21 And Hannah prayeth, and saith: 'My heart hath exulted in Jehovah, My horn hath been high in Jehovah, My mouth hath been large over mine enemies, For I have rejoiced in Thy salvation. 2 There is none holy like Jehovah, For there is none save Thee, And there is no rock like our God. 3 Ye multiply not—ye speak haughtily—The old saying goeth out from your mouth, For a God of knowledge 'is' Jehovah, And by Him actions are weighed. 4 Bows of the mighty are broken, And the stumbling have girded on strength. 5 The satiated for bread hired themselves, And the hungry have ceased. While the barren hath borne seven, And she abounding with sons hath languished. 6 Jehovah putteth to death, and keepeth alive, He bringeth down to Sheol, and bringeth up. 7 Jehovah dispossesseth, and He maketh rich, He maketh low, yea, He maketh high. 8 He raiseth from the dust the poor, From a dunghill He lifteth up the needy, To cause 'them' to sit with nobles, Yea, a throne of honour He doth cause them to inherit, For to Jehovah 'are' the fixtures of earth, And He setteth on them the habitable world. 9 The feet of His saints He keepeth, And the wicked in darkness are silent, For not by power doth man become mighty. 10 Jehovah—broken down are His adversaries, Against them in the heavens He thundereth: Jehovah judgeth the ends of earth, And giveth strength to His king, And exalteth the horn of His anointed.'
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 1 Samuel 2:1-10
Commentary on 1 Samuel 2:1-10
(Read 1 Samuel 2:1-10)
Hannah's heart rejoiced, not in Samuel, but in the Lord. She looks beyond the gift, and praises the Giver. She rejoiced in the salvation of the Lord, and in expectation of His coming, who is the whole salvation of his people. The strong are soon weakened, and the weak are soon strengthened, when God pleases. Are we poor? God made us poor, which is a good reason why we should be content, and make up our minds to our condition. Are we rich? God made us rich, which is a good reason why we should be thankful, and serve him cheerfully, and do good with the abundance he gives us. He respects not man's wisdom or fancied excellences, but chooses those whom the world accounts foolish, teaching them to feel their guilt, and to value his free and precious salvation. This prophecy looks to the kingdom of Christ, that kingdom of grace, of which Hannah speaks, after having spoken largely of the kingdom of providence. And here is the first time that we meet with the name MESSIAH, or his Anointed. The subjects of Christ's kingdom will be safe, and the enemies of it will be ruined; for the Anointed, the Lord Christ, is able to save, and to destroy.