וַתִּתְפַּלֵּל חַנָּה וַתֹּאמַר עָלַץ לִבִּי בַּה' רָמָה קַרְנִי בּ ה'רָחַב פִּי עַל אוֹיְבַי כִּי שָׂמַחְתִּי בּישׁוּעָתֶךָ

Hannah prayed, and said: My heart exults in the Lord, my glory is exalted, my strength has increased and I have risen to a position of greatness, in, by the assistance of the Lord. My mouth is opened wide against my enemies; I can say what I wish to them and they have no response; because I rejoice in the revelation of Your salvation. I believed in You even beforehand, but now I can exult at seeing the open display of Your deliverance.

אֵין קָדוֹשׁ כַּה' כִּי אֵין בִּלְתֶּךָ וְאֵין צוּר כֵּאלֹהֵינוּ

There is none who is holy like the Lord, as there is none who responds and rescues besides You; and there is no powerful rock like our God. Despite God’s transcendence, He does not remain distant from the world, but is constantly active in human affairs.

אַל תַּרְבּוּ תְדַבְּרוּ גְּבֹהָה גְבֹהָה יֵצֵא עָתָק מִפִּיכֶם כִּי אֵל דֵּעוֹת ה' וְלוֹ נִתְכְּנוּ עֲלִלוֹת

Hannah addressed her enemies: Do not exceed, speaking with extreme haughtiness, pretentiousness and conceit, as though you know and understand everything, letting words of arrogance, or false statements, emerge from your mouth, as in truth the Lord is the God of knowledge, He possesses all knowledge; and only by Him the exploits of the world are assessed and judged.

קֶשֶׁת גִּבֹּרִים חַתִּים ונִכְשָׁלִים אָזְרוּ חָיִל

On the one hand, the bow of the mighty men is broken, and on the other hand, those who faltered are girded with strength.

שְׂבֵעִים בַּלֶּחֶם נִשְׂכָּרוּ ורְעֵבִים חָדֵלּוּ עַד עֲקָרָה יָלְדָה שִׁבְעָה וְרַבַּת בָּנִים אֻמְלָלָה

The sated were hired for bread. They do not even receive a wage for their labor, but merely bread to eat; but in contrast, the hungry have ceased to want food; to the extent that while the barren has borne seven, the one with many children is miserable. The word ad could also mean behold.

ה' מֵמִית ומְחַיֶּה מוֹרִיד שְׁאוֹל וַיָּעַל

The Lord puts to death and brings to life; He lowers to the netherworld and He also raises people up from there.

ה' מוֹרִישׁ ומַעֲשִׁיר מַשְׁפִּיל אַף מְרוֹמֵם

The Lord impoverishes, and also makes rich; He humbles, and yet He also elevates.

מֵקִים מֵעָפָר דָּל מֵאַשְׁפֹּת יָרִים אֶבְיוֹן לְהוֹשִׁיב עִם נְדִיבִים וְכִסֵּא כָבוֹד יַנְחִלֵם כִּי לַה' מְצֻקֵי ארֶץ וַיָּשֶׁת עֲלֵיהֶם תֵּבֵל

He raises the impoverished from dust, He elevates the indigent, the destitute who have nowhere to go, from refuse heaps, places of garbage and scraps, to seat them, the poor and needy, with nobles, and He will bequeath them a throne of glory; for the pillars, the foundations, of the earth are the Lord’s, and He established the world upon them. The foundations of the world are in the hands of God, who can do with them as He wishes. He can raise up the world or bring it down, and render it a comfortable place for certain people and less so for others.

רַגְלֵי חֲסִידָיו יִשְׁמֹר וּרְשָׁעִים בַּחֹשֶׁךְ יִדָּמּוּ כִּי לֹא בְכֹחַ יִגְבַּר אִישׁ

He protects the feet of His holy ones so that they will not stumble, but the wicked will be lost in darkness, due to their evil ways; alternatively, they will disappear and be lost in darkness; for not through strength does man prevail, but rather, the world is ruled by God’s kindness, goodwill, and His special providence over His pious ones.

ה' יֵחַתּוּ מְרִיבָיו עָלָיו בַּשָּׁמַיִם יַרְעֵם ה' יָדִין אַפְסֵי אָרֶץ וְיִתֶּן עֹז לְמַלְכּוֹ וְיָרֵם קֶרֶן מְשִׁיחוֹ

The Lord, His opponents, those who rise up against Him, will be broken; He will thunder in the heavens against him and strike him; the Lord will administer judgment to the ends of the earth. Hannah concludes her prayer with a prophetic hope: And He will give strength to His king, and exalt the glory of His anointed. Perhaps my son will prepare the world for the forthcoming monarchy of Israel. Hannah is considered one of the seven prophetesses in the Bible.

וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶלְקָנָה הָרָמָתָה עַל בֵּיתוֹ וְהַנַּעַר הָיָה מְשָׁרֵת אֶת ה' אֶת פְּנֵי עֵלִי הַכֹּהֵן

Elkana went to Rama to [al] his house. Although al generally means “upon” or “with,” here it means “to.” Alternatively, this phrase means: With his wife, in accordance with the statement of the Sages: His house, that is a reference to his wife. After staying with his family in Shilo, Elkana departed and Hannah went with him. The lad, Samuel, was serving the Lord before Eli the priest. Samuel sought to assist Eli as best he could. Naturally, as a small child there was very little that he was able to do. However, he could be useful in performing various minor tasks.

וּבְנֵי עֵלִי בְּנֵי בְלִיָּעַל לֹא יָדְעוּ אֶת ה'

The sons of Eli were wicked men; they did not know the Lord, and they had no wish to know Him. They did not follow in their father’s path.

וּמִשְׁפַּט הַכֹּהֲנִים אֶת הָעָם כָּל אִישׁ זֹבֵחַ זֶבַח וּבָא נַעַר הַכֹּהֵן כְּבַשֵּׁל הַבָּשָׂר וְהַמַּזְלֵג שְׁלֹשׁ הַשִּׁנַּיִם בְּיָדוֹ

This was the practice of the priests, Eli’s sons, with the people: When any man would present a peace offering, which was divided into three parts, some of it was for the altar, some for the priests, and the rest for the owners, the lad of the priest would come while the flesh was cooking, with a three-pronged fork, a kind of pitchfork used for lifting up meat, in his hand.

וְהִכָּה בַכִּיּוֹר אוֹ בַדּוּד אוֹ בַקַּלַּחַת אוֹ בַפָּרוּר כֹּל אֲשֶׁר יַעֲלֶה הַמַּזְלֵג יִקַּח הַכֹּהֵן בּוֹ כָּכָה יַעֲשׂוּ לְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל הַבָּאִים שָׁם בְּשִׁלֹה

He would thrust it, the pitchfork, into the pan [kiyor], a large vessel for rinsing and cooking meat. See Zechariah (12:6): “Like a pan [kiyor] of fire among the wood.” This may be the source for the rabbinic Hebrew word kira, a stove. Or he would strike the pitchfork into the kettle, or into the caldron or into the pot, various types of cooking utensils, the precise difference between which is unclear; whatever the fork would bring up, the priest would take with it, without discriminating between the portions. This is contradictory to Torah law, whereby the priest is entitled to only specific portions of the offering, and the remainder belongs to the owner. Here the sons of Eli did what they wished and took any portion they chose. So they would do to all Israel who would come there, to Shilo. The worshippers, who respected the priests, or at least treated them with courtesy, felt unable to object.

גַּם בְּטֶרֶם יַקְטִרוּן אֶת הַחֵלֶב וּבָא נַעַר הַכֹּהֵן וְאָמַר לָאִישׁ הַזֹּבֵחַ תְּנָה בָשָׂר לִצְלוֹת לַכֹּהֵן וְלֹא יִקַּח מִמְּךָ בָּשָׂר מְבֻשָּׁל כִּי אִם חָי

Furthermore, even before the fat was burned upon the altar, the priest’s lad would come and say to the man presenting the offering: Give flesh to roast for the priest, as he will not take cooked flesh from you but rather raw. A peace offering was first slaughtered, and then it was cut into portions and its fat was burned on the altar, only after which the rest was permitted for consumption. These priests did not have the patience to wait.

וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו הָאִישׁ קַטֵּר יַקְטִירוּן כַּיּוֹם הַחֵלֶב וְקַח לְךָ כַּאֲשֶׁר תְּאַוֶּה נַפְשֶׁךָ וְאָמַר לֹא כִּי עַתָּה תִתֵּן וְאִם לֹא לָקַחְתִּי בְחָזְקָה

The man would say to him: Let them burn the fat today, now, and take for you as your soul desires, but he would say: No, for you shall give it to me now, and if not, I will take by force. If someone would object that just as he does not taste from the meat until the fat has been burned on the altar, the priest should likewise wait until the conclusion of the offering before taking what he chooses, the priest’s servant would respond that he is the one in charge and he will decide when he may take the meat.

וַתְּהִי חַטַּאת הַנְּעָרִים גְּדוֹלָה מְאֹד אֶת פְּנֵי ה' כִּי נִאֲצוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים אֵת מִנְחַת ה'

The sin of the lads, perhaps this is referring to the sons of Eli themselves, or the priests’ servants, who were possibly their own sons, was very great before the Lord, as the men scorned the gift offerings of the Lord. They would not even eat the meat of the offerings as a proper meal, but in the manner of a group of bandits. The behavior of the priests conveyed disdain not only for those who came to the House of God but for the service of the Tabernacle itself.

וּשְׁמוּאֵל מְשָׁרֵת אֶת פְּנֵי ה'נַעַר חָגוּר אֵפוֹד בָּד

In the meantime Samuel was serving before the Lord in the Tabernacle, a lad, and he was girded with a linen ephod, a kind of apron that covered the lower part of the body, to the feet.

וּמְעִיל קָטֹן תַּעֲשֶׂה לּוֹ אִמּוֹ וְהַעַלְתָה לוֹ מִיָּמִים יָמִימָה בַּעֲלוֹתָהּ אֶת אִישָׁהּ לִזְבֹּחַ אֶת זֶבַח הַיָּמִים

His mother would make him a small robe, and she would take it, a robe of this kind, up to him from year to year, when she ascended with her husband to Shilo to present the yearly offering in the House of God.

וּבֵרַךְ עֵלִי אֶת אֶלְקָנָה וְאֶת אִשְׁתּוֹ וְאָמַר יָשֵׂם ה' לְךָ זֶרַע מִן הָאִשָּׁה הַזֹּאת תַּחַת הַשְּׁאֵלָה אֲשֶׁר שָׁאַל לַה' וְהָלְכוּ לִמְקֹמוֹ

Eli would bless Elkana and his wife, when they came to the Tabernacle, and say: May the Lord grant you offspring from this woman in place of the gift that he, Elkana, granted to the Lord. You have given your son to God, and therefore you are unable to raise him yourselves. Consequently, may God bless you with more children. And they would go to his place.

כִּי פָקַד ה' אֶת חַנָּה וַתַּהַר וַתֵּלֶד שְׁלֹשָׁה בָנִים וּשְׁתֵּי בָנוֹת וַיִּגְדַּל הַנַּעַר שְׁמוּאֵל עִם ה'

For indeed, the Lord remembered Hannah, and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters, and the lad Samuel grew with the Lord.

וְעֵלִי זָקֵן מְאֹד וְשָׁמַע אֵת כָּל אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשׂוּן בָּנָיו לְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאֵת אֲשֶׁר יִשְׁכְּבֻן אֶת הַנָּשִׁים הַצֹּבְאוֹת פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד

The chapter returns to the events in the Tabernacle at Shilo: Eli was very old, and he heard everything that his sons would do to all Israel. Due to his advanced age, he was not always present in the Tabernacle, and therefore he did not witness all that went on there. However, he heard rumors of his sons’ behavior. Perhaps he also heard the cries, shouts, and arguments going on there. And he also heard that they would lie with the women who would assemble at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.

וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם לָמָּה תַעֲשׂוּן כַּדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי שֹׁמֵעַ אֶת דִּבְרֵיכֶם רָעִים מֵאֵת כָּל הָעָם אֵלֶּה

He, Eli, said to them, his sons: Why do you act in this manner, as I hear of your evil actions from all these people?

אַל בָּנָי כִּי לוֹא טוֹבָה הַשְּׁמֻעָה אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי שֹׁמֵעַ מַעֲבִרִים עַם ה'

Do not, my sons; do not act in this manner; as the report that I hear that the people of the Lord are disseminating about you is not good.

אִם יֶחֱטָא אִישׁ לְאִישׁ וּפִלְלוֹ אֱלֹהִים וְאִם לַה' יֶחֱטָא אִישׁ מִי יִתְפַּלֶּל לוֹ וְלֹא יִשְׁמְעוּ לְקוֹל אֲבִיהֶם כִּי חָפֵץ ה' לַהֲמִיתָם

If a man sins against a man, the judge will try and convict him, but if a man sins against the Lord, who will try him; alternatively, who shall entreat forgiveness for him? But his sons remained stubborn, and they would not heed the voice of their father because the Lord wished to put them to death. It was decreed that they had to die for their sins. Perhaps their deaths would atone for all their sins, but in any case, their presence in this world was no longer wanted.

וְהַנַּעַר שְׁמוּאֵל הֹלֵךְ וְגָדֵל וָטוֹב גַּם עִם ה' וְגַם עִם אֲנָשִׁים

In contrast to them, the lad Samuel was steadily growing and improving both toward the Lord and toward people.

וַיָּבֹא אִישׁ אֱלֹהִים אֶל עֵלִי וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו כֹּה אָמַר ה' הֲנִגְלֹה נִגְלֵיתִי אֶל בֵּית אָבִיךָ בִּהְיוֹתָם בְּמִצְרַיִם לְבֵית פַּרְעֹה

A man of God, a prophet, came to Eli, and he said to him: So said the Lord: Did I not appear to your father’s house, when they were in Egypt under the house of Pharaoh? Did I reveal Myself to them so that they should be priests for Pharaoh and his type of service? Alternatively, this question is connected to the verses below: Did I reveal Myself to them so that they should treat My offerings with contempt? Some explain this as a statement: Indeed I revealed Myself to them, as Aaron served as a prophet to Israel in Egypt before Moses arrived to redeem the nation.

וּבָחֹר אֹתוֹ מִכָּל שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לִי לְכֹהֵן לַעֲלוֹת עַל מִזְבְּחִי לְהַקְטִיר קְטֹרֶת לָשֵׂאת אֵפוֹד לְפָנָי וָאֶתְּנָה לְבֵית אָבִיךָ אֶת כָּל אִשֵּׁי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

And did I choose it, the house of your forefather Aaron, from all the tribes of Israel to be priests for Me, to ascend upon My altar, to burn incense, to bear an ephod before Me, and I gave to your father’s house all the fire offerings of the children of Israel? These are either rhetorical questions or statements of fact.

לָמָּה תִבְעֲטוּ בְּזִבְחִי וּבְמִנְחָתִי אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִי מָעוֹן וַתְּכַבֵּד אֶת בָּנֶיךָ מִמֶּנִּי לְהַבְרִיאֲכֶם מֵרֵאשִׁית כָּל מִנְחַת יִשְׂרָאֵל לְעַמִּי

Why do you kick at My feast offerings and at My gift offerings, which I commanded to be performed in My abode, this Tabernacle; and you honor your sons more than you honor Me, to fatten yourselves from the first of all the gift offerings of Israel that are brought for the atonement of My people?

לָכֵן נְאֻם ה' אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אָמוֹר אָמַרְתִּי בֵּיתְךָ וּבֵית אָבִיךָ יִתְהַלְּכוּ לְפָנַי עַד עוֹלָם וְעַתָּה נְאֻם ה' חָלִילָה לִּי כִּי מְכַבְּדַי אֲכַבֵּד ובֹזַי יֵקָלּוּ

Therefore – the utterance of the Lord, God of Israel: I had said in the past that your house and your patrilineal house would walk before Me forever, but now – the utterance of the Lord – it is inconceivable for Me to let you serve as priests for all time: For those who honor Me, I will honor, but in contrast, those who scorn Me will be lowly.

הִנֵּה יָמִים בָּאִים וְגָדַעְתִּי אֶת זְרֹעֲךָ וְאֶת זְרֹעַ בֵּית אָבִיךָ מִהְיוֹת זָקֵן בְּבֵיתֶךָ

Behold, days are coming, in the near or distant future, and I will cut off your arm, your strength, and the arm of your patrilineal house, your family that rules with a firm grip over the Tabernacle and takes its consecrated items with force, from there being an old person, or a dignified man, in your house.

וְהִבַּטְתָּ צַר מָעוֹן בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר יֵיטִיב אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל וְלֹא יִהְיֶה זָקֵן בְּבֵיתְךָ כָּל הַיָּמִים

You will look upon a rival, an alternative priestly family, which will serve in the abode; alternatively, you will watch from a narrow, congested place, upon all the good that He will perform for Israel, but you will have no share in that good; and there will not be an old person in your house all the days.

וְאִישׁ לֹא אַכְרִית לְךָ מֵעִם מִזְבְּחִי לְכַלּוֹת אֶת עֵינֶיךָ וְלַאֲדִיב אֶת נַפְשֶׁךָ וְכָל מַרְבִּית בֵּיתְךָ יָמוּתוּ אֲנָשִׁים

But I will not eliminate for you any man from My altar. Your descendants will continue to serve upon the altar, but they will be forced to watch as all the important roles are given to others. This will serve to cause your eyes to yearn, as you look on with impatience, and your heart to become desolate and saddened; and furthermore, all of the majority of your house, or those who grow and mature in your home, will die as men, at the height of their strength, without growing old.

וְזֶה לְּךָ הָאוֹת אֲשֶׁר יָבֹא אֶל שְׁנֵי בָנֶיךָ אֶל חָפְנִי וּפִינְחָס בְּיוֹם אֶחָד יָמוּתוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם

This will be the sign for you that this prophecy is true, that which will come upon your two sons, upon Hofni and Pinhas; on one day they will both die. Then you will know that your family will no longer be the leaders in the Tabernacle.

וַהֲקִימֹתִי לִי כֹּהֵן נֶאֱמָן כַּאֲשֶׁר בִּלְבָבִי וּבְנַפְשִׁי יַעֲשֶׂה וּבָנִיתִי לוֹ בַּיִת נֶאֱמָן וְהִתְהַלֵּךְ לִפְנֵי מְשִׁיחִי כָּל הַיָּמִים

I will establish for Me a faithful priest, who will act in accordance with that which is in My heart and in My soul. He will follow My wishes; and I will build a faithful house for him, and he will walk before My anointed, the king, all the days, forever.

וְהָיָה כָּל הַנּוֹתָר בְּבֵיתְךָ יָבוֹא לְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֹת לוֹ לַאֲגוֹרַת כֶּסֶף וכִכַּר לָחֶם וְאָמַר סְפָחֵנִי נָא אֶל אַחַת הַכְּהֻנּוֹת לֶאֱכֹל פַּת לָחֶם

It will be that all who remain of your house will come to prostrate themselves before him, the High Priest serving at that time, for a gera of silver and a loaf of bread, and he will say, submissively: Please append me to one of the priestly services; let me join them; alternatively, let me participate in some sort of service of God, in order to eat a portion of bread.