Study Desk

Because the LORD had closed Hannah's womb, her rival would provoke her and taunt her viciously.

So in the course of time, Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, "Because I have asked for him from the LORD."

Even before the fat was burned, the servant of the priest would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, "Give the priest some meat to roast, because he will not accept from you boiled meat, but only raw."

Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, because the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.

I told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity of which he knows, because his sons blasphemed God and he did not restrain them.

And the LORD continued to appear at Shiloh, because there He revealed Himself to Samuel by His word.

When he arrived, there was Eli sitting on his chair beside the road, watching, because his heart trembled for the ark of God. When the man entered the city to give a report, the whole city cried out.

Now Eli was ninety-eight years old, and his gaze was fixed because he could not see.

And she named the boy Ichabod, saying, "The glory has departed from Israel," because the ark of God had been captured and her father-in-law and her husband had been killed.

And when the men of Ashdod saw what was happening, they said, "The ark of the God of Israel must not stay here with us, because His hand is heavy upon us and upon our god Dagon."

But God struck down some of the people of Beth-shemesh because they looked inside the ark of the LORD. He struck down seventy men, and the people mourned because the LORD had struck them with a great slaughter.

Then he would return to Ramah because his home was there, and there he judged Israel and built an altar to the LORD.

"Yes, he is ahead of you," they answered. "Hurry now, for today he has come to the city because the people have a sacrifice on the high place.

As soon as you enter the city you can find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people will not eat until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice; after that, the guests will eat. Go up at once; you will find him."

"At this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you are to anoint him leader over My people Israel; he will deliver them from the hand of the Philistines. For I have looked upon My people, because their cry has come to Me."

Indeed, for the sake of His great name the LORD will not abandon His people, because He was pleased to make you His own.

Seeing that they were in danger because their troops were hard-pressed, the men of Israel hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in cellars and cisterns.

But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought a man after His own heart and appointed him ruler over His people, because you have not kept the command of the LORD."

And no blacksmith could be found in all the land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, "The Hebrews must not be allowed to make swords or spears."

But if they say, 'Come on up,' then we will go up, because this will be our sign that the LORD has delivered them into our hands."