Elkanah (Samuel's father)
The Faithful Levite
Elkanah was a Levite from the hill country of Ephraim who was the father of the prophet Samuel. He was a godly man who traveled annually to Shiloh to worship the Lord, and he showed great care for his barren wife Hannah during her suffering.
Familia
Hechos clave
Annual Pilgrimage to Shiloh
Elkanah faithfully traveled year after year from his hometown to Shiloh to worship and offer sacrifices to the Lord, God of Hosts.
3Year after year this man would go up from his town to worship and to sacrifice to the LORD of hosts at Shiloh, where Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the LORD.
וְעָלָה֩ הָאִ֨ישׁ הַה֤וּא מֵֽעִירוֹ֙ מִיָּמִ֣ים ׀ יָמִ֔ימָה לְהִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֺ֧ת וְלִזְבֹּ֛חַ לַיהוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת בְּשִׁלֹ֑ה וְשָׁ֞ם שְׁנֵ֣י בְנֵֽי־עֵלִ֗י חָפְנִי֙ וּפִ֣נְחָ֔ס כֹּהֲנִ֖ים לַיהוָֽה׃
4Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters.
וַיְהִ֣י הַיּ֔וֹם וַיִּזְבַּ֖ח אֶלְקָנָ֑ה וְנָתַ֞ן לִפְנִנָּ֣ה אִשְׁתּ֗וֹ וּֽלְכָל־בָּנֶ֛יהָ וּבְנוֹתֶ֖יהָ מָנֽוֹת׃
21When Elkanah went up with all his household to offer the yearly sacrifice to the LORD and to fulfill his vow,
וַיַּ֛עַל הָאִ֥ישׁ אֶלְקָנָ֖ה וְכָל־בֵּית֑וֹ לִזְבֹּ֧חַ לַֽיהוָ֛ה אֶת־זֶ֥בַח הַיָּמִ֖ים וְאֶת־נִדְרֽוֹ׃
Comforting His Barren Wife
Elkanah showed deep love for Hannah and comforted her when she wept over her barrenness, giving her a double portion of the sacrifice.
5But to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, though the LORD had closed her womb.
וּלְחַנָּ֕ה יִתֵּ֛ן מָנָ֥ה אַחַ֖ת אַפָּ֑יִם כִּ֤י אֶת־חַנָּה֙ אָהֵ֔ב וַֽיהוָ֖ה סָגַ֥ר רַחְמָֽהּ׃
8Her husband Elkanah said to her, "Hannah, why are you crying? Why won't you eat? Why is your heart so heavy? Am I not more to you than ten sons?"
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר לָ֜הּ אֶלְקָנָ֣ה אִישָׁ֗הּ חַנָּה֙ לָ֣מֶה תִבְכִּ֗י וְלָ֙מֶה֙ לֹ֣א תֹֽאכְלִ֔י וְלָ֖מֶה יֵרַ֣ע לְבָבֵ֑ךְ הֲל֤וֹא אָֽנֹכִי֙ ט֣וֹב לָ֔ךְ מֵעֲשָׂרָ֖ה בָּנִֽים׃
Supporting Hannah's Vow to God
When Hannah made a vow to give her son to the Lord for his entire life, Elkanah supported her decision and let her stay at home until the child was weaned.
21When Elkanah went up with all his household to offer the yearly sacrifice to the LORD and to fulfill his vow,
וַיַּ֛עַל הָאִ֥ישׁ אֶלְקָנָ֖ה וְכָל־בֵּית֑וֹ לִזְבֹּ֧חַ לַֽיהוָ֛ה אֶת־זֶ֥בַח הַיָּמִ֖ים וְאֶת־נִדְרֽוֹ׃
22Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, "Once the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before the LORD, and he will stay there for good."
וְחַנָּ֖ה לֹ֣א עָלָ֑תָה כִּֽי־אָמְרָ֣ה לְאִישָׁ֗הּ עַ֣ד יִגָּמֵ֤ל הַנַּ֙עַר֙ וַהֲבִאֹתִ֗יו וְנִרְאָה֙ אֶת־פְּנֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה וְיָ֥שַׁב שָׁ֖ם עַד־עוֹלָֽם׃
23"Do what seems best to you," her husband Elkanah told her. "Stay here until you have weaned him; only may the LORD make good his word." So the woman stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָהּ֩ אֶלְקָנָ֨ה אִישָׁ֜הּ עֲשִׂ֧י הַטּ֣וֹב בְּעֵינַ֗יִךְ שְׁבִי֙ עַד־גָּמְלֵ֣ךְ אֹת֔וֹ אַ֛ךְ יָקֵ֥ם יְהוָ֖ה אֶת־דְּבָר֑וֹ וַתֵּ֤שֶׁב הָֽאִשָּׁה֙ וַתֵּ֣ינֶק אֶת־בְּנָ֔הּ עַד־גָּמְלָ֖הּ אֹתֽוֹ׃
Dedicate Samuel to the Lord's Service
Elkanah and Hannah brought the young Samuel to the temple in Shiloh and gave him to the priest Eli to serve the Lord all his days.
24When he was weaned, she took him up with her, along with three bulls, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh, though he was still a small child. [Footnote: Hebrew tradition reads "three bulls"; other ancient witnesses read "a three-year-old bull," which agrees with the single bull slaughtered in verse 25.]
וַתַּעֲלֵ֨הוּ עִמָּ֜הּ כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר גְּמָלַ֗תּוּ בְּפָרִ֤ים שְׁלֹשָׁה֙ וְאֵיפָ֨ה אַחַ֥ת קֶ֙מַח֙ וְנֵ֣בֶל יַ֔יִן וַתְּבִאֵ֥הוּ בֵית־יְהוָ֖ה שִׁל֑וֹ וְהַנַּ֖עַר נָֽעַר׃
25When they had slaughtered the bull, they brought the boy to Eli,
וַֽיִּשְׁחֲט֖וּ אֶת־הַפָּ֑ר וַיָּבִ֥יאוּ אֶת־הַנַּ֖עַר אֶל־עֵלִֽי׃
28So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD." And there he worshiped the LORD.
וְגַ֣ם אָנֹכִ֗י הִשְׁאִלְתִּ֙הוּ֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה כָּל־הַיָּמִים֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הָיָ֔ה ה֥וּא שָׁא֖וּל לַֽיהוָ֑ה וַיִּשְׁתַּ֥חוּ שָׁ֖ם לַיהוָֽה׃ פ
Blessed with More Children
After Samuel was given to the Lord's service, Eli blessed Elkanah and Hannah, and they had more sons and daughters.
20Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, "May the LORD give you children by this woman in place of the one asked for and given to the LORD." Then they would return home.
וּבֵרַ֨ךְ עֵלִ֜י אֶת־אֶלְקָנָ֣ה וְאֶת־אִשְׁתּ֗וֹ וְאָמַר֙ יָשֵׂם֩ יְהוָ֨ה לְךָ֥ זֶ֙רַע֙ מִן־הָאִשָּׁ֣ה הַזֹּ֔את תַּ֚חַת הַשְּׁאֵלָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר שָׁאַ֖ל לַֽיהוָ֑ה וְהָלְכ֖וּ לִמְקֹמֽוֹ׃
21And the LORD showed his care for Hannah: she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the LORD.
כִּֽי־פָקַ֤ד יְהוָה֙ אֶת־חַנָּ֔ה וַתַּ֛הַר וַתֵּ֥לֶד שְׁלֹשָֽׁה־בָנִ֖ים וּשְׁתֵּ֣י בָנ֑וֹת וַיִּגְדַּ֛ל הַנַּ֥עַר שְׁמוּאֵ֖ל עִם־יְהוָֽה׃ ס