2:11 Then Elkanah went back home to Ramah. But the boy was serving the Lord under the supervision of 1 Eli the priest.
2:18 Now Samuel was ministering before the Lord. The boy was dressed in a linen ephod. 2:19 His mother used to make him a small robe and bring it up to him at regular intervals when she would go up with her husband to make the annual sacrifice. 2:20 Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife saying, “May the Lord raise up for you descendants 2 from this woman to replace the one that she 3 dedicated to the Lord.” Then they would go to their 4 home. 2:21 So the Lord graciously attended to Hannah, and she was able to conceive and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. The boy Samuel grew up at the Lord’s sanctuary. 5
2:26 Now the boy Samuel was growing up and finding favor both with the Lord and with people.
1 tn Heb “with [or “before”] the face of.”
2 tn Heb “seed.”
3 tn The MT has a masculine verb here, but in light of the context the reference must be to Hannah. It is possible that the text of the MT is incorrect here (cf. the ancient versions), in which case the text should be changed to read either a passive participle or better, the third feminine singular of the verb. If the MT is correct here, perhaps the masculine is to be understood in a nonspecific and impersonal way, allowing for a feminine antecedent. In any case, the syntax of the MT is unusual here.
4 tn Heb “his.”
5 tn Heb “with the