1 Samuel 2:1

Hannah Exalts the Lord in Prayer

2:1 Hannah prayed, ¹ 

“My heart rejoices in the Lord;

my horn ²  is exalted high because of the Lord.

I loudly denounce ³  my enemies,

for I am happy that you delivered me. ⁴ 

1 Samuel 12:11

12:11 So the Lord sent Jerub-Baal, ⁵  Barak, ⁶  Jephthah, and Samuel, ⁷  and he delivered you from the hand of the enemies all around you, and you were able to live securely.

1 Samuel 14:47

14:47 After Saul had secured his royal position over Israel, he fought against all their ⁸  enemies on all sides – the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. In every direction that he turned he was victorious. ⁹ 

1 Samuel 20:15

20:15 Don’t ever cut off your loyalty to my family, not even when the Lord has cut off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth

1 Samuel 30:26

30:26 When David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to the elders of Judah who were his friends, saying, “Here’s a gift ¹⁰  for you from the looting of the Lord’s enemies!”

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¹ tn Heb “prayed and said.” This is somewhat redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified in the translation.

² sn Horns of animals have always functioned as both offensive and defensive weapons for them. As a figure of speech the horn is therefore often used in the Bible as a symbol of human strength (see also in v. 10). The allusion in v. 1 to the horn being lifted high suggests a picture of an animal elevating its head in a display of strength or virility.

³ tn Heb “my mouth opens wide against.”

⁴ tn Heb “for I rejoice in your deliverance.”

⁵ sn Jerub-Baal (יְרֻבַּעַל) is also known as Gideon (see Judg 6:32). The Book of Judges uses both names for him.

⁶ tc The MT has “Bedan” (בְּדָן) here (cf. KJV, NASB, CEV). But a deliverer by this name is not elsewhere mentioned in the OT. The translation follows the LXX and the Syriac Peshitta in reading “Barak.”

⁷ tc In the ancient versions there is some confusion with regard to these names, both with regard to the particular names selected for mention and with regard to the order in which they are listed. For example, the LXX has “Jerub-Baal, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel.” But the Targum has “Gideon, Samson, Jephthah, and Samuel,” while the Syriac Peshitta has “Deborah, Barak, Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson.”

⁸ tn Heb “his,” which could refer to Israel or to Saul.

⁹ tc The translation follows the LXX (“he was delivered”), rather than the MT, which reads, “he acted wickedly.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “blessing.”