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THE MESSAGE

1 Samuel 1:12

It so happened that as she continued in prayer before God , Eli was watching her closely. Hannah was praying in her heart, silently. Her lips moved, but no sound was heard. Eli jumped to the conclusion that she was drunk. He approached her and said, "You're drunk! How long do you plan to keep this up? Sober up, woman!"

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Barrenness;   Children;   Drunkenness;   Hannah;   Prayer;   Samuel;   Women;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Peninnah;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Hannah;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Gods and Goddesses, Pagan;   Priest, Priesthood;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Prayer;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Veil, Vail;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Jephthah;   Prayer;   Veil;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Mother;   Samuel, Books of;   Sex, Biblical Teaching on;   Tribes of Israel, the;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Eli;   Samuel, Books of;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Elkanah ;   Hannah ;   Shiloh ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Hannah;   Jephtha;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Eli;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Samuel the Prophet;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Eli;   Male;   Mark;   Samuel, Books of;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Family and Family Life;   Prayer;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
While she continued praying in the Lord’s presence, Eli watched her mouth.
Hebrew Names Version
It happened, as she continued praying before the LORD, that `Eli marked her mouth.
King James Version
And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the Lord , that Eli marked her mouth.
Lexham English Bible
While she continued to pray before Yahweh, Eli was observing her mouth.
English Standard Version
As she continued praying before the Lord , Eli observed her mouth.
New Century Version
While Hannah kept praying, Eli watched her mouth.
New English Translation
As she continued praying to the Lord , Eli was watching her mouth.
Amplified Bible
Now it happened as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli was watching her mouth.
New American Standard Bible
Now it came about, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli was watching her mouth.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And as she continued praying before the Lord, Eli marked her mouth.
Legacy Standard Bible
Now it happened, as she multiplied her praying before Yahweh, that Eli was watching her mouth.
Contemporary English Version
Hannah prayed silently to the Lord for a long time. But her lips were moving, and Eli thought she was drunk.
Complete Jewish Bible
She prayed for a long time before Adonai ; and as she did so, ‘Eli was watching her mouth.
Darby Translation
And it came to pass as she continued praying before Jehovah, that Eli marked her mouth.
Easy-to-Read Version
Hannah prayed to the Lord a long time. Eli was watching her mouth while she was praying.
George Lamsa Translation
And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli watched her mouth.
Good News Translation
Hannah continued to pray to the Lord for a long time, and Eli watched her lips.
Literal Translation
And it happened, when she prayed long before Jehovah, Eli was watching her mouth.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And wha she had prayed longe before ye LORDE, Eli toke hede to hir mouth,
American Standard Version
And it came to pass, as she continued praying before Jehovah, that Eli marked her mouth.
Bible in Basic English
Now while she was a long time in prayer before the Lord, Eli was watching her mouth.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And as she continued praying before the Lord, Eli marked her mouth.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And it came to pass, as she prayed long before the LORD, that Eli watched her mouth.
King James Version (1611)
And it came to passe as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli marked her mouth.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And it came to pass, while she was long praying before the Lord, that Heli the priest marked her mouth.
English Revised Version
And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli marked her mouth.
Berean Standard Bible
As Hannah kept on praying before the LORD, Eli watched her mouth.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forsothe it was doon, whanne sche multipliede preieris bifor the Lord, that Ely aspiede hir mouth.
Young's Literal Translation
And it hath been, when she multiplied praying before Jehovah, that Eli is watching her mouth,
Update Bible Version
And it came to pass, as she continued praying before Yahweh, that Eli was watching her mouth.
Webster's Bible Translation
And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli observed her mouth.
World English Bible
It happened, as she continued praying before Yahweh, that Eli marked her mouth.
New King James Version
And it happened, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli watched her mouth.
New Living Translation
As she was praying to the Lord , Eli watched her.
New Life Bible
While she kept praying to the Lord, Eli was watching her mouth.
New Revised Standard
As she continued praying before the Lord , Eli observed her mouth.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And so it was, as she continued praying before Yahweh, that Eli was watching her mouth.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And it came to pass, as she multiplied prayers before the Lord, that Heli observed her mouth.
Revised Standard Version
As she continued praying before the LORD, Eli observed her mouth.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Now it came about, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli was watching her mouth.

Contextual Overview

9So Hannah ate. Then she pulled herself together, slipped away quietly, and entered the sanctuary. The priest Eli was on duty at the entrance to God 's Temple in the customary seat. Crushed in soul, Hannah prayed to God and cried and cried—inconsolably. Then she made a vow: Oh, God -of-the-Angel-Armies, If you'll take a good, hard look at my pain, If you'll quit neglecting me and go into action for me By giving me a son, I'll give him completely, unreservedly to you. I'll set him apart for a life of holy discipline. 12It so happened that as she continued in prayer before God , Eli was watching her closely. Hannah was praying in her heart, silently. Her lips moved, but no sound was heard. Eli jumped to the conclusion that she was drunk. He approached her and said, "You're drunk! How long do you plan to keep this up? Sober up, woman!" 15Hannah said, "Oh no, sir—please! I'm a woman hard used. I haven't been drinking. Not a drop of wine or beer. The only thing I've been pouring out is my heart, pouring it out to God . Don't for a minute think I'm a bad woman. It's because I'm so desperately unhappy and in such pain that I've stayed here so long." 17 Eli answered her, "Go in peace. And may the God of Israel give you what you have asked of him." 18 "Think well of me—and pray for me!" she said, and went her way. Then she ate heartily, her face radiant.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

continued praying: Heb. multiplied to pray, Luke 11:8-10, Luke 18:1, Ephesians 6:18, Colossians 4:2, 1 Thessalonians 5:17, James 5:16

Cross-References

Genesis 1:11
God spoke: "Earth, green up! Grow all varieties of seed-bearing plants, Every sort of fruit-bearing tree." And there it was. Earth produced green seed-bearing plants, all varieties, And fruit-bearing trees of all sorts. God saw that it was good. It was evening, it was morning— Day Three.
Genesis 1:24
God spoke: "Earth, generate life! Every sort and kind: cattle and reptiles and wild animals—all kinds." And there it was: wild animals of every kind, Cattle of all kinds, every sort of reptile and bug. God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:26
God spoke: "Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature So they can be responsible for the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the cattle, And, yes, Earth itself, and every animal that moves on the face of Earth." God created human beings; he created them godlike, Reflecting God's nature. He created them male and female. God blessed them: "Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge! Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air, for every living thing that moves on the face of Earth."
Galatians 6:7
Don't be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds. All he'll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God's Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the Lord,.... Being very earnest and importunate with him to grant her request, and therefore repeated her petition, and prolonged her prayer, being unwilling to let the Lord go, until she had a promise, or some satisfaction, that she should have the thing she liked; some think she continued an hour in prayer:

that Eli marked her mouth; observed the motion of her lips, and no doubt her distorted countenance, and uplifted eyes and hands, but chiefly the former; not knowing what the woman was at, and what could be the meaning of such motions.


 
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