Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread. Those who were hungry are satisfied. Yes, the barren has borne seven. She who has many children languishes.
Parallel Translations
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Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread. Those who were hungry are satisfied. Yes, the barren has borne seven. She who has many children languishes.
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They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble.
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They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry have ceased; while the barren hath borne seven, she that had many children hath languished.
Cross-references (9)
Passages linked to 1 Samuel 2:5 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Psalms 113:9 He settles the barren woman in her home as a joyful mother of children. Praise Yah!
- Jeremiah 15:9 She who has borne seven languishes. She has given up the spirit. Her sun has gone down while it was yet day. She has been disappointed and confounded. I will deliver their residue to the sword before their enemies,” says Yahweh.
- Luke 1:53 He has filled the hungry with good things. He has sent the rich away empty.
- Psalms 34:10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger, but those who seek Yahweh shall not lack any good thing.
- 1 Samuel 1:6 Her rival provoked her severely, to irritate her, because Yahweh had shut up her womb.
- Isaiah 54:1 “Sing, barren, you who didn’t give birth; break out into singing, and cry aloud, you who didn’t travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife,” says Yahweh.
- Luke 16:25 “But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that you, in your lifetime, received your good things, and Lazarus, in the same way, bad things. But here he is now comforted, and you are in anguish.
- 1 Samuel 1:20 When the time had come, Hannah conceived, and bore a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked him of Yahweh.”
- Galatians 4:27 For it is written, “Rejoice, you barren who don’t bear. Break out and shout, you who don’t travail. For the desolate have more children than her who has a husband.”
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (15 sources)
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain Or, many.
Or, many.
They sell their labors for necessary food.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 1Sa 2:5 [They that were] full have hired out…
1Sa 2:5 [They that were] full have hired out themselves for bread; and [they that were] hungry ceased: so that the barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble.
Ver. 5. And they that were hungry ceased.] Nimirum famelici esse, to be still hungry; they were "filled with good things," as Luk 1:53.
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Is waxed feeble.] Weak for prolification; or having luctuosam faecunditatem, as Jerome saith of Laeta, who had born many children, but with this she had buried them.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain Have hired themselves out for bread, through extreme necessity,…
Have hired themselves out for bread, through extreme necessity, into which they are fallen from their greatest plenty. It is the same thing which is expressed both in divers metaphors in the foregoing and following verses, and properly in the latter branch of this verse.
Ceased, i.e. ceased to be such, to wit, hungry; the hungry failed; there was none of them hungry or indigent.
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Seven, i.e. many, as seven is oft used. She speaks in the prophetic style, the past time for the future; for though she had actually born but one, yet she had a confident persuasion that she should have more, which was grounded either upon some particular assurance from God, or rather upon the prayer or prediction of Eli; which, though it be mentioned after this song, 1Sa 2:20, yet in all probability was spoken before it, even upon the parents’ presentation of the child to Eli, 1Sa 1:25, it not being likely that she would sing this song in Eli’s presence, or before he had given his answer to her speech delivered 1Sa 1:26-28, there being nothing more frequent than such transpositions in Scripture. And the experience she had of the strange and speedy accomplishment of his former prophecy made her confidently expect the same issue from the latter.
She that hath many children, i.e. Peninnah.
Is waxed feeble; either because she was now past child-bearing, and impotent for procreation; or because divers of her children, which were her strength and her glory, were dead, as the Hebrew doctors relate.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain They that are full have hired out themselves for…
They that are full have hired out themselves for bread,.... Such as have been full of the good things of this life have been stripped of all, and reduced to such circumstances as to be obliged to hire themselves out to persons to labour under them for their bread. Hannah has either respect to some instances she had known, or prophesies of what would be hereafter, and was fulfilled in the Israelites, when in the hands of the Egyptians and Assyrians, Lam 4:6 and may be exemplified in the case of the prodigal son, Luk 15:13 and is true of such who have larger gifts, but not grace, and which they exercise for lucre sake, and are mere hirelings; and of self-righteous persons who are full of themselves, of their goodness and righteousness, purity, and power; are quite mercenary do all they do for gain, work for life, and labour for perishing meat, and for that which is not bread, and is unsatisfying:
and they that were hungry ceased; that is, from being hungry, being filled with good things, having a large and sufficient supply to satisfy their craving desires, Luk 1:53. Such are the changes sometimes in Providence, that those who have lived in great plenty and fulness are obliged to work for their bread; and, on the other hand, such as have been starving, and in furnishing circumstances, have been brought into very plentiful and affluent ones. The "hungry", in a spiritual sense, are such who hunger an thirst after Christ, and his righteousness, for justification before God; after him and his blood for the remission of their sins, and the cleansing of their souls; after him, and salvation by him, in whom alone it is to be had; after a view of interest in him, and a greater degree of knowledge of him; and after more communion with him in his word and ordinances; and after the enjoyment of them for that purpose: now when they enjoy what they are craving after, they cease to hire out themselves for bread, as others do; they do not cease from working, but from dependence on their works, on which they cannot feed and live, having found and got other and better bread to feed upon; they cease to be hungry, for they are filled and satisfied with the love of God, with the righteousness of Christ, with the blessings of grace, and salvation by him, with the goodness of his house, and with all the fulness of God and Christ; and so having what satisfies them, they desire no other food, shall have no more want, or be in a starving condition any more, especially this will be the case hereafter:
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so that the barren hath born seven; meaning herself, who had born many, even five children besides Samuel, Sa1 2:20 which either was the case before this song was delivered; or rather what she believed would be the case after Eli had blessed her, and prayed for the children by her; seven being a number put for many, Pro 24:16.
and she that hath many children is waxed feeble; and incapable of bearing more; and stripped of what she had; this may be understood of Peninnah, concerning whom the Jews have this tradition (o), which Jarchi relates, that when Hannah bore one child, Peninnah buried two; and whereas Hannah had five, Peninnah lost all her ten children. This may be applied to the case of the Gentile and Jewish churches, under the Gospel dispensation, when more were the children of the desolate or barren, the Gentiles, than of the married wife, the Jews, Isa 54:1.
(o) Vid. Hieron, Trad. Heb. in. lib. Reg. fol. 34. K.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain Hired themselves out for bread - It is the…
Hired themselves out for bread - It is the same thing which is expressed both in divers metaphors in the foregoing, and following verses. Ceased - That is, ceased to be hungry. Seven - That is, many, as seven is often used. She speaks in the prophetick style, the past time, for the future; for though she had actually born but one, yet she had a confident persuasion that she should have more, which was grounded either upon some particular assurance from God; or rather upon the prayer or prediction of Eli. She - That is, Peninnah. Feeble - Either because she was now past child-bearing: or, because divers of her children, which were her strength and her glory, were dead, as the Hebrew doctors relate.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 5. They that were full] All the things…
Verse 5. They that were full] All the things mentioned in these verses frequently happen in the course of the Divine providence; and indeed it is the particular providence of God that Hannah seems more especially to celebrate through the whole of this simple yet sublime ode.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain 1Sa 2:5. Have hired themselves out for bread —…
1Sa 2:5. Have hired themselves out for bread — They that formerly lived in affluence have been so reduced as to be obliged to labour hard for daily bread. They that were hungry ceased — That is, ceased to suffer hunger, or to complain of it. This vicissitude of human affairs, especially the sudden turns which often take place, from a great height of prosperity to a very low condition, and the contrary, are very wonderful, and ought seriously to be pondered; that no man may be self-confident and proud, nor any one be dejected and desponding. So that the barren hath born seven — That is, many children. She alludes to the great change God had made in her own condition. For though she had actually born but one, yet it is probable she had a confident persuasion that she should have more, grounded either upon some particular assurance from God, or, rather, upon the prayer or prediction of Eli. She that hath many children, &c. — Those that have been fruitful grow barren when God pleaseth.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain See an instance in 1Sa 2:36. See, too, in…
See an instance in 1Sa 2:36. See, too, in Eze 13:19, another example of hire paid in bread.
Ceased - i. e. were at rest, did no work. The general sense is expressed by the translation of the Latin Version, “they were filled.”
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Many. Hebrew, "seven," which is often used in the…
Many. Hebrew, "seven," which is often used in the same sense. Anna had never more than six children; (Calmet) whereas Phenenna had perhaps ten, chap. i. 8., and iii. 21. (Haydock) --- The Rabbins pretend that she lost one every time that Anna brought forth. But the text says nothing of the kind. It only insinuates at most, that she had no more. This admirably represents the state of the Synagogue, compared to the Christian Church. (St. Augustine, sup.) (Calmet; Worthington) --- The blessed Virgin conveys the same idea in other words, Luke i. (Menochius)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain they that were hungry ceased--that is, to hunger.
they that were hungry ceased--that is, to hunger.
the barren hath born seven--that is, many children.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 5. Full ones — Those who are usually sated…
5. Full ones — Those who are usually sated with an abundance of food. With bread are hired, or, hire themselves out for bread. They are glad if, by toil even, they can get but their daily food.
Hungry ones cease — From their usual toils. They who were accustomed to labour hard for bread to satisfy their hunger now keep holiday; they cease to be what they were before. By this metaphorical language, as well as by the positive statements immediately following, does Hannah still further contrast the changed circumstances of herself and her rival.
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Seven — That is, seven children. The number of fulness. Compare Rth_4:15. Up to this point the prophetess seems to have had her rival particularly in view; but throughout the rest of this sacred song she rises above things peculiar to herself alone, and celebrates the power and glory of God’s universal providence.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 5. ceased] i.e. are at rest: need toil no…
5. ceased] i.e. are at rest: need toil no more: or, cease to be hungry.
seven] A perfect family. Cp. Rth_4:15.
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is waxed feeble] By the loss of her children. Cp. Jer_15:9.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (5) They that were full.—Another image to illustrate the…
(5) They that were full.—Another image to illustrate the vicissitudes of human affairs is sketched, one very familiar to the dwellers among the cornfields and vineyards of Canaan.
The barren hath born seven.—Here the thought of the inspired singer reverts to herself, and the imagery is drawn from the story of her own life. Seven children are mentioned as the full number of the Divine blessing in children (see Rth_4:15; Jer_15:9). There is a curious Jewish legend which relates how for each boy child that was born to Hannah, two of Peninnah’s died.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 Connecting Statement:
Connecting Statement:
Hannah continues to recite a song to Yahweh. (See: Parallelism)
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gives birth to seven
"gives birth to seven children"
languishes
becomes weak and sad and lonely
translationWords
bread
barren
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 2:5 those who were starving are now full: Cp.…
2:5 those who were starving are now full: Cp. 1:7, 18. • The phrase seven children poetically means that the childless woman would be blessed with a house full of children (cp. 2:21).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.