1 Samuel 2:11 kjv
And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister unto the LORD before Eli the priest.
1 Samuel 2:11 nkjv
Then Elkanah went to his house at Ramah. But the child ministered to the LORD before Eli the priest.
1 Samuel 2:11 niv
Then Elkanah went home to Ramah, but the boy ministered before the LORD under Eli the priest.
1 Samuel 2:11 esv
Then Elkanah went home to Ramah. And the boy was ministering to the LORD in the presence of Eli the priest.
1 Samuel 2:11 nlt
Then Elkanah returned home to Ramah without Samuel. And the boy served the LORD by assisting Eli the priest.
1 Samuel 2 11 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Sam 1:11 | "She made a vow, saying, 'O LORD… I will give him to the LORD...'" | Hannah's vow of dedication to God. |
| 1 Sam 1:28 | "So I have lent him to the LORD..." | Hannah fulfills her vow. |
| Num 6:2 | "when a man… makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite..." | Law of the Nazirite vow (consecration). |
| Exod 33:11 | "Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses… Joshua… a young man, his attendant..." | Ministry of a young attendant (Joshua). |
| Num 3:6-8 | "Bring the tribe of Levi near… to minister to them." | Levites appointed for tabernacle service. |
| Num 8:24-26 | "This is what pertains to the Levites: from 25 years old... to do service in the work..." | Age guidelines for Levitical service. |
| Deut 10:8 | "At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi… to minister to him..." | Priestly and Levitical duties. |
| Jer 1:4-7 | "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you… I appointed you a prophet..." | God calls a prophet at a young age. |
| 2 Chr 34:3-7 | "In the eighth year of his reign… he began to seek the God of David…" | Young Josiah serving God faithfully. |
| Prov 22:6 | "Train up a child in the way he should go..." | Importance of early training. |
| Lk 2:42, 49 | "When he was twelve years old… 'Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?'" | Young Jesus devoted to God's purpose. |
| 1 Cor 7:35 | "to secure your undistracted devotion to the Lord." | Undistracted devotion. |
| Heb 4:14-15 | "Since then we have a great high priest... Jesus, the Son of God..." | Jesus, the perfect High Priest. |
| Phil 2:7-8 | "emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant..." | Christ's humble service. |
| 1 Pet 2:5 | "you yourselves… are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood..." | Believers as spiritual priests. |
| Rev 1:6 | "and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father..." | Believers as priests. |
| Matt 23:11 | "The greatest among you shall be your servant." | Service is greatness in God's eyes. |
| Mk 10:45 | "For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve..." | Jesus' paradigm of humble service. |
| Exod 28:41 | "You shall anoint them and ordain them and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests." | Consecration for priestly service. |
| 1 Kgs 12:31 | "He also made houses of high places and appointed priests from all sorts of people who were not of the Levites." | Contrast: false priesthood vs. true service. |
| 1 Sam 3:1 | "Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD in the presence of Eli." | Samuel's continued faithful ministry. |
| 1 Sam 3:10 | "And the LORD came and stood, calling as before, 'Samuel! Samuel!'" | God directly calls Samuel. |
1 Samuel 2 verses
1 Samuel 2 11 Meaning
This verse succinctly captures the immediate aftermath of Hannah fulfilling her vow: Elkanah, her husband, returns to their home in Ramah, signifying a return to their ordinary domestic life. In contrast, Samuel, referred to as "the boy," remains at the tabernacle in Shiloh, dedicated to actively serving the LORD under the direct guidance and supervision of Eli, the high priest. It marks Samuel's official commencement of dedicated sacred service from his very early years.
1 Samuel 2 11 Context
This verse immediately follows Hannah's deeply profound prayer of thanksgiving and prophetic song, recorded in 1 Samuel 2:1-10, and her act of presenting Samuel to Eli at Shiloh as vowed. It establishes a clear dichotomy: the regular, domestic life that Elkanah returns to, versus the extraordinary, dedicated life of service that Samuel begins. At this point, Israel's spiritual state was in decline, with the priesthood, especially through Eli's sons, being corrupt. Therefore, Samuel's immediate consecration and service, even as a young boy, signify a glimmer of hope and a pure dedication in a time of widespread spiritual compromise. It lays the groundwork for the narrative tension that develops, highlighting Samuel's purity against the backdrop of the defiled priesthood he served under.
1 Samuel 2 11 Word analysis
- Then Elkanah went: This signifies a concluding action in the family's pilgrimage to Shiloh. Elkanah, as head of the household, has fulfilled his responsibility of presenting Samuel and now returns to his normative life.
- to Ramah to his home: Ramah was Elkanah’s ancestral hometown. This phrase underscores his re-engagement with domestic life and the rhythms of family. It serves as a counterpoint to Samuel's permanent stay at the sacred dwelling.
- but the boy: The Hebrew conjunction "waw" (וְ) functions here as a strong contrastive "but" or "while," sharply pivoting the reader's attention from Elkanah to Samuel. "The boy" (Hebrew: hanna'ar) highlights Samuel's extreme youth (post-weaning, likely 3-5 years old), making his consecrated service all the more remarkable.
- ministered: The verb used is məsharêt (מְשָׁרֵת), derived from the root sharath. This term is crucial, as it denotes active, personal, and dedicated service, particularly in a sacred or religious capacity. It is not passive presence but active engagement in the duties of the sanctuary, akin to Levitical service. It signifies that Samuel was truly performing duties in the tabernacle, rather than just residing there.
- to the LORD: This phrase specifies the ultimate recipient and object of Samuel's ministry. His service was not primarily to Eli or the institution of the tabernacle, but directly to Yahweh, God Himself. This underscores the holy nature of his calling and his pure devotion.
- before Eli the priest: This indicates that Samuel's service was conducted under the direct oversight, instruction, and authority of Eli, the presiding high priest. While serving "to the LORD," he was still subject to human priestly leadership. This highlights Samuel's apprenticeship within the established religious system and ironically contrasts his purity and dedication with the corruption soon to be revealed in Eli's own biological sons.
1 Samuel 2 11 Bonus section
- The emphasis on "the boy" ministering points to the idea that age does not preclude service to God; God can call and use even the youngest hearts wholly devoted to Him.
- Samuel's life at the tabernacle sets him apart from ordinary societal structures, underscoring his unique divine appointment and separation for God's purposes.
- The environment Samuel was entering – the very center of Israelite worship, but soon revealed to be morally compromised by Eli's sons – provides a dramatic tension for the narrative to follow, emphasizing God's ability to preserve a pure vessel amidst impurity.
1 Samuel 2 11 Commentary
1 Samuel 2:11 serves as the final act of Hannah's vow fulfillment and the opening scene for Samuel's extraordinary life. While Elkanah retreats to his familiar home and domestic responsibilities, Samuel, at a tender age, fully steps into his consecrated role. The term "ministered" is key, indicating a hands-on, active sacred service performed for God himself and supervised by Eli, the high priest. This establishment of Samuel in the tabernacle, pure and devoted from his childhood, is strategically placed by the narrator to starkly contrast with the imminent exposé of corruption and moral failure within Eli's own priestly household. It subtly signals that God is preparing a faithful servant and prophet to restore righteousness to Israel in a period of significant spiritual decline.