12
And it happened,וְהָיָהasכִּיshe prayedלְהִתְפַּלֵּלat lengthהִרְבְּתָהbeforeלִפְנֵיYHWH,יְהוָהthat Eliוְעֵלִיwas watchingשֹׁמֵרher mouth.אֶת פִּיהָ
1 Samuel 1:12
Study it in the app“And it happened, as she prayed at length before YHWH, that Eli was watching her mouth.”
Hannah, bitter in soul, prays silently, and Eli thinks she is drunkPrayer
With the Hebrew beneath
1 Samuel 1:12, word by word
- And it happenedהָיָהhaya
happen
For something to occur or take place; many stories open with this word.
Where else “haya” appears- she prayedהִתְפַּלֵּלhitpalel
pray
To talk with God, often asking for others.
Where else “hitpalel” appears- at lengthהִרְבְּתָהhirbta
greatly
Used to say 'in great quantity' or 'very much'.
Where else “hirbta” appears- beforeפְנֵיfene
before
Literally "to the face of": in sight of someone, or on account of something.
Where else “fene” appears- YHWHיְהוָהyehva
YHWH
The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.
Where else “yehva” appears- that Eliעֵלִיeli
Eli
Eli, priest at Shiloh who judged Israel forty years (1 Samuel 4:18); Samuel grew up with him.
Where else “eli” appears- was watchingשֹׁמֵרshomer
preserve
To keep something, or watch and wait.
Where else “shomer” appears- her mouthפִּיpi
mouth
The part of the face with which one speaks, eats and kisses.
Where else “pi” appears
The context
11And she made a vow and said, “YHWH Tsevaot, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant and give your servant offspring of men, then I will give him to YHWH all the days of his life, and a razor shall not come up on his head.”
12 · This verse (above)
13Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips were moving, and her voice was not heard. So Eli took her to be drunk.