1 Samuel 2 · Verse 11

1 Samuel 2:11

And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister unto the Lord before Eli the priest.
1 Samuel 2:11, King James Version

1 Samuel 2:11 in other translations

BSBThen Elkanah went home to Ramah, but the boy began ministering to the LORD before Eli the priest.
WEBElkanah went to Ramah to his house. The child served the LORD before Eli the priest.
ASVAnd Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister unto Jehovah before Eli the priest.
YLTAnd Elkanah goeth to Ramath, unto his house, and the youth hath been serving Jehovah, in the presence of Eli the priest;
DARBYAnd Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the boy ministered to Jehovah in the presence of Eli the priest.
BBEThen Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child became the servant of the Lord under the direction of Eli the priest.
WebsterAnd Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child ministered to the LORD before Eli the priest.

What does 1 Samuel 2:11 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
11. the child did minister unto the Lord before Eli the priest--He must have been engaged in some occupation suited to his tender age, as in playing upon the cymbals, or other instruments of music; in lighting the lamps, or similar easy and interesting services. 1Sa 2:12-17. The Sin of Eli's Sons.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 11 And Elkanah went to Ramah - Immediately after the 10th verse, the Septuagint add, Και κατελιπεν αυτον εκει ενωπιον Κυριου· και απηλθεν εις Αραματαια, And she left him there before the Lord, and went unto Arimathea. Thus the Septuagint suppose that the song of Hannah was composed when she brought Samuel to present him to the Lord; and as soon as she had completed this fine ode, she delivered him into the hands of Eli the high priest, and the child entered immediately on his ministration, under the direction and instructions of Eli.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Samuel 2:11-26
Samuel, being devoted to the Lord in a special manner, was from a child employed about the sanctuary in the services he was capable of. As he did this with a pious disposition of mind, it was called ministering unto the Lord. He received a blessing from the Lord. Those young people who serve God as well as they can, he will enable to improve, that they may serve him better. Eli shunned trouble and exertion. This led him to indulge his children, without using parental authority to restrain and correct them when young. He winked at the abuses in the service of the sanctuary till they became customs, and led to abominations; and his sons, who should have taught those that engaged in the service of the sanctuary what was good, solicited them to wickedness. Their offence was committed even in offering the sacrifices for sins, which typified the atonement of the Saviour! Sins against the remedy, the atonement itself, are most dangerous, they tread under foot the blood of the covenant. Eli's reproof was far too mild and gentle. In general, none are more abandoned than the degenerate children of godly persons, when they break through restraints.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

1 Samuel 2:11 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.

וַיֵּ֧לֶךְvai.Ye.lekhand he wentH1980
אֶלְקָנָ֛ה'el.ka.NahElkanahH511
הָרָמָ֖תָהha.ra.Ma.tah<the> Ramah towardsH7414
עַל\־'al-onH5921
בֵּית֑וֹbei.Tohouse hisH1004
וְהַנַּ֗עַרve.ha.Na.'arand the ladH5288
הָיָ֤הha.Yahhe wasH1961
מְשָׁרֵת֙me.sha.RetservingH8334
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
יְהוָ֔הYah.wehYahwehH3068
אֶת\־'et-withH854
פְּנֵ֖יpe.Nei[the] presence ofH6440
עֵלִ֥י'e.LiEliH5941
הַכֹּהֵֽן\׃ha.ko.Henthe priestH3548

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

Cross references for 1 Samuel 2:11

  • 1 Samuel 2:18

    But Samuel ministered before the Lord, being a child, girded with a linen ephod.

  • 1 Samuel 3:1

    And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision.

  • 1 Samuel 1:28

    Therefore also I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord. And he worshipped the Lord there.

  • 1 Samuel 1:19

    And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the Lord, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the Lord remembered her.

  • 1 Samuel 3:15

    And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
minister.
18; 1:28; 3:1,15

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

Context

  • 1 Samuel 2:10

    The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the Lord shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.

  • 1 Samuel 2:11

    And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister unto the Lord before Eli the priest.

  • 1 Samuel 2:12

    Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the Lord.

Read all of 1 Samuel 2

1 Samuel 2:11 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y Elcana se volvió á su casa en Ramatha; y el niño ministraba á Jehová delante del sacerdote Eli.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Elkana s’en alla à Rama, dans sa maison; et le jeune garçon servait l’ Éternel en la présence d’Éli, le sacrificateur.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Elkana ging nach Rama, nach seinem Hause. Der Knabe aber diente Jehova vor Eli, dem Priester.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et abiit Elcana Ramatha, in domum suam: puer autem erat minister in conspectu Domini ante faciem Heli sacerdotis.