and brought it to him when she came with her husband for the sacrifice. 20 Before they returned home, Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, “May the Lord give you other children to take the place of this one she gave to the Lord.” 21 And the Lord blessed Hannah, and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.

22 Now Eli was very old, but he was aware of what his sons were doing to the people of Israel. He knew, for instance, that his sons were seducing the young women who assisted at the entrance of the Tabernacle. 23 Eli said to them, “I have been hearing reports from all the people about the wicked things you are doing. Why do you keep sinning? 24 You must stop, my sons! The reports I hear among the Lord’s people are not good. 25 If someone sins against another person, God can mediate for the guilty party. But if someone sins against the Lord, who can intercede?” But Eli’s sons wouldn’t listen to their father, for the Lord was already planning to put them to death.

26 Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew taller and grew in favor with the Lord and with the people.

A Warning for Eli’s Family

27 One day a man of God came to Eli and gave him this message from the Lord: “I revealed myself to your ancestors when they were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt. 28 I chose your ancestor Aaron from among all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer sacrifices on my altar, to burn incense, and to wear the priestly vest as he served me. And I assigned the sacrificial offerings to you priests. 29 So why do you scorn my sacrifices and offerings? Why do you give your sons more honor than you give me—for you and they have become fat from the best offerings of my people Israel!

30 “Therefore, the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I promised that your branch of the tribe of Levi would always be my priests. But I will honor those who honor me, and I will despise those who think lightly of me. 31 The time is coming when I will put an end to your family, so it will no longer serve as my priests. All the members of your family will die before their time. None will reach old age. 32 You will watch with envy as I pour out prosperity on the people of Israel. But no members of your family will ever live out their days. 33 The few not cut off from serving at my altar will survive, but only so their eyes can go blind and their hearts break, and their children will die a violent death. 34 And to prove that what I have said will come true, I will cause your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, to die on the same day!

35 “Then I will raise up a faithful priest who will serve me and do what I desire. I will establish his family, and they will be priests to my anointed kings forever. 36 Then all of your surviving family will bow before him, begging for money and food. ‘Please,’ they will say, ‘give us jobs among the priests so we will have enough to eat.’”

1 Samuel 2:1-11

Hannah’s Prayer of Praise
2 Then Hannah prayed:
“My heart rejoices in the Lord!
    The Lord has made me strong.[a]
Now I have an answer for my enemies;
    I rejoice because you rescued me.
2 No one is holy like the Lord!
    There is no one besides you;
    there is no Rock like our God.
3 “Stop acting so proud and haughty!
    Don’t speak with such arrogance!
For the Lord is a God who knows what you have done;
    he will judge your actions.
4 The bow of the mighty is now broken,
    and those who stumbled are now strong.
5 Those who were well fed are now starving,
    and those who were starving are now full.
The childless woman now has seven children,
    and the woman with many children wastes away.
6 The Lord gives both death and life;
    he brings some down to the grave[b] but raises others up.
7 The Lord makes some poor and others rich;
    he brings some down and lifts others up.
8 He lifts the poor from the dust
    and the needy from the garbage dump.
He sets them among princes,
    placing them in seats of honor.
For all the earth is the Lord’s,
    and he has set the world in order.
9 “He will protect his faithful ones,
    but the wicked will disappear in darkness.
No one will succeed by strength alone.
10     Those who fight against the Lord will be shattered.
He thunders against them from heaven;
    the Lord judges throughout the earth.
He gives power to his king;
    he increases the strength[c] of his anointed one.”
11 Then Elkanah returned home to Ramah without Samuel. And the boy served the Lord by assisting Eli the priest.

2:10 For the kingship of the Lord and his role as judge, see Ps. 96:10. The ends of the earth almost always appears in the context of describing the Lord’s uniqueness, majesty, and dominion (e.g., Ps. 67:7; 98:3; Prov. 30:4; Isa. 52:10; Mic. 5:4; Zech. 9:10). Since there was as yet no king in Israel, it is possible that the last two lines are a comment by the narrator rather than part of Hannah’s prayer. The law made provision for a king, however, and the institution was well known in Israel even before it was practiced (Judg. 8:22; 9:6; 1 Samuel 8), so there is no reason to think that these are not Hannah’s words. His anointed, or “his messiah,” appears here for the first time in the Bible (though Hb. mashiakh, “anointed,” is used of priests, e.g., Lev. 4:3). In the OT, priests and prophets are also referred to as “anointed,” but in Samuel most references are royal. Though the anointing of kings is known from various places in the ancient Near East, “messiah” as a royal title is attested only in the Bible. The song concludes with a twofold plea for the Lord to raise the king of Israel to a position of power and prominence worthy of the great God who appointed him.

Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 494.

3. Why did Jesus have to die on the cross? Since “all have sinned” and the “wages of sin is death,” Jesus had to die on the cross to pay the fine for my sin so I could be right with God.

(Romans 3:23, 5:8, 6:21-23, 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:1-6; Colossians 1:13-14, 21-22)

1 Samuel 2:1-11

Hannah’s Prayer of Praise
2 Then Hannah prayed:
“My heart rejoices in the Lord!
    The Lord has made me strong.[a]
Now I have an answer for my enemies;
    I rejoice because you rescued me.
2 No one is holy like the Lord!
    There is no one besides you;
    there is no Rock like our God.
3 “Stop acting so proud and haughty!
    Don’t speak with such arrogance!
For the Lord is a God who knows what you have done;
    he will judge your actions.
4 The bow of the mighty is now broken,
    and those who stumbled are now strong.
5 Those who were well fed are now starving,
    and those who were starving are now full.
The childless woman now has seven children,
    and the woman with many children wastes away.
6 The Lord gives both death and life;
    he brings some down to the grave[b] but raises others up.
7 The Lord makes some poor and others rich;
    he brings some down and lifts others up.
8 He lifts the poor from the dust
    and the needy from the garbage dump.
He sets them among princes,
    placing them in seats of honor.
For all the earth is the Lord’s,
    and he has set the world in order.
9 “He will protect his faithful ones,
    but the wicked will disappear in darkness.
No one will succeed by strength alone.
10     Those who fight against the Lord will be shattered.
He thunders against them from heaven;
    the Lord judges throughout the earth.
He gives power to his king;
    he increases the strength[c] of his anointed one.”
11 Then Elkanah returned home to Ramah without Samuel. And the boy served the Lord by assisting Eli the priest.

2:8 The Lord is sovereign over life, for he created and owns the world. The exact meaning of the word pillars (Hb. metsuqe) is not known, but there are similar expressions using the ordinary word for “pillars” (Hb. ‘ammudim; Job 9:6; Ps. 75:3) or “foundations” (2 Sam. 22:16). The reference to the foundation or support (“pillars”) of the earth is meaningful here, for the Lord upholds both the place where his people live as well as the moral order of this world; he protects his faithful, while he destroys the wicked (1 Sam. 2:9).

2:9 Darkness functions here as a metaphor for the silence brought upon the wicked in death (Ps. 35:6–8).

Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 494.

3. Why did Jesus have to die on the cross? Since “all have sinned” and the “wages of sin is death,” Jesus had to die on the cross to pay the fine for my sin so I could be right with God.

(Romans 3:23, 5:8, 6:21-23, 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:1-6; Colossians 1:13-14, 21-22)

1 Samuel 2:1-11

Hannah’s Prayer of Praise
2 Then Hannah prayed:
“My heart rejoices in the Lord!
    The Lord has made me strong.[a]
Now I have an answer for my enemies;
    I rejoice because you rescued me.
2 No one is holy like the Lord!
    There is no one besides you;
    there is no Rock like our God.
3 “Stop acting so proud and haughty!
    Don’t speak with such arrogance!
For the Lord is a God who knows what you have done;
    he will judge your actions.
4 The bow of the mighty is now broken,
    and those who stumbled are now strong.
5 Those who were well fed are now starving,
    and those who were starving are now full.
The childless woman now has seven children,
    and the woman with many children wastes away.
6 The Lord gives both death and life;
    he brings some down to the grave[b] but raises others up.
7 The Lord makes some poor and others rich;
    he brings some down and lifts others up.
8 He lifts the poor from the dust
    and the needy from the garbage dump.
He sets them among princes,
    placing them in seats of honor.
For all the earth is the Lord’s,
    and he has set the world in order.
9 “He will protect his faithful ones,
    but the wicked will disappear in darkness.
No one will succeed by strength alone.
10     Those who fight against the Lord will be shattered.
He thunders against them from heaven;
    the Lord judges throughout the earth.
He gives power to his king;
    he increases the strength[c] of his anointed one.”
11 Then Elkanah returned home to Ramah without Samuel. And the boy served the Lord by assisting Eli the priest.

2:6 Sheol here refers to the place of the dead. In the Bible, it is usually found in idiomatic expressions such as “go down to Sheol” or “come up from Sheol.” God is also the One who raises up a soul from Sheol (e.g., Ps. 30:3), so he has authority over the dead as well as the living. He is the One who holds the key to Job’s question: “If a man dies, shall he live again?” (Job 14:14). Job remains confident: “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth” (Job 19:25). Hannah affirms that same confidence.

2:7 The raising of the downtrodden that Hannah experiences prefigures the reversal of positions with Christ’s coming (Luke 1:48–53).

2:8 The Lord is sovereign over life, for he created and owns the world. The exact meaning of the word pillars (Hb. metsuqe) is not known, but there are similar expressions using the ordinary word for “pillars” (Hb. ‘ammudim; Job 9:6; Ps. 75:3) or “foundations” (2 Sam. 22:16). The reference to the foundation or support (“pillars”) of the earth is meaningful here, for the Lord upholds both the place where his people live as well as the moral order of this world; he protects his faithful, while he destroys the wicked (1 Sam. 2:9).

Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 493–494.

3. Why did Jesus have to die on the cross? Since “all have sinned” and the “wages of sin is death,” Jesus had to die on the cross to pay the fine for my sin so I could be right with God.

(Romans 3:23, 5:8, 6:21-23, 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:1-6; Colossians 1:13-14, 21-22)

1 Samuel 2:1-11

Hannah’s Prayer of Praise
2 Then Hannah prayed:
“My heart rejoices in the Lord!
    The Lord has made me strong.[a]
Now I have an answer for my enemies;
    I rejoice because you rescued me.
2 No one is holy like the Lord!
    There is no one besides you;
    there is no Rock like our God.
3 “Stop acting so proud and haughty!
    Don’t speak with such arrogance!
For the Lord is a God who knows what you have done;
    he will judge your actions.
4 The bow of the mighty is now broken,
    and those who stumbled are now strong.
5 Those who were well fed are now starving,
    and those who were starving are now full.
The childless woman now has seven children,
    and the woman with many children wastes away.
6 The Lord gives both death and life;
    he brings some down to the grave[b] but raises others up.
7 The Lord makes some poor and others rich;
    he brings some down and lifts others up.
8 He lifts the poor from the dust
    and the needy from the garbage dump.
He sets them among princes,
    placing them in seats of honor.
For all the earth is the Lord’s,
    and he has set the world in order.
9 “He will protect his faithful ones,
    but the wicked will disappear in darkness.
No one will succeed by strength alone.
10     Those who fight against the Lord will be shattered.
He thunders against them from heaven;
    the Lord judges throughout the earth.
He gives power to his king;
    he increases the strength[c] of his anointed one.”
11 Then Elkanah returned home to Ramah without Samuel. And the boy served the Lord by assisting Eli the priest.

2:3 by him actions are weighed. The ESV follows the “spoken” (Qere) Hebrew tradition, and means that God’s knowledge extends even to the motives behind human actions. The “written” (Ketib) tradition, “actions are not weighed,” would not make sense unless one added “his actions are not weighed,” i.e., God is not subject to human judgment.

2:5 seven. Hannah herself actually bore only six children, including Samuel (v. 21), but this is a general statement, and seven is a poetic number for perfection. is forlorn. The Hebrew usually means “becomes a widow,” but here it means “becomes childless.”

2:6–7 The Lord has total authority over life and death, including material and social life. Verses 4–5 give examples of how the Lord reverses human fortunes; vv. 6–7 state it more generally. kills … brings to life, brings down … raises up, makes poor … makes rich, brings low … exalts. These are merisms, expressions in which two words on the extreme ends of a scale are used to express everything on the whole scale. The Lord controls not only birth and death, but also the whole of life in between.


Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 493.

3. Why did Jesus have to die on the cross? Since “all have sinned” and the “wages of sin is death,” Jesus had to die on the cross to pay the fine for my sin so I could be right with God.

(Romans 3:23, 5:8, 6:21-23, 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:1-6; Colossians 1:13-14, 21-22)

1 Samuel 2:1-11

Hannah’s Prayer of Praise
2 Then Hannah prayed:
“My heart rejoices in the Lord!
    The Lord has made me strong.[a]
Now I have an answer for my enemies;
    I rejoice because you rescued me.
2 No one is holy like the Lord!
    There is no one besides you;
    there is no Rock like our God.
3 “Stop acting so proud and haughty!
    Don’t speak with such arrogance!
For the Lord is a God who knows what you have done;
    he will judge your actions.
4 The bow of the mighty is now broken,
    and those who stumbled are now strong.
5 Those who were well fed are now starving,
    and those who were starving are now full.
The childless woman now has seven children,
    and the woman with many children wastes away.
6 The Lord gives both death and life;
    he brings some down to the grave[b] but raises others up.
7 The Lord makes some poor and others rich;
    he brings some down and lifts others up.
8 He lifts the poor from the dust
    and the needy from the garbage dump.
He sets them among princes,
    placing them in seats of honor.
For all the earth is the Lord’s,
    and he has set the world in order.
9 “He will protect his faithful ones,
    but the wicked will disappear in darkness.
No one will succeed by strength alone.
10     Those who fight against the Lord will be shattered.
He thunders against them from heaven;
    the Lord judges throughout the earth.
He gives power to his king;
    he increases the strength[c] of his anointed one.”
11 Then Elkanah returned home to Ramah without Samuel. And the boy served the Lord by assisting Eli the priest.

2:1 my strength is exalted in the LORD. The song both starts and ends with the declaration that the Lord exalts. The verb translated as “exalt” or “raise up” appears also in vv. 7, 8, and 10 and expresses the theme of the song. The Hebrew for “horn,” translated as “strength” (here) and “power” (in v. 10), is often used as a symbol of strength (cf. Deut. 33:17; 2 Sam. 22:3; Ps. 89:17; etc.). With the expression my enemies, Hannah is not making a personal attack on Peninnah (one person) but is speaking against God’s enemies. His enemies are also Hannah’s enemies, because his enemies attack her trust in God and his dealings with her (see Ps. 139:21–22). The climax of this verse is because I rejoice in your salvation.

2:2 The first and third lines of this verse are parallel: holy is parallel to rock, and the LORD is parallel to God, with different structure but similar meaning. The formula “there is no … like …” denotes incomparability. Thus, there is none besides you states that there is no absolutely holy being besides the Lord; moreover, only the Lord is God, i.e., “monotheism” is true (see Deut. 4:35; 32:39; 2 Sam. 22:32). “Rock,” a common OT epithet for God (e.g., Deut. 32:4, 15; 2 Sam. 22:2; 23:3), indicates God’s protection and strength. In Ps. 118:22 and Isa. 8:14; 28:16; as well as in 1 Pet. 2:6–8, “rock” has a messianic significance (see note on 1 Sam. 2:10). With “our God,” Hannah speaks as a member of the covenant community, whom she addresses in the next verse.


Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 493.

3. Why did Jesus have to die on the cross? Since “all have sinned” and the “wages of sin is death,” Jesus had to die on the cross to pay the fine for my sin so I could be right with God.

(Romans 3:23, 5:8, 6:21-23, 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:1-6; Colossians 1:13-14, 21-22)

1 Samuel 1:21-28

21 The next year Elkanah and his family went on their annual trip to offer a sacrifice to the Lord and to keep his vow. 22 But Hannah did not go. She told her husband, “Wait until the boy is weaned. Then I will take him to the Tabernacle and leave him there with the Lord permanently.”

23 “Whatever you think is best,” Elkanah agreed. “Stay here for now, and may the Lord help you keep your promise.” So she stayed home and nursed the boy until he was weaned.

24 When the child was weaned, Hannah took him to the Tabernacle in Shiloh. They brought along a three-year-old bull for the sacrifice and a basket of flour and some wine. 25 After sacrificing the bull, they brought the boy to Eli. 26 “Sir, do you remember me?” Hannah asked. “I am the very woman who stood here several years ago praying to the Lord. 27 I asked the Lord to give me this boy, and he has granted my request. 28 Now I am giving him to the Lord, and he will belong to the Lord his whole life.” And they worshiped the Lord there.

1:24 Either a three-year-old bull or “three bulls” (ESV footnote). In either case Elkanah apparently was a prosperous man who was able to afford an expensive offering of a bull or bulls and large amounts of grain and wine. Three bulls would correspond to the priestly regulations, which specify that together with each bull sacrificed, three-tenths of an ephah of grain should be offered (Num. 15:9; 28:12, 20, 28). With three bulls, one would expect an offering of nine-tenths of an ephah, just a little less than the one ephah that Hannah offered. The skin (or “jar”) may have held as much as 6 gallons (22 l) of wine. The reference to the child anticipates references to “the boy” (the Hb. word in both cases is na‘ar) in 1 Sam. 2:11.

1:25 the bull. See note on v. 24.

1:26 As you live, or “as your soul lives,” is a common form of oath (2 Sam. 11:11; 14:19), as is the phrase “as the LORD lives” (see 1 Sam. 14:39; 26:16; Jer. 16:14–15). The two were often combined (1 Sam. 20:3; 25:26; 2 Kings 2:2).

1:27 And the LORD has granted me my petition that I made to him repeats almost verbatim Eli’s blessing in v. 17. Joyously, Hannah points to this child as the answer to her prayer. The words “petition” (here and v. 17), “asked” (v. 20), and “lent” (v. 28 twice) are all from the verbal root sha’al, so a wordplay may be intended.

Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 492–493.

2. Are there sources outside the Bible that confirm the Biblical account of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead? Many Roman and Jewish historians have confirmed that the apostles died as martyrs for preaching that they saw Jesus risen from the grave. No one dies for something they know to be a lie.

(Luke 1:1-4; Acts 26:26; 1 John 1:1-4, Josephus, Clement, Hegesippus, Tertullian, Origen, Polycarp)

1 Samuel 1:18-20

18 “Oh, thank you, sir!” she exclaimed. Then she went back and began to eat again, and she was no longer sad.

Samuel’s Birth and Dedication
19 The entire family got up early the next morning and went to worship the Lord once more. Then they returned home to Ramah. When Elkanah slept with Hannah, the Lord remembered her plea, 20 and in due time she gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel,[f] for she said, “I asked the Lord for him.”

1:20 The most natural meaning of the name Samuel is “name of God,” or possibly “offspring of God.” Samuel bore the name of God, who gave him to Hannah.

Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 492.

2. Are there sources outside the Bible that confirm the Biblical account of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead? Many Roman and Jewish historians have confirmed that the apostles died as martyrs for preaching that they saw Jesus risen from the grave. No one dies for something they know to be a lie.

(Luke 1:1-4; Acts 26:26; 1 John 1:1-4, Josephus, Clement, Hegesippus, Tertullian, Origen, Polycarp)

1 Samuel 1:9-18

Hannah’s Prayer for a Son
9 Once after a sacrificial meal at Shiloh, Hannah got up and went to pray. Eli the priest was sitting at his customary place beside the entrance of the Tabernacle. 10 Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord. 11 And she made this vow: “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the Lord, his hair will never be cut.”

12 As she was praying to the Lord, Eli watched her. 13 Seeing her lips moving but hearing no sound, he thought she had been drinking. 14 “Must you come here drunk?” he demanded. “Throw away your wine!”

15 “Oh no, sir!” she replied. “I haven’t been drinking wine or anything stronger. But I am very discouraged, and I was pouring out my heart to the Lord. 16 Don’t think I am a wicked woman! For I have been praying out of great anguish and sorrow.”

17 “In that case,” Eli said, “go in peace! May the God of Israel grant the request you have asked of him.”

18 “Oh, thank you, sir!” she exclaimed. Then she went back and began to eat again, and she was no longer sad.

1:12–19 Eli shows his piety in rebuking Hannah, whom he takes to be drunk (which would be an offense to the sanctuary). But Hannah explains that her visible display of emotion is genuine, due to deep anguish. Eli acknowledges his mistake and blesses Hannah—a blessing that proves effective.


Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 492.

2. Are there sources outside the Bible that confirm the Biblical account of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead? Many Roman and Jewish historians have confirmed that the apostles died as martyrs for preaching that they saw Jesus risen from the grave. No one dies for something they know to be a lie.

(Luke 1:1-4; Acts 26:26; 1 John 1:1-4, Josephus, Clement, Hegesippus, Tertullian, Origen, Polycarp)

1 Samuel 1:9-18

Hannah’s Prayer for a Son
9 Once after a sacrificial meal at Shiloh, Hannah got up and went to pray. Eli the priest was sitting at his customary place beside the entrance of the Tabernacle. 10 Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord. 11 And she made this vow: “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the Lord, his hair will never be cut.”

12 As she was praying to the Lord, Eli watched her. 13 Seeing her lips moving but hearing no sound, he thought she had been drinking. 14 “Must you come here drunk?” he demanded. “Throw away your wine!”

15 “Oh no, sir!” she replied. “I haven’t been drinking wine or anything stronger. But I am very discouraged, and I was pouring out my heart to the Lord. 16 Don’t think I am a wicked woman! For I have been praying out of great anguish and sorrow.”

17 “In that case,” Eli said, “go in peace! May the God of Israel grant the request you have asked of him.”

18 “Oh, thank you, sir!” she exclaimed. Then she went back and began to eat again, and she was no longer sad.

1:11 I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life seems to mean that Hannah will dedicate her son as a Nazirite. According to Numbers 6, people might make a special vow to separate themselves to the Lord for a time. This involved letting no razor … touch one’s head, eating nothing from the grapevine, and not going near a dead body. Hannah mentions only the razor in the text, but that part of the vow probably stood for the whole of the regulations. According to Lev. 27:1–8, a person as young as a month old could be vowed to the Lord, apparently to work in the temple. The Leviticus passage deals with redeeming someone who has been dedicated, but Hannah does not intend to redeem her son.

1:11 By his power to bring life out of barrenness God raises up Samuel as his representative, prefiguring the virgin birth of Christ (Matt. 1:25).

Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 492.

2. Are there sources outside the Bible that confirm the Biblical account of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead? Many Roman and Jewish historians have confirmed that the apostles died as martyrs for preaching that they saw Jesus risen from the grave. No one dies for something they know to be a lie.

(Luke 1:1-4; Acts 26:26; 1 John 1:1-4, Josephus, Clement, Hegesippus, Tertullian, Origen, Polycarp)

1 Samuel 1:1-8

Elkanah and His Family
1 There was a man named Elkanah who lived in Ramah in the region of Zuph in the hill country of Ephraim. He was the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, of Ephraim. 2 Elkanah had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah did not.

3 Each year Elkanah would travel to Shiloh to worship and sacrifice to the Lord of Heaven’s Armies at the Tabernacle. The priests of the Lord at that time were the two sons of Eli—Hophni and Phinehas. 4 On the days Elkanah presented his sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to Peninnah and each of her children. 5 And though he loved Hannah, he would give her only one choice portion because the Lord had given her no children. 6 So Peninnah would taunt Hannah and make fun of her because the Lord had kept her from having children. 7 Year after year it was the same—Peninnah would taunt Hannah as they went to the Tabernacle. Each time, Hannah would be reduced to tears and would not even eat.

8 “Why are you crying, Hannah?” Elkanah would ask. “Why aren’t you eating? Why be downhearted just because you have no children? You have me—isn’t that better than having ten sons?”

Probably Hannah was Elkanah’s first wife, since she is named first. Presumably he married Peninnah because Hannah was barren; lack of an heir was a major problem in the ancient Near East, as in many other societies. Taking a second wife was one way to try to solve the problem (Gen. 16:2), as was levirate marriage (see note on Matt. 22:24; also Gen. 38:8; Deut. 25:6). Elkanah’s pedigree suggests that it would be important to him to have an heir to continue the family and also that he was prosperous enough to afford a second marriage.

1:3 year by year. This may have been an annual family or clan gathering, celebrated by all its members, including women and children, such as the one later held by David’s family (20:6). the LORD of hosts. This is the first appearance in the Bible of the title “the LORD of hosts,” to whom Elkanah sacrifices and Hannah prays (1:11) at Shiloh. The title is used in Samuel several times and very frequently in the Psalms and the Prophets. “Hosts” (Hb. tseba’ot) is probably the plural of an abstract noun meaning something like “plentifulness” or “numberlessness.” Hence, it refers to numerous entities such as heavenly bodies (Isa. 40:26), angelic beings (Josh. 5:14, “army of the LORD”), the armies of Israel (1 Sam. 17:45), or all creatures (Gen. 2:1). The title may originally have been particularly connected with worship at the Shiloh sanctuary (see 1 Sam. 4:4), in which case “hosts” would probably have referred to angelic beings, portrayed as God’s “armies.” Shiloh, the modern Khirbet Seilun, is 20 miles (32 km) north of Jerusalem, toward the eastern border of Ephraim. The tent of meeting was set up there in Josh. 18:1. The city also appears in Judg. 21:19–24 as the place from which the Benjaminites took their brides. Its destruction, presumably at the time of the events of 1 Samuel 4, is mentioned in Ps. 78:60 and Jer. 7:12–14.

1:4 portions. Elkanah’s sacrifice is a “peace offering,” in which parts of the sacrificial animal are burned, parts are given to the priest, and parts are eaten by the people who brought the sacrifice (Lev. 7:11–36; see also 1 Sam. 2:12–17).

1:5 a double portion. The Hebrew is difficult here, literally “two noses as one portion,” perhaps referring to two heads of sacrificed sheep. In ritual texts from the city of Emar, the head of a sacrificial animal is treated as a favored part. This probably means that Hannah was given a “double portion,” possibly also of the most favored part.


Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 491.

2. Are there sources outside the Bible that confirm the Biblical account of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead? Many Roman and Jewish historians have confirmed that the apostles died as martyrs for preaching that they saw Jesus risen from the grave. No one dies for something they know to be a lie.

(Luke 1:1-4; Acts 26:26; 1 John 1:1-4, Josephus, Clement, Hegesippus, Tertullian, Origen, Polycarp)

36:10–12 Show Your Steadfast Love by Protecting Us from the Wicked. The final stanza is a prayer in response to the reflections of the first two stanzas. It follows the topics in reverse order: God’s steadfast love (v. 10), and the wicked (v. 11). It is an appeal to God’s reliable love for his faithful ones (those who know you, i.e., the upright of heart, v. 10), in the face of the scheming of those who would harm them.

Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 982.

1. Who is Jesus? I believe Jesus is God because Jesus said He is God and proved it by rising from the dead and appearing to His disciples, His brother James, 500 others at one time, and Paul.

(Mark 3:21; John 8:58, 10:30-33, 14:9-11; Acts 9:1-6; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:2-3; James 1:1)

36:5–9 God’s Precious Steadfast Love. This stanza has two descriptions of God’s steadfast love: it extends to the heavens, so that God can save man and beast; and it is precious to those who know it from the children of mankind. The pairing of steadfast love and faithfulness evokes Ex. 34:6, describing God’s benevolence; this helps readers to see that the other terms, righteousness and judgments, also express God’s enduring commitment to act kindly toward his creatures and to save them. In view of this, people can take refuge under his wings and find themselves welcome guests at his table. Although the psalm is a hymn for Israel, it looks beyond Israel to the rest of mankind (Ps. 36:6, 7); Israel’s calling was to live in their land in a way that displayed the true image of God, with a view toward bringing its blessing to the whole world.

Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 982.

1. Who is Jesus? I believe Jesus is God because Jesus said He is God and proved it by rising from the dead and appearing to His disciples, His brother James, 500 others at one time, and Paul.

(Mark 3:21; John 8:58, 10:30-33, 14:9-11; Acts 9:1-6; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:2-3; James 1:1)

36:5–9 God’s Precious Steadfast Love. This stanza has two descriptions of God’s steadfast love: it extends to the heavens, so that God can save man and beast; and it is precious to those who know it from the children of mankind. The pairing of steadfast love and faithfulness evokes Ex. 34:6, describing God’s benevolence; this helps readers to see that the other terms, righteousness and judgments, also express God’s enduring commitment to act kindly toward his creatures and to save them. In view of this, people can take refuge under his wings and find themselves welcome guests at his table. Although the psalm is a hymn for Israel, it looks beyond Israel to the rest of mankind (Ps. 36:6, 7); Israel’s calling was to live in their land in a way that displayed the true image of God, with a view toward bringing its blessing to the whole world.

Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 982.

1. Who is Jesus? I believe Jesus is God because Jesus said He is God and proved it by rising from the dead and appearing to His disciples, His brother James, 500 others at one time, and Paul.

(Mark 3:21; John 8:58, 10:30-33, 14:9-11; Acts 9:1-6; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:2-3; James 1:1)

36:1–4 The Wicked Act without Fear of God. This stanza describes the wicked person, who has no fear of God before his eyes and who pursues evil courses, as one who particularly schemes to bring trouble to others (esp. to the godly). “Wicked” here, as generally in the Psalms, does not describe faithful people who have moral flaws; it describes those given over to doing evil (even if they are nominally within the covenant people), as these verses make clear. Paul uses v. 1b in Rom. 3:18 as part of his charge that both Jews and Gentiles are under sin.

Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 981.

1. Who is Jesus? I believe Jesus is God because Jesus said He is God and proved it by rising from the dead and appearing to His disciples, His brother James, 500 others at one time, and Paul.

(Mark 3:21; John 8:58, 10:30-33, 14:9-11; Acts 9:1-6; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:2-3; James 1:1)

36:1–4 The Wicked Act without Fear of God. This stanza describes the wicked person, who has no fear of God before his eyes and who pursues evil courses, as one who particularly schemes to bring trouble to others (esp. to the godly). “Wicked” here, as generally in the Psalms, does not describe faithful people who have moral flaws; it describes those given over to doing evil (even if they are nominally within the covenant people), as these verses make clear. Paul uses v. 1b in Rom. 3:18 as part of his charge that both Jews and Gentiles are under sin.

Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 981.

1. Who is Jesus? I believe Jesus is God because Jesus said He is God and proved it by rising from the dead and appearing to His disciples, His brother James, 500 others at one time, and Paul.

(Mark 3:21; John 8:58, 10:30-33, 14:9-11; Acts 9:1-6; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:2-3; James 1:1)

Psalm 42–43. While each of these psalms can be taken separately, Psalms 42–43 go well together as a song with three stanzas: they share a refrain (42:5, 11; 43:5); 43:2 is almost the same as 42:9; and they both express the longing to return to God’s presence in the sanctuary (42:2; 43:3–4). In these psalms the singer laments his circumstances (connected with enemies who despise God and oppress his faithful servants), which keep him from attending worship at the central sanctuary. Singing this in corporate worship would especially foster a sense of yearning and expectation in the faithful, so that they would learn to attend worship looking for God’s presence, to mourn any circumstances that prevent them from attendance, and to count their attendance at worship as a great gift from God (certainly not a burdensome duty!). Other psalms that express yearning for God include Psalms 63 and 84.

Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 989.

7. How can I trust that the Bible is still God’s Word today? I trust the Bible is still God’s Word today because Jesus rose from the dead, proving He was God and said His words would never pass away. Through the Holy Spirit, God inspired the writing of the Scripture, determined the canon of Scripture and protected the copying of Scripture so that we might know Him and worship Him to this day.

(Matthew 24:35; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Revelation 22:18-19)

42:7 This verse uses two images of unruly water, perhaps to contrast with the “flowing streams” of v. 1: the first portrays two waterfalls plunging into a valley, calling to one another with a roar, while the second portrays the raging sea, in which one might drown (Jonah 2:3).

42:7 The waters of suffering threaten death (see Jonah 2:3). Such suffering according to God’s will anticipates the suffering and death of Christ, and the hope for deliverance anticipates his resurrection.

Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 990.

7. How can I trust that the Bible is still God’s Word today? I trust the Bible is still God’s Word today because Jesus rose from the dead, proving He was God and said His words would never pass away. Through the Holy Spirit, God inspired the writing of the Scripture, determined the canon of Scripture and protected the copying of Scripture so that we might know Him and worship Him to this day.

(Matthew 24:35; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Revelation 22:18-19)

42:1–5 My Soul Pants for God. The song begins with a poignant expression of longing for God himself, using the image of thirst: As a deer pants for flowing streams. For the pious, the answer to this longing comes in public worship; this is clear from the phrase appear before God (i.e., at the sanctuary; cf. Ex. 23:17), and from Ps. 42:4, which recollects the former participation in sanctuary worship. The singer represents himself as separated from this worship and subject to taunts from those who despise his faith. The singer closes the stanza by encouraging himself that God will return him to worship. (Observe that the first words of v. 6, “and my God,” belong with the refrain.)

Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 989.

Midway through his struggle, the psalmist does something radical by turning inward and boldly questioning his own heavy heart: "Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad?" He had reasons to be broken, yet he refused to let his discouragement sit unopposed or sweep him away without a fight.

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones famously noted that most of our unhappiness stems from the fact that we listen to ourselves instead of talking to ourselves. When our broken emotions try to dictate our reality, they can bring back yesterday's problems and whisper that hope is gone. 

7. How can I trust that the Bible is still God’s Word today? I trust the Bible is still God’s Word today because Jesus rose from the dead, proving He was God and said His words would never pass away. Through the Holy Spirit, God inspired the writing of the Scripture, determined the canon of Scripture and protected the copying of Scripture so that we might know Him and worship Him to this day.

(Matthew 24:35; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Revelation 22:18-19)

42:1–5 My Soul Pants for God. The song begins with a poignant expression of longing for God himself, using the image of thirst: As a deer pants for flowing streams. For the pious, the answer to this longing comes in public worship; this is clear from the phrase appear before God (i.e., at the sanctuary; cf. Ex. 23:17), and from Ps. 42:4, which recollects the former participation in sanctuary worship. The singer represents himself as separated from this worship and subject to taunts from those who despise his faith. The singer closes the stanza by encouraging himself that God will return him to worship. (Observe that the first words of v. 6, “and my God,” belong with the refrain.)

Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 989.

7. How can I trust that the Bible is still God’s Word today? I trust the Bible is still God’s Word today because Jesus rose from the dead, proving He was God and said His words would never pass away. Through the Holy Spirit, God inspired the writing of the Scripture, determined the canon of Scripture and protected the copying of Scripture so that we might know Him and worship Him to this day.

(Matthew 24:35; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Revelation 22:18-19)