1 Samuel 2:6 kjv
The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.
1 Samuel 2:6 nkjv
"The LORD kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up.
1 Samuel 2:6 niv
"The LORD brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the grave and raises up.
1 Samuel 2:6 esv
The LORD kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up.
1 Samuel 2:6 nlt
The LORD gives both death and life;
he brings some down to the grave but raises others up.
1 Samuel 2 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 32:39 | "See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god beside me; I kill and I make alive..." | God's exclusive power over life and death. |
| Job 1:21 | "...The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away..." | God's sovereignty over giving and taking. |
| Job 12:10 | "In his hand is the life of every living thing..." | God's absolute control over all life. |
| Ps 30:3 | "O LORD, you have brought up my soul from Sheol..." | God's power to rescue from death. |
| Ps 49:15 | "But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol..." | Divine redemption from death's grip. |
| Ps 68:20 | "To God, the Lord, belong escapes from death." | God alone provides deliverance from death. |
| Ps 75:7 | "It is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another." | God's sovereign control over promotion and demotion. |
| Ps 113:7-8 | "He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap..." | God exalts the humble. |
| Hos 6:2 | "After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up..." | Prophecy of revival/resurrection. |
| Lam 3:37-38 | "Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it?" | God's ultimate decree governs all outcomes. |
| Lk 1:52-53 | "He has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate..." | Mary's Magnificat echoes Hannah's reversal theme. |
| Jn 5:21 | "For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will." | Jesus shares the Father's power over life and death. |
| Jn 5:28-29 | "...all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out..." | Promise of general resurrection. |
| Jn 11:25 | "Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life...' " | Jesus is the source and embodiment of resurrection. |
| Acts 2:24 | "God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death..." | God resurrected Jesus from death. |
| Rom 6:9 | "Christ, having been raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him." | Christ's victory over death is permanent. |
| Rom 8:11 | "He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies..." | The Holy Spirit gives life to believers. |
| 1 Cor 15:20-22 | "Christ has been raised from the dead...for as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive." | Christ's resurrection guarantees believer's resurrection. |
| Phil 3:20-21 | "...will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body..." | Christ's power to transform resurrection bodies. |
| Ja 4:10 | "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you." | God exalts the humble in due time. |
| 1 Pet 5:6 | "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you." | God lifts up those who humble themselves. |
| Rev 1:18 | "I am the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades." | Christ holds ultimate authority over death and the grave. |
1 Samuel 2 verses
1 Samuel 2 6 Meaning
1 Samuel 2:6 proclaims God's absolute and comprehensive sovereignty over all aspects of life and death, both physical and spiritual. It declares that the Lord alone possesses the ultimate power to give life, to take it away, to bring individuals to the grave (Sheol), and to raise them up again from the very clutches of death or dire circumstances. This statement highlights God's exclusive authority over existence, judgment, and restoration, demonstrating His complete control over human destiny and all creation.
1 Samuel 2 6 Context
1 Samuel 2:6 is part of Hannah's prophetic song of praise and thanksgiving, following the miraculous birth and dedication of her son Samuel. This song, spanning verses 1-10, transcends Hannah's personal joy, serving as a profound theological declaration about the character of Yahweh. It outlines His justice, power, and sovereign control over all circumstances, especially His tendency to reverse fortunes: lifting up the lowly and humbling the proud. Verse 6 specifically focuses on God's absolute power over life and death, setting the stage for the narrative of God raising up Samuel and later David from humble beginnings, while bringing down the corrupt house of Eli. Historically, it emphasizes Yahweh's unique supremacy over fertility, fate, life, and the afterlife, challenging polytheistic beliefs of the surrounding Canaanite cultures which fragmented these powers among various deities.
1 Samuel 2 6 Word analysis
- The Lord (YHWH): Refers to the personal, covenant God of Israel. His specific name here underscores that this ultimate power belongs exclusively to Him, the one true God, unlike any pagan deity.
- kills (יָמִית, yâmît): Qal imperfect form of the verb mûṯ (to die). Here, it signifies actively "causes to die" or "puts to death." This highlights God's direct, purposeful involvement in ending physical life, asserting His sovereignty over death.
- and brings to life (וַיְחַיֶּה, wîḥayyeh): Hiphil imperfect form of ḥāyâ (to live). This means "causes to live," "revives," or "restores life." It demonstrates God's power to create life, sustain it, and to resurrect or restore. This term creates a powerful antithetical parallelism with "kills," showing God's complete dominion over life's cycle.
- he brings down (יוֹרִד, yôrîd): Hiphil imperfect from yārad (to go down). This active causative form indicates that God directly and intentionally brings individuals to a state of profound lowness, ultimately leading to death.
- to Sheol (לִשְׁאוֹל, liše'ôl): Hebrew šĕ'ôl, meaning the grave, the pit, the underworld, or the realm of the dead. In the Old Testament, it's often the common abode of all the dead. God's power extends beyond the visible world and physical death, into the very domain of death itself.
- and raises up (וַיַּעַל, wayyaʿaleh): Hiphil imperfect from ʿālâ (to go up, ascend). Here, it means "causes to come up" or "brings forth." This is the counterpart to being brought down to Sheol, indicating deliverance from dire circumstances, rescue from the brink of death, or ultimate resurrection from the grave.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "The Lord kills and brings to life": This pairing asserts God's exclusive and ultimate authority over all existence. It refutes any notion of life and death being subject to external forces, chance, or separate deities. It is a declaration of comprehensive sovereignty over creation and destiny.
- "he brings down to Sheol and raises up": This extends the concept of divine sovereignty to the state beyond physical death. God's power reaches even into the realm of the dead, demonstrating that death itself is not an ultimate barrier to His will. This phrase carries prophetic overtones of resurrection and God's final victory over the grave, showcasing His power to reverse human hopelessness.
1 Samuel 2 6 Bonus section
- This verse contains two sets of antithetical parallelism (kills/brings to life; brings down to Sheol/raises up), a common poetic device in Hebrew literature emphasizing the comprehensiveness of God's actions and His complete dominion.
- Hannah's personal experience of barrenness and subsequent miraculous childbirth is a lived illustration of God's power to "bring to life" what was dead or dormant, setting the immediate context for this profound theological statement. Her song extends this personal miracle into a universal truth.
- The prophetic nature of Hannah's song, beginning with this declaration of sovereignty over life and death, establishes a theological blueprint for God's redemptive work throughout the Old and New Testaments, culminating in the ultimate triumph over death through Christ's resurrection.
1 Samuel 2 6 Commentary
Hannah's declaration in 1 Samuel 2:6 is a foundational theological truth. It unveils God not merely as a participant in life's events, but as their absolute and unchallenged orchestrator. This statement transcends the simple observation of birth and death, presenting Yahweh as the one who intentionally initiates both, and moreover, controls what lies beyond physical existence—the journey into Sheol and the power to emerge from it.
The verse is a powerful polemic against the polytheistic views prevalent in Hannah's time, where various gods might preside over different aspects of life, fertility, or death. Hannah's song vehemently asserts that YHWH alone possesses unified and supreme control over all these domains. This truth profoundly influenced Israel's understanding of God as sovereign in justice and redemption. He can bring low the proud and raise the humble, a pattern demonstrated throughout Israelite history, from Pharaoh's downfall to David's exaltation, and ultimately realized in the humiliation and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who conquered Sheol's gates (Rev 1:18). This verse offers immense comfort in loss, knowing God is sovereign over death, and hope in dire circumstances, knowing He has the power to raise up.