UTN uW Translation Notes:

1 Samuel 1 Introduction

Structure and Formatting

This chapter is the beginning of the first section of the book of 1 Samuel, chapters 1–7, which describe Samuel as a religious leader of Israel. This chapter tells how Samuel was born and how his parents dedicated him to Yahweh.

Translation Issues in This Chapter

Why does the author use the name Ramathaim Zophim for Ramah in 1:1?

The author says in 1:1 that Elkanah was from a town called Ramathaim Zophim. However, in all subsequent references in the book, the author uses the name Ramah for the town where Elkanah and later his son Samuel lived. The word Ramathaim is the dual of the word Ramah, which means “hill.” The city may have been built on two hills, and it may originally have had the name Ramathaim. This name may eventually have been shortened to Ramah, but the author may wish to use the original name for clarity and accuracy in his historical account. The author adds the term Zophim, meaning that this was where the descendants of a man named Zuph lived. He does this to distinguish this city from the three other cities in the land of Canaan that also had the name Ramah. In your translation, you could use the name Ramathaim Zophim and spell it the way it sounds in your language. However, if your readers might wonder why the author says in 1:19 that Elkanah and his family returned to “their house in Ramah,” in 1:1 you could use a description such as “the city called Ramah where the descendants of Zuph live.” (See: translate-transliterate)

Why does the author call the tent of meeting the “temple” in 1:9?

The author says in 1:9 that the priest Eli was sitting by the doorpost of “the temple of Yahweh.” However, Yahweh had no temple at this time. King Solomon built a temple for him in Jerusalem many years later. It could be that this account was written or edited after the temple was built and that the author knew that his readers would understand that he was using that term to mean generally the place where the Israelites worshiped Yahweh. Alternatively, the author could have been speaking of the tent of meeting in elevated language. The word that is often translated as “temple” can also mean “palace.” The author may have felt that the place where Yahweh was present among his people deserved to be described in grand language as a temple or palace. However, if it would not be clear to your readers that in 1:9 he means the tent of meeting, you could use the word that you have been using in your translation for that structure. The UST models one way to do that.

Why does Elkanah say “may Yahweh raise up his word” when Yahweh has not said anything?

In 1:23, Elkanah says “may Yahweh raise up his word,” that is, “may Yahweh do what he has said,” even though the author has not recorded Yahweh saying anything. It could be that Elkanah is referring to what Eli said to Hannah in 1:17, “may the God of Israel grant your request.” Elkanah would be considering that what Yahweh’s priest had spoken constituted a “word” from Yahweh himself. Hannah’s request involved not only her having a son but that son having a long life throughout which he was specially dedicated to God and effective in his service. Elkanah could be wishing that Yahweh would make all of these things happen. Another possibility is that the term translated as “word” could have the meaning of “thing” or “matter” in this context. In that case Elkanah would be saying “may Yahweh accomplish his purpose” for the child. He would not be referring to anything that Yahweh had explicitly said.

What “vow” did Elkanah make?

In 1:21, the author says that Elkanah went to Shiloh to sacrifice a “vow.” He is referring to a sacrifice that Elkanah had promised to make, and he assumes that readers will understand what he means by this. However, he has not described Elkanah making a vow. The most probable explanation is that the previous year, Hannah had told Elkanah that Eli had said to her, “may the God of Israel grant your request.” Elkanah would then have made a vow that if God would indeed grant this request, he would offer a special sacrifice. Some interpreters suggest that Elkanah made this vow when, as 1:19 says, the family worshiped Yahweh the morning after Eli spoke with Hannah. However, since the text does not state any of this explicitly, it would probably be best to express the meaning of the term “vow” without saying what Elkanah vowed or when. A note to 1:21 suggests one way to do that.