Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Samuel 1:26
And she said, Oh my lord, [as] thy soul liveth, my lord, I [am] the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the LORD.
26. as thy soul liveth ] An oath peculiar to the books of Samuel and Kings.
that stood by thee ] Prayer was offered either ( a) standing, as by Hannah and Abraham (Gen 18:22), cp. Mat 6:5, Mar 11:25, Luk 18:11: ( b) kneeling, as by Solomon (1Ki 8:54), and by Daniel (Dan 6:10), cp. Act 9:40; Act 20:36; Act 21:5: ( c) prostrate, as by Moses and Aaron (Num 16:22), and by our Lord (Mat 26:39).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
As thy soul liveth – This oath is unique to the Books of Samuel, in which it occurs six times, and to the Books of Kings, in which however, it is found only once. See the note to 1Sa 1:11.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 26. As thy soul liveth] As sure as thou art a living soul, so surely am I the person who stood by thee here praying.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Oh my lord; a form of speech to engage favourable attention.
As thy soul liveth; the usual form of an oath, as Gen 42:15; 1Sa 17:55; 20:3; as surely as thou livest: which asseverations seem necessary, because this was some years after it, and was quite forgotten by him.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And she said, O my lord,…. According to the Targum, it is a supplication or request, I beseech thee, my lord; that is, to look upon her son, and take him under his care as his disciple or scholar, to instruct him in the law of God, and enter him into his service; to which Eli might be very backward and indifferent, and even treat it with some degree of contempt, that such a young Levite should be brought to him, when the soonest the Levites were admitted was at twenty five years of age:
as thy soul liveth, my lord; which Ben Gersom takes for the form of an oath, as if she swore to the truth of what follows by the life of the high priest; but as it was forbidden to swear by any but by the living God, by his life, it cannot be thought so good a woman as Hannah would be guilty of such a sinful and Heathenish practice; this rather is a wish or prayer for his life and health, and the continuance thereof, to bring up her son in the exercise of true religion:
I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the Lord: by which it appears that Eli was now at the tabernacle, and in the same place he was, 1Sa 1:9 when she was some years ago praying near him, at the distance of four cubits, as the Jews say: she takes no notice of his mistaking her for a drunken woman, nor of his censure on her, and the reproof he gave her; but puts him in mind only of her praying to the Lord standing near to him, which made him take the more notice of her; standing is a prayer posture; the Jews say there is no standing but what is prayer, or prayer is meant by it; [See comments on Mt 6:5].
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
When the boy was presented, his mother made herself known to the high priest as the woman who had previously prayed to the Lord at that place (see 1Sa 1:11.), and said, “ For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath granted me my request which I asked of Him: therefore I also make him one asked of the Lord all the days that he liveth; he is asked of the Lord. ” : I also; et ego vicissim (Cler.). , to let a person ask, to grant his request, to give him what he asks (Exo 12:36), signifies here to make a person “asked” ( ). The meaning to lend, which the lexicons give to the word both here and Exo 12:36, has no other support than the false rendering of the lxx, and is altogether unsuitable both in the one and the other. Jehovah had not lent the son to Hannah, but had given him (see 1Sa 1:11); still less could a man lend his son to the Lord. The last clause of 1Sa 1:28, “ and he worshipped the Lord there,” refers to Elkanah, qui in votum Hannae consenserat , and not to Samuel. On a superficial glance, the plural , which is found in some Codd., and in the Vulgate, Syriac, and Arabic, appears the more suitable; but when we look more closely at the connection in which the clause stands, we see at once that it does not wind up the foregoing account, but simply introduces the closing act of the transference of Samuel. Consequently the singular is perfectly appropriate; and notwithstanding the fact that the subject is not mentioned, the allusion to Samuel is placed beyond all doubt. When Hannah had given up her son to the high priest, his father Elkanah first of all worshipped before the Lord in the sanctuary, and then Hannah worshipped in the song of praise, which follows in 1Sa 2:1-10.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
(26) O my lord, as thy soul liveth.This oath is peculiar to the Books of Samuel, in which it occurs six times, and to the Books of Kings, in which, however, it is found only once. The similar oath, as Pharaoh liveth (by the life of Pharaoh), occurs in Gen. 42:15; and as the Lord liveth is found almost exclusively in the books of which Judges is the first and 2 Kings the last, being especially frequent in the Books of Samuel. This accords with the fact of the age of the Judges and Saul being characteristically the age of vows.Speakers Commentary.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
26. As thy soul liveth A form of oath peculiar to the books of Samuel. The age of the judges was noticeably an age of vows.
I am the woman Eli had, perhaps, forgotten her, but she had kept his words in her heart. So, often, the minister of God may utter his benediction, which, though forgotten by himself, lives in another memory, and causes untold comfort.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
(26) And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the LORD. (27) For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him: (28) Therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD. And he worshipped the LORD there.
With what humbleness did Hannah remind Eli of the past, in order that she might praise the Lord yet more for the present. Lending her child to the Lord is a more suited term, than giving. For what have we to give, that are but tenants of a day? Reader! it is sweet to observe, that though all the gifts of our God to us, are but as things lent, and which the bountiful giver may recall again whenever he pleaseth; yet there is one precious, blessed Gift he cannot, he will not recall, and that is, his Christ. Every other gift we may lose. But God our Father gives us Jesus to have, and to hold forever. Oh! precious, precious Gift! Precious, precious Giver! Some have thought that what is said here, in the close of the chapter, that he worshipped the Lord there; means, that the child Samuel is the person spoken of. No doubt a child so wonderfully distinguished, as his afterlife shows, might from his very earliest years, and under such godly parents, be taught to pray. O that parents would teach their little ones, with the first dawn, of apprehension, to lisp out the praises of Jesus! Is it not out of the mouth of babes, and sucklings the Lord ordaineth strength? Psa 8:2 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
1Sa 1:26 And she said, Oh my lord, [as] thy soul liveth, my lord, I [am] the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the LORD.
Ver. 26. As thy soul liveth. ] As sure as thou art alive. Her heart was full, her tongue fluent, in mentioning God’s mercy.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
thy soul = thyself. Hebrew. nephesh. App-13.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
as thy soul: 1Sa 17:55, 1Sa 20:3, Gen 42:15, 2Sa 11:11, 2Sa 14:19, 2Ki 2:2, 2Ki 2:4, 2Ki 2:6, 2Ki 4:30
Reciprocal: Gen 21:6 – God Gen 30:17 – General 1Sa 25:26 – and as thy Psa 116:1 – because Pro 13:12 – when Joh 16:21 – for
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1:26 And she said, Oh my lord, [as] thy {k} soul liveth, my lord, I [am] the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the LORD.
(k) That is, most certainly.