1 Samuel 2:7 kjv
The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.
1 Samuel 2:7 nkjv
The LORD makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up.
1 Samuel 2:7 niv
The LORD sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts.
1 Samuel 2:7 esv
The LORD makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and he exalts.
1 Samuel 2:7 nlt
The LORD makes some poor and others rich;
he brings some down and lifts others up.
1 Samuel 2 7 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference (Note) |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 8:18 | But remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth... | God provides ability for wealth |
| Ps 75:6-7 | For not from the east or from the west...but God is the judge; He puts down one and exalts another. | God controls promotion and demotion |
| Prov 22:2 | The rich and the poor meet together; the Lord is the Maker of them all. | God is creator of both rich and poor |
| Prov 10:22 | The blessing of the Lord makes rich, and He adds no sorrow with it. | God provides true, sorrow-free wealth |
| Ecc 5:19 | Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power... | God directly grants wealth and power |
| Jer 9:23-24 | Thus says the Lord: "Let not the wise man boast...but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me..." | True boast is in knowing God, not material possessions |
| Dan 4:17 | ...that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom He will and sets over it the lowliest of men. | God's absolute sovereignty over human kingdoms |
| Job 1:21 | "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return...The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away..." | God's ultimate control over giving and taking |
| Isa 40:23-24 | He brings princes to nothing and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness... | God's power to abase the powerful |
| Lk 1:52-53 | He has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; He has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. | Mary's Magnificat echoes Hannah's song |
| Lk 6:20-21, 24-25 | "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God...but woe to you who are rich, for you have received your comfort." | Spiritual perspective on wealth/poverty |
| Jas 4:10 | Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you. | Humility as a condition for exaltation |
| 1 Pet 5:6 | Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you... | God's timing for exaltation through humility |
| Ps 113:7-8 | He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes... | God lifts up the destitute to honor |
| Ps 34:10 | The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. | Trust in God's provision over worldly power |
| Mt 6:19-21 | "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth...but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven..." | Focus on eternal over earthly wealth |
| Acts 17:28 | "for in him we live and move and have our being..." | God as source of all existence and sustenance |
| Rom 11:36 | For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. | God as the origin, means, and end of all things |
| Eph 1:11 | ...in him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will... | God's sovereign will directs all circumstances |
| Rev 4:11 | "Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created." | God's worthiness as creator and sustainer |
| Php 2:8-9 | ...He humbled Himself by becoming obedient...Therefore God has highly exalted Him... | Christ's example of humility leading to divine exaltation |
| 1 Cor 4:7 | What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it? | Everything is received from God |
1 Samuel 2 verses
1 Samuel 2 7 Meaning
This verse asserts the absolute sovereignty of the Lord God over all human circumstances, especially regarding wealth, poverty, status, and destiny. It declares that material condition and social standing are not determined by chance, human effort alone, or the whims of false deities, but are under the direct, purposeful control of Yahweh. He is the one who divinely orchestrates the humbling of the proud and the exaltation of the lowly according to His wisdom and justice.
1 Samuel 2 7 Context
1 Samuel 2:7 is part of Hannah's prayer of thanksgiving (1 Sam 2:1-10), offered after she dedicated her son Samuel to the Lord, fulfilling her vow. This prayer transcends a mere personal expression of joy, serving as a profound theological statement that foreshadows much of the rest of Samuel's narrative and indeed the entire biblical drama. Immediately before this verse, Hannah exults in the Lord and speaks against the "haughty" and those who "speak insolently with a proud neck" (1 Sam 2:3). This directly contrasts with the oppressive and self-serving nature of Eli's sons, Hophni and Phinehas, who would later be brought low. Historically and culturally, this declaration directly challenged the surrounding Canaanite fertility cults and their deities, Baal and Asherah, whom people credited for agricultural abundance and prosperity. Hannah proclaims that true prosperity and all forms of status (or lack thereof) originate solely from Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel, not from pagan idols or human manipulation.
1 Samuel 2 7 Word analysis
- The Lord: יְהוָה (Yahweh). This is the personal, covenantal name of God, revealing His active presence and unwavering faithfulness. It signifies His absolute authority and distinction from all other alleged deities.
- makes poor: יְרַשֵּׁל (yērashēl), from the root רששׁ (rāshāsh), "to be poor" or "to make poor." This term highlights active divine agency in orchestrating conditions of lack or reduced circumstances.
- and makes rich: וְיַעֲשִׁיר (wəyaʿašīr), from the root עשׁר (ʿāšar), "to be rich" or "to make rich." Parallel to "makes poor," emphasizing God's complete control over financial and material states, actively bestowing abundance.
- He brings low: מַשְׁפִּיל (mashpīl), from the root שׁפל (shāpal), "to be low," "to humble," "to abase." This signifies God's direct role in humbling the arrogant, reducing their status, power, or influence.
- and lifts up: וּמֵרִים (ūmērīm), from the root רום (rūm), "to be high," "to exalt," "to lift up." This indicates God's power to elevate the humble, raise the oppressed, and bestow honor or position.
- "makes poor and makes rich": This is a literary device called a merism, where two contrasting parts represent the complete range or totality of something. It signifies that God controls the entire spectrum of financial and material well-being, from the lowest to the highest extreme.
- "He brings low and lifts up": Another powerful merism, illustrating God's absolute sovereignty over social status, power, and prestige. No human standing is beyond His reach or determined apart from His will. This dual action underscores His divine justice, where the proud are abased and the humble are exalted according to His sovereign wisdom and righteous judgment.
1 Samuel 2 7 Bonus section
- Prophetic Significance: Hannah's prayer is recognized as profoundly prophetic, not merely reflecting her personal triumph but also outlining principles that govern God's interaction with Israel and beyond. This verse prefigures God's pattern of raising up chosen individuals (like David) and bringing down those who oppose His will (like Saul). The echoes of this verse resonate most clearly in Mary's Magnificat (Lk 1:46-55), where she attributes similar actions to God in relation to the coming of Christ, emphasizing the overturning of worldly order for God's purposes.
- Theological Balance with Responsibility: While 1 Sam 2:7 powerfully asserts God's ultimate sovereignty, it does not negate human responsibility. The Bible consistently presents a balance where individuals are called to diligence, generosity, and justice (Prov 6:6; 2 Cor 9:7). This verse rather provides the theological framework that ultimate outcomes are subject to God's supreme will, calling believers to depend on Him and recognize His control in all circumstances, both prosperous and poor.
- Contrast to Self-Effort and Worldly Wisdom: The declaration that "the Lord makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up" stands in stark contrast to prevailing human philosophies that often attribute success solely to human effort, cleverness, or networking. It counters the wisdom of the world which frequently scorns the poor and exalts the materially powerful. Hannah's song fundamentally shifts the focus from human capability to divine authority.
1 Samuel 2 7 Commentary
1 Samuel 2:7, embedded within Hannah's Spirit-inspired prayer, encapsulates a foundational truth about God's nature: His absolute, active, and unparalleled sovereignty over all creation, particularly over the fortunes of humanity. It dismantles any notion of fate, chance, or human autonomy as ultimate determiners of prosperity, poverty, social standing, or power. Hannah's statement is a bold declaration against the self-reliance of her age and against the idol worship that ascribed control over land and livelihoods to pagan gods. Her personal experience of being brought low by barrenness and then graciously elevated by motherhood illustrates this principle. The verse serves as a potent reminder that all status is derived, not inherent. It affirms God as the sole source of all provisions, capable of enriching the poor and impoverishing the wealthy, bringing down the proud and elevating the humble. This principle is not arbitrary but flows from God's perfect justice and sovereign will, often setting the stage for divine judgment or redemptive work. The same divine hand that gives is also the one that can take away, underscoring ultimate dependence on Him and rejecting prideful self-sufficiency.