1 Samuel 1:21
in 1 Samuel 1Then Elkanah and all his house went up to make the annual sacrifice to the LORD and to fulfill his vow,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer unto Jehovah the yearly sacrifice, and his vow.
KJV
And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer unto the Lord the yearly sacrifice, and his vow.
⋯
This verse in 1 Samuel 1
Commentary
8 notes on this verseThe man Elkanah and all his house - He and the whole of his family, Hannah and her child excepted, who purposed not to go up to Shiloh till her son was old enough to be employed in the Divine service. And his vow - Probably he had also made some vow to the Lord on the occasion of his wife’s prayer and vow; in which, from his love to her. he could not be less interested than herself.
This site's exposition
to make the annual sacrifice to the LORD
on 1 Samuel 1:21-23
Hannah stays home until the boy is weaned, an interval ancient nursing measured in years. Elkanah's answer, “Only may the LORD confirm His word”, sets his headship under what Hannah has already promised. Numbers 30 lets a husband cancel his wife's vow on the day he hears it, and Elkanah confirms it instead, so the vow stands unbroken.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church2 voices
A commentator
Gregory the DialogistCommentary on 1 Kings, Book 1, Chapter 1 · Written before 604.
proposed
40. But what is the solemn sacrifice of the victim, if not that offering of love of the holy Church, by which she is joined to her Creator in eternal contemplation? To this sacrifice Elkanah ascended when our Redeemer, now triumphing over death, now overcoming the darkness of our mortality, raised to the heavens the flesh which He had assumed for our salvation. With Him His whole household also ascended, because He lifted the earlier elect of the Synagogue to the height of immortality.
But the man Elkanah went up, etc. Let each one abound in his own understanding (Rom. XIV). The Lord and the Church of the perfect, which is his house and seat, ascended to offer to the Father who is in heaven the vows of their …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
For the peace-offerings typified Christ's mediation, as well as the sin-offerings: since by this not only atonement is made for sin, but an answer to our prayers obtained. Give him - That is, consecrate him to God's service in his temple. No razor - That is, he shall be a perpetual Nazarite.
Note, Those who are stedfastly resolved to pay their vows may yet see good cause to defer the payment of them. Every thing is beautiful in its season. No animal was accepted in sacrifice till it had been for some time under the dam, Lev. xxii.
His house - Hannah only and her child excepted. His vow - By which it appears, though it was not expressed before, that he heard and consented to her vow, and that he added a vow of his own, if God answered his prayers.
1 more voice on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And the man Elkanah, and all his house,....
The words behind it
12 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּ֛עַל | vaiyaal | and he went up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| הָאִ֥ישׁ | haish | the man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| אֶלְקָנָ֖ה | ʾelkanah | Elkanah | H511 → | 21 times |
| וְכָל־ | vekhol | and all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| בֵּית֑וֹ | beito | household his | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| לִזְבֹּ֧חַ | lizboach | to sacrifice | H2076 → | 134 times |
| לַֽיהוָ֛ה | layahweh | to Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| זֶ֥בַח | zevach | [the] sacrifice of | H2077 → | 162 times |
| הַיָּמִ֖ים | haiyamim | the days | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| נִדְרֽוֹ׃ | nidro | vow his | H5088 → |
וַיַּ֛עַלand he went up
vaiyaalH5927 →890 times
הָאִ֥ישׁthe man
haishH376 →1663 times
אֶלְקָנָ֖הElkanah
ʾelkanahH511 →21 times
וְכָל־and all
vekholH3605 →5413 times
בֵּית֑וֹhousehold his
beitoH1004 →2046 times
לִזְבֹּ֧חַto sacrifice
lizboachH2076 →134 times
לַֽיהוָ֛הto Yahweh
layahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
זֶ֥בַח[the] sacrifice of
zevachH2077 →162 times
הַיָּמִ֖יםthe days
haiyamimH3117 →2304 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
נִדְרֽוֹ׃vow his
nidroH5088 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Joshua 24:15But if it is unpleasing in your sight to serve the LORD, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods…
it leads to
- 1 Kings 18:21
Then Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him. But if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people did…
- John 6:67–68
So Jesus asked the Twelve, “Do you want to leave too?”
- Ruth 1:15–16
“Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; follow her back home.”
- Deuteronomy 29:18
Make sure there is no man or woman, clan or tribe among you today whose heart turns away from the LORD our God to go and worship the gods of those nations. Make sure…
- Ezekiel 20:39
And as for you, O house of Israel, this is what the Lord GOD says: Go and serve your idols, every one of you. But afterward, you will surely listen to Me, and you…
- 1 Kings 18:21
Through
Genesis 18:19For I have chosen him, so that he will command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, in order that…
it leads to
- 1 Timothy 3:4–5
An overseer must manage his own household well and keep his children under control, with complete dignity.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 6:6–7
These words I am commanding you today are to be upon your hearts.
- Deuteronomy 4:9–10
Only be on your guard and diligently watch yourselves, so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen, and so that they do not slip from your heart as long as…
- 1 Timothy 3:4–5
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 1 Samuel
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Bede, Commentary on Samuel; Gregory the Dialogist, Commentary on 1 Kings, Book 1, Chapter 1; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.