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1 Samuel 2 General Notes
Structure and formatting
Some translations set poetry farther to the right than the rest of the text to show that it is poetry. The ULB does this with Hannah's poetic prayer in 2:1-10 .
Special concepts in this chapter
Hannah's song of praise to God
This song is about how God protects the weak and strengthens them. He humbles the rich, provides for the poor, and defeats his enemies.
Eli's Sons
Eli, the chief priest, had two sons. They were ungodly priests who continually sinned and did not honor God. Eli corrected them but they did not listen. A prophet warned Eli that God would stop his family from being priests and his sons would both die on the same day. At the same time, Samuel was growing up and serving God. (See: rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/sin and rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/godly and rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/prophet)
Important figures of speech in this chapter
This chapter has many figures of speech because the first part of the chapter is a song and the last part of the chapter is a prophecy. Songs and prophecy tend to have many figures of speech.
Synecdoches
"My heart" and "my mouth" are synecdoches referencing the speaker. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-synecdoche)
Metonymies
Body parts are often used to stand for activities involving that part of the body. "The feet of his faithful people" is a metonym meaning what they are doing or where they are going. Place names are often used for people in that place such as "the ends of the earth" meaning the people living in the ends of the earth. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metonymy)
Metaphors
Hannah used many military metaphors: "rock," representing protection; "the bows of the mighty men are broken," representing military defeat; "the horn of his anointed," representing the power of the one that God has chosen to be king. (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor)
Rhetorical questions
God used three rhetorical questions to correct and condemn Eli. "Did I not reveal myself to the house of your ancestor, when they were in Egypt in bondage to Pharaoh's house?" "Why then do you scorn my offerings that I required in the place where I live?" "Why do you honor your sons above me by making yourselves fat with the best of every offering of my people Israel?" (See: rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-rquestion)