1 Samuel 1 · Verse 23

1 Samuel 1:23

And Elkanah her husband said unto her, Do what seemeth thee good; tarry until thou have weaned him; only the Lord establish his word. So the woman abode, and gave her son suck until she weaned him.
1 Samuel 1:23, King James Version

1 Samuel 1:23 in other translations

BSB“Do what you think is best,” her husband Elkanah replied, “and stay here until you have weaned him. Only may the LORD confirm His word.” So Hannah stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him.
WEBElkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems good to you. Wait until you have weaned him; only may the LORD establish his word.” So the woman waited and nursed her son until she weaned him.
ASVAnd Elkanah her husband said unto her, Do what seemeth thee good; tarry until thou have weaned him; only Jehovah establish his word. So the woman tarried and gave her son suck, until she weaned him.
YLTAnd Elkanah her husband saith to her, ‘Do that which is good in thine eyes; abide till thy weaning him; only, Jehovah establish His word;' and the woman abideth and suckleth her son till she hath weaned him,
DARBYAnd Elkanah her husband said to her, Do what is good in thy sight: abide until thou hast weaned him; only, may Jehovah fulfil his word. And the woman abode, and gave her son suck until she weaned him.
BBEAnd her husband Elkanah said to her, Do whatever seems right to you, but not till you have taken him from the breast; only may the Lord do as he has said. So the woman, waiting there, gave her son milk till he was old enough to be taken from the breast.
WebsterAnd Elkanah her husband said to her, Do what seemeth to thee good; tarry until thou hast weaned him; only the LORD establish his word. So the woman abode, and nursed her son until she weaned him.

What does 1 Samuel 1:23 mean?

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 23 Until thou have weaned him - On the nature of this weaning, and the time in which it was usually done, the reader will be pleased to refer to the note on Gen 21:8. The Lord establish his word - Or, may the Lord establish his word - preserve the child, cause him to grow up, and make him a blessing to Israel.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Samuel 1:19-28

Elkanah and his family had a journey before them, and a family of children to take with them, yet they would not move till they had worshipped God together. Prayer and provender do not hinder a journey. When men are in such haste to set out upon journeys, or to engage in business, that they have not time to worship God, they are likely to proceed without his presence and blessing. Hannah, though she felt a warm…

Read the full comment on 1 Samuel 1:19-28 →

1 Samuel 1:23 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֹּ֣אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
לָהּ֩lahto <the> her
אֶלְקָנָ֨ה'el.ka.NahElkanahH511
אִישָׁ֜הּ'i.Shahhusband herH376
עֲשִׂ֧י'a.SidoH6213
הַטּ֣וֹבha.Tovthe goodH2896
בְּעֵינַ֗יִךְbe.'ei.Na.yikhin view yourH5869
שְׁבִי֙she.ViremainH3427
עַד\־'ad-untilH5704
גָּמְלֵ֣ךְga.me.Lekhwean youH1580
אֹת֔וֹ'o.To<obj.> himH853
אַ֛ךְ'akhonlyH389
יָקֵ֥םya.Kemmay he carry outH6965
יְהוָ֖הYah.wehYahwehH3068
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
דְּבָר֑וֹde.va.Roword hisH1697
וַתֵּ֤שֶׁבva.Te.shevand she remainedH3427
הָֽאִשָּׁה֙ha.'i.Shahthe womanH802
וַתֵּ֣ינֶקva.Tei.nekand she suckledH3243
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
בְּנָ֔הּbe.Nahson herH1121
עַד\־'ad-untilH5704
גָּמְלָ֖הּga.me.Lahhad weaned sheH1580
אֹתֽוֹ\׃'o.To<obj.> himH853

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 Samuel 1:23

  • 2 Samuel 7:25

    And now, O Lord God, the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant, and concerning his house, establish it for ever, and do as thou hast said.

  • Luke 11:27

    And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked.

  • Matthew 24:19

    And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!

  • Isaiah 44:26

    That confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof:

  • Psalms 22:9

    But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother’s breasts.

  • 1 Samuel 1:17

    Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.

  • Numbers 30:7-11

    And her husband heard it, and held his peace at her in the day that he heard it: then her vows shall stand, and her bonds wherewith she bound her soul shall stand. But if her husband disallowed her on the day that he heard it; then he shall make her vow which she vowed, and that which she uttered with her lips, wherewith she bound her soul, of none effect: and the Lord shall forgive her. But every vow of a widow, and of her that is divorced, wherewith they have bound their souls, shall stand against her. And if she vowed in her husband’s house, or bound her soul by a bond with an oath; …

  • Genesis 21:7-8

    And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age. And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Do what.
Nu 30:7-11
the Lord.
2Sa 7:25; Isa 44:26
son suck.
Ge 21:7,8; Ps 22:9; Mt 24:19; Lu 11:27

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 1 Samuel 1:22

    But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the Lord, and there abide for ever.

  • 1 Samuel 1:23

    And Elkanah her husband said unto her, Do what seemeth thee good; tarry until thou have weaned him; only the Lord establish his word. So the woman abode, and gave her son suck until she weaned him.

  • 1 Samuel 1:24

    And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the Lord in Shiloh: and the child was young.

Read all of 1 Samuel 1

1 Samuel 1:23 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y Elcana su marido le respondió: Haz lo que bien te pareciere; quédate hasta que lo destetes: solamente Jehová cumpla su palabra. Y quedóse la mujer, y crió su hijo hasta que lo destetó.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Elkana, son mari, lui dit: Fais ce qui est bon à tes yeux, demeure jusqu’à ce que tu l’aies sevré; seulement, que l’ Éternel accomplisse sa parole! Et la femme demeura, et elle allaita son fils jusqu’à ce qu’elle l’ait sevré.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Elkana, ihr Mann, sprach zu ihr: Tue was gut ist in deinen Augen; bleibe, bis du ihn entwöhnt hast; nur möge Jehova sein Wort aufrecht halten! So blieb das Weib und säugte ihren Sohn, bis sie ihn entwöhnt hatte.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et ait ei Elcana vir suus: Fac quod bonum tibi videtur, et mane donec ablactes eum: precorque ut impleat Dominus verbum suum. Mansit ergo mulier, et lactavit filium suum, donec amoveret eum a lacte.