Old Testament Lesson 20 – “All the City … Doth Know That Thou Art a Virtuous Woman”

Lesson 20

Lesson #20 - All the City...Doth Know Thou Art a Virtuous Woman
Ruth, 1 Samuel 1; 2:1–2, 20–21

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Background: It is near the end of the reign of the judges. Samuel will be the last of the Judges, and perhaps the most powerful one Israel ever had. Israel has failed to conquer most of the land, and has spent centuries in a cycle of righteousness and freedom, and wickedness and captivity.
In this time of weakness, where no one better than slouching Samson can be found as a Judge against the Philistines, and where Gideon must test the Lord to increase his faith time and again; we find a few good women of faith that stand head and shoulders above the rest. The prophetess Deborah is the first of the virtuous women we learn about, who stands in as the righteous and inspired leader of the people in a time when the men failed God.
Ruth as literature
The Hebrew short story uses “an artistic and elevated prose containing rhythmic elements which are poetic,” takes an interest in typical people, and seeks to both entertain and instruct.
The land of Moab was east of Israel just over the River Jordan. During this period, the Moabite lands were partially in the hands of the Tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh. It is possible that the land in which Naomi dwelt was actually among the Israelites! She personally was from Bethlehem, and dwelt with her husband, who could have been from the one of the tribes east of the Jordan.
During the reign of the Judges, the control of the lands switched often, and could have gone from being controlled by Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh to the Moabites for a time. The Moabites worshiped the god Chemosh, who was similar to Baal in certain ways. Some scholars consider Chemosh and the Ammonite god Molech to be the same being. According to ancient tradition, the Moabites did not worship Chemosh faithfully, and so he turned them over to the Israelites for several centuries, until King Solomon built a sanctuary to Chemosh in Jerusalem. Included in the worship of Chemosh was human sacrifice, which appeased the god. If Chemosh was also Molech, then the worship would also include passing children through the fire and child sacrifice. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemosh)
Moabites come from…the conception of Lot and his Daughter (when they thought the world was ending…)
Ruth & Naomi

1. Historical Background:
   • The story of Ruth occurred during the period of the Judges - about 1150 B.C.
   • According to Jewish tradition, the story was originally recorded by Samuel. It was not written in its present form until centuries later (about 500-400 B.C.).
2. Due to a famine Elimelech left his home in Bethlehem for Moab with his wife, Naomi, and their two sons (Ruth 1:1-2).
   • "And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons" (Ruth 1:3).
   • The two sons of Elimelech and Naomi married Moabite women, Ruth and Orpah. These two sons died (Ruth 1:4-5).
   • ⁵ Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died; so the woman survived her two sons and her husband.
     • Mahlon (sickly) Ruth’s (“friend”) husband
     • Chilion (pining, wasting away) Orpah’s (stiff-necked or gazelle) husband
3. Hearing that there was once again bread in the land, Naomi decided to return to Bethlehem. Both Ruth and Orpah expressed a desire to return with Naomi.
   • "And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mother's house: the LORD deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me. The LORD grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept." (Ruth 1:8-9)
   • Go, each of you return to your mother’s house; may the Lord perform hesed for you as you have done for the dead and for me
   • Orpah returned to her family.
   • READ RUTH 1:16-17. 
     • Ruth 1 ¹⁵ And she said, “Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” ¹⁶ But Ruth said: “Entreat me not to leave you,
       Or to turn back from following after you;
       For wherever you go, I will go;
       And wherever you lodge, I will lodge;
       Your people shall be my people,
       And your God, my God.
       ¹⁷ Where you die, I will die,
       And there will I be buried.
       The Lord do so to me, and more also,
       If anything but death parts you and me.”
   • WHAT POSITIVE QUALITIES DID NAOMI AND RUTH DISPLAY?
     • Selfless:  They each displayed more concern for the other than for themselves.
       • Naomi was an aging woman, who had suffered the loss of her husband and two sons. Certainly she longed for the companionship of these two women.  However, her love for them was so great that she felt they would be happier in the home of their families.
       • Ruth displayed the same compassionate attitude. She cared more for her mother-in-law than for her own wants and desires.
     • Sacrifice:  Naomi was willing to give up the comfort of companionship. In addition to giving up her family, Ruth was even willing to go to a strange land and convert to the faith of Naomi.
     • Loyalty:  Ruth displayed this attitude in her dealings with Naomi.
     • Elder Maxwell:  "Thomas C. Schelling has used a powerful, but simple, illustration of our society's ultimate interdependency and its reliance on cooperation, selflessness, and sacrifice. Schelling notes how cars can line up for miles on a busy highway because a mattress has fallen onto the highway; in spite of the inconvenience of hundreds of waiting motorists, each driver, once he is safely past the obstructing mattress, does not stop to remove the mattress, because now that he is past that point, the act of removal would not benefit him. The capacity to act for the good of community similarly requires us to abstain from actions that hurt others and also to inconvenience ourselves in order to help future generations." (Ibid., p37-38)
     • Elder Maxwell:  "Selflessness requires some surgery in each of our lives; some willingness to do without, that others may have; some self-denial, that our joy in other things may be more full." (Ibid., p40)
4. "So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest." (Ruth 1:22)
   • When Naomi and Ruth returned to Bethlehem, Naomi was greeted by her neighbors
     ¹⁹ Now the two of them went until they came to Bethlehem. And it happened, when they had come to Bethlehem, that all the city was excited because of them; and the women said, “Is this Naomi?”
     ²⁰ But she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi;^[a] call me Mara,^[b] for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.
     In Hebrew, Naomi means "sweet or pleasant" and Mara means "bitter." This was Naomi's way of saying that she had endured much tragedy while in Moab. (see Old Testament Student Manual, p262)
     
     • (Note how she recognizes the times a name can be changed…)
     
     
     

Ruth Gleans the Fields
Ruth 2
Settled in Bethlehem, there is only one way for two single women to survive: gleaning grain from the fields. In the Law of Moses, we find that one requirement is that farmers do not pick all the fruit/grain from their fields, but leave behind the grain in the corners of the field.
Ruth 2:2 And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz.
² And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter.
³ And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.
⁴ And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, The Lord be with you. And they answered him, The Lord bless thee.
⁵ Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this?
⁶ And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, It is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab:
Gleaning
“And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 23:22).
This ensured the poor and needy had a way to feed themselves. It was the ancient welfare plan to provide for the poor.
"Harvesting was difficult work and demanded long hours. Young men moved through the fields grasping handfuls of the grain and cutting through the stalks with sickles. These small bunches of grain were then bound into bundles called sheaves. As the men worked rapidly, a number of stalks fell to the ground. If the men were careful and took the time, these too could be gathered up. However, any stalks that dropped were allowed to remain where they fell. Poor people, following the reapers, were permitted to 'glean,' or gather, the random stalks--possibly all that stood between them and starvation. In addition, the edges of the field, where the sickle was not as easily wielded, were left unharvested. The poor were welcome to that portion, as well." (Old Testament Student Manual, pp262-263)

Ruth found herself in the fields of Boaz. Boaz was a relative of Naomi, and when he found out who Ruth was, insisted she glean solely from his fields. In this manner he was able to ensure she could gather in sufficient grains to feed herself and the aging Naomi. When Naomi found out, she was pleased, and mentioned that Boaz was a “near kinsman” or a close relative. This fact will be very important to the story line.
To me the most impressive thing about Boaz is the reason he did all of this for Ruth. He tells her plainly, “It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore” (Ruth 2:11).
¹⁴ And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers: and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left.
The parched corn she partakes of is more important than we typically realize. Israel and her neighbors followed a custom with grain harvesting that many Middle Eastern societies continue today. Some of the grain is harvested just before it is ripe. It is then roasted, producing a carmelized food that is both tasty and serves as a high-energy food source for its consumers.
¹⁵ And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not:
¹⁶ And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.
¹⁷ So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley.
¹⁸ And she took it up, and went into the city: and her mother in law saw what she had gleaned: and she brought forth, and gave to her that she had reserved after she was sufficed.
¹⁹ And her mother in law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to day? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee. And she shewed her mother in law with whom she had wrought, and said, The man's name with whom I wrought to day is Boaz.
²⁰ And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, Blessed be he of the Lord, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen.
Hesed = an extra measure of kindness
BYU Archive: “May he be blessed by the Lord, who hath not abandoned his hesed to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said to her, the man is near of kin to us, he is one of our redeemers” (see Ruth 2:20; author’s translation).
Once she has realized how kindly disposed Boaz is toward Ruth, Naomi sees that the wish she made in Moab for the Lord to show hesed to Ruth is being fulfilled.
What a wonderful turn of events in the lives of these poor women! The day must have been one of hope and suspense—their first try at providing for themselves. Gleaning was a difficult and uncertain job, relying on it for their sustenance must have been a daunting and foreboding prospect, full of anxiety. Yet in that day of darkness, a potential redeemer must have been a source of great hope. Just as Israel’s hope during their darkest hour while in Egypt was answered by a deliverer, Ruth and Naomi found hope in a righteous Israelite who could serve as a redeemer. They had a hope in Israel.
Ruth Proposes Marriage
Ruth 3
Over time, Naomi determined to use the law of Levirate marriage to provide Ruth a husband and grandchildren for herself. She directs the girl to stealthily enter into Boaz’ bed chamber after dark, uncover his feet, and lay at his feet as a marriage proposal.
3 One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, I must find a home^[a] for you, where you will be well provided for. ² Now Boaz, with whose women you have worked, is a relative of ours. Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. ³ Wash, put on perfume, and get dressed in your best clothes.Then go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. ⁴ When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do.”
⁵ And she said to her, “All that you say to me I will do.”
Ruth does as she is told, and laid at Boaz’ feet until he discovered her at midnight.  It is possible that Ruth laid herself down on his lap, as a marriage proposal. At midnight, he awoke.
KJV⁶ And she went down unto the floor, and did according to all that her mother in law bade her.
⁷ And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of corn: and she came softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid her down.
⁸ And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself: and, behold, a woman lay at his feet.
⁹ And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman.
We can reach deeper levels of understanding by providing a more literal translation: “I am Ruth thy handmaid. Spread thy wing over thy handmaid, for thou art a redeemer.”
One of the major motifs of the book of Ruth is that people are often the Lord’s means for pouring forth his blessings, or hesed. Here Ruth asks Boaz to be the Lord’s wings.

Clearly Boaz did not expect the attentions of this much younger woman, but he is also just as certainly not displeased. 
These elements of isolation may serve to heighten another dramatic element in the story. The Hebrew words employed by the writer for lying down, uncovering, and feet are words often used as sexual euphemisms in the Hebrew Bible and were sexually charged words. It is possible that these words and this mood was chosen to raise in the mind of the reader the possibility of an intimate encounter.
Perhaps the most meaningful lines of the story take place there, in the middle of the night, on the threshing floor. There Ruth makes her plea to Boaz, and Boaz affirms his willingness to comply with that request. Most Bible translations—including the King James Version—leave out a few crucial clues that heighten the import of this conversation.
¹⁰ “The Lord bless you, my daughter,” he replied. “This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor. (alternate” Blessed be thou of the Lord, my daughter, for thou has shown more hesed in the end than in the beginning; for thou didst not follow after young men, either rich or poor)
Here Boaz expresses his belief that while Ruth had shown hesed to Naomi (something Naomi has already expressed), she has also shown hesed to Boaz for asking him to be her redeemer and levirate husband. This implies that Boaz was older and probably even unmarried and childless, though we cannot be sure of the latter suppositions.
In any case, he feels that Ruth’s covenantal kindness to Naomi leads her to seek a covenantal action from Boaz, which results in a covenantal kindness being shown to him as well.
¹¹ And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character.
To spread one’s skirt or cloak over another is to offer them protection. Nephi prayed, “O Lord, wilt thou encircle me around in the robe of thy righteousness!” (2 Ne 4:33), a perfect request of one who knew he needed a protector. Ruth sought a great protector in Boaz, who could care for her as a husband and provider. Boaz was surprised that she sought the proper Levirate marriage of marrying the next of kin, and not chasing after a young man. However, there was another closer relative that would get the first opportunity to marry the young woman.
¹² Now it is true that I am a close relative; however, there is a relative closer than I. ¹³ Stay this night, and in the morning it shall be that if he will perform the duty of a close relative for you—good; let him do it. But if he does not want to perform the duty for you, then I will perform the duty for you, as the Lord lives! Lie down until morning.”
¹⁴ So she lay at his feet until morning, and she arose before one could recognize another. Then he said, “Do not let it be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.” ¹⁵ Also he said, “Bring the shawl that is on you and hold it.” And when she held it, he measured six ephahs of barley, and laid it on her. Then she^[b] went into the city.
That Ruth was able to slip into his room late at night, sleep at his “feet” and be considered a virtuous woman shows that her intentions in all she did was good. She followed proper protocol, even if it is different than what we would do today. She was virtuous, meaning chaste, hard working, honest, and dependable.
Then she reports back to Naomi
¹⁷ And she said, “These six ephahs of barley he gave me; for he said to me, ‘Do not go empty-handed to your mother-in-law.’”
¹⁸ Then she said, “Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out; for the man will not rest until he has concluded the matter this day.”
In Naomi’s mind there is no doubt that once Boaz has set his mind to doing this thing, it will be accomplished in short order.

Boaz Gets a Bride
Ruth 4
The city gate was where all the men went to discuss the news of the city. At the gate, one could talk to travelers and find out the news in other places near and far. And it was where much business was concluded. It would not be long after Boaz sat down at the gate until he would encounter the next of kin.  He does not mention his name here…the name given him by the Rabbi’s is Peloni Almoni…
KJV 4:1 Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down.
NKJV 4:1  Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there; and behold, the close relative of whom Boaz had spoken came by. So Boaz said, “Come aside, friend,^{[see note, Peloni Almoni below]} sit down here.” So he came aside and sat down.
NIV 4:1  Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gate and sat down there just as the guardian-redeemer he had mentioned came along. Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he went over and sat down.
Common English Bible 4:1  Meanwhile, Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there. Just then, the redeemer about whom Boaz had spoken was passing by. He said, “Sir, come over here and sit down.” So he turned aside and sat down.
Complete Jewish Bible 4:1  Meanwhile, Bo‘az had gone up to the gate and had sat down there, when the redeemer of whom Bo‘az had spoken passed by. “Such-and-such,” he said, “come over, and sit down”; so he came over and sat down.
Contemporary English Bible 4:1  In the meanwhile, Boaz had gone to the meeting place at the town gate and was sitting there when the other close relative came by. So Boaz invited him to come over and sit down, and he did.

1. 6 Bible Versions. 
   1. For the description you have
      1. kinsman
      2. close relative
      3. guardian redeemer
      4. redeemer
      5. redeemer
      6. close relative
   2. For Boaz address to him you have:
      1. Ho, such a one
      2. come aside Friend
      3. my friend
      4. Sir
      5. Such-and-such
      6. him

Guardian-Redeemer: Ruth 4:1 The Hebrew word for guardian-redeemer is a legal term for one who has the obligation to redeem a relative in serious difficulty (see Lev. 25:25-55); also in verses 3, 6, 8 and 14.
Who was Peloni Almoni? We have previously pointed out that the Sages understood that his name was Tov. The name itself is found in the Bible in Zechariah 6:10 and Samuel II, 10:6. Here, however, he is called Peloni Almoni, an appellation that has come to signify “John Doe”, a generic name for a person whose actual name we do not know. … There it means “unspecified”. The term can also refer to someone who is by nature timid and retiring (Targum). The apellation "Peloni Almoni" implies criticism.
Lev 25: ²³ ‘The land shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are strangers and sojourners with Me. ²⁴ And in all the land of your possession you shall grant redemption of the land.
²⁵ ‘If one of your brethren becomes poor, and has sold some of his possession, and if his redeeming relative comes to redeem it, then he may redeem what his brother sold. ²⁶ Or if the man has no one to redeem it, but he himself becomes able to redeem it, ²⁷ then let him count the years since its sale, and restore the remainder to the man to whom he sold it, that he may return to his possession. ²⁸ But if he is not able to have it restored to himself, then what was sold shall remain in the hand of him who bought it until the Year of Jubilee; and in the Jubilee it shall be released, and he shall return to his possession.
It can be assumed that Elimelech sold Peloni Almoni the right to harvest his fields for however many years remained (from the time of his move to Moab until the Year of Jubilee). In light of the Midianite problem, he probably sold cheaply. By the time Naomi returned, she was penniless and cannot afford to redeem the land herself.
NIV Ruth 4² Boaz took ten of the elders of the town and said, “Sit here,” and they did so. ³ Then he said to the guardian-redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelek. ⁴ I thought I should bring the matter to your attention and suggest that you buy it in the presence of these seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, do so. But if you^[b] will not, tell me, so I will know. For no one has the right to do it except you, and I am next in line.”
“I will redeem it,” he said.
The kinsman agrees to redeem the land, and then Boaz makes his move. It is only after the kinsman has agreed to buy land that Boaz informs him that with the land comes the care of both Naomi and Ruth. It is obvious that a levirate marriage would be part of the redemption.
⁵ Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite,the dead man’s widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property.”
⁶ At this, the guardian-redeemer said, “Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it.”
⁷ (Now in earlier times in Israel, for the redemption and transfer of property to become final, one party took off his sandal and gave it to the other. This was the method of legalizing transactions in Israel.)
⁸ So the guardian-redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it yourself.” And he removed his sandal.
This would not be as intimidating if the redemption involved only Naomi. But including Ruth in the matter not only added another woman, it added the care of a child he must sire who would eventually take Naomi’s land inheritance away from his family. Such a redemption would require the kinsman to use his own means to purchase the field, although these means would not go to the children he already had. They would instead go to Ruth’s child, who would be considered of the family of Elimelech. Not wanting to siphon these means away from his own children’s inheritance, the kinsman refuses his right of redemption.
⁹ Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, “Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon. ¹⁰ I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his hometown. Today you are witnesses!”
However, to reclaim the property, one would also have to marry Ruth according to Levirate law, and provide descendants for the family. The next of kin turned down the offer, and allowed Boaz to buy the land and marry Ruth.
Interestingly, while Boaz’ main goal was to marry Ruth, he brought her up as part of a business arrangement for property. Perhaps his method was to make the deal seem less appealing to the kinsman. Regardless, it worked for Boaz. The redeemer was willing to redeem the land until he found that Ruth came with the deal…interesting.
¹¹ Then the elders and all the people at the gate said, “We are witnesses. May the Lordmake the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the family of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem.¹² Through the offspring the Lord gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.”
¹³ So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son.¹⁴ The women said to Naomi: “Praise be to theLord, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! ¹⁵ He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.”
¹⁶ Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him. ¹⁷ The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.
Boaz and Ruth would bear a son, Obed, who would be the grandfather of King David.  The genealogy at the end of the chapter (and book) is a bit problematic and was likely added later.
President Thomas S. Monson stated:  "In our selection of heroes, let us nominate also heroines. First, that noble example of fidelity--even Ruth. Sensing the grief-stricken heart of her mother-in-law, who suffered the loss of each of her two fine sons, and feeling perhaps the pangs of despair and loneliness which plagued the very soul of Naomi, Ruth uttered what has became that classic statement of loyalty: 'Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.' Ruth's actions demonstrated the sincerity of her words. There is place for her name in the Hall of Fame." (Ensign, Nov 1974, p108)
On to 1 Samuel
Hannah Prays for a Son
1 Samuel 1
1 Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim Zophim, of the mountains of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu,^[a] the son of Tohu,^[b] the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. ² And he had two wives: the name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
Elkanah the Ephraimite was married, but had a problem. He and his wife, Hannah, were old and without a child. Having children to carry on the family line was very important. Even more important was the ability to have a son, to pass on the inheritance and blessings of the forefathers.
⁴ And whenever the time came for Elkanah to make an offering, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. ⁵ But to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, although the Lord had closed her womb. ⁶ And her rival also provoked her severely, to make her miserable, because theLord had closed her womb. ⁷ So it was, year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, that she provoked her; therefore she wept and did not eat.
For Hannah, it was difficult to see the other women with sons, bragging on their children, and seeing them play in the streets. She mourned, even though Elkanah tried to cheer her up:
1 Sam 1:⁸ Then Elkanah her husband said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? And why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”
To try and help her, the couple prepared for the trip to Shiloh, where the Tabernacle of the Lord was. The Tabernacle is actually called the “temple of the Lord” in this story, even though a building was yet to be built. She prayed silently, expressing each word from her lips. The temple high priest, Eli, thought the woman was drunk, and sought to chastise her.
⁹ So Hannah arose after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the tabernacle^[c] of the Lord. ¹⁰ And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish. ¹¹ Then she made a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.”
She promised Samual will be a Nazarite.
Numbers 6 ³ He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried.
⁴ All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine tree, from the kernels even to the husk.
⁵ All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no razor come upon his head: until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separateth himself unto the Lord, he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow.
Numbers 6 goes into greater detail about the Nazarite vow.
1 Sam 1:¹² And it happened, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli watched her mouth.¹³ Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk. ¹⁴ So Eli said to her, “How long will you be drunk? Put your wine away from you!”
But Hannah explained her purpose. She was willing to give the child to God’s service, if she could just have her womb opened.
1 Sam 1:¹⁵ But Hannah answered and said, “No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord. ¹⁶ “Do not consider your maidservant a wicked woman,^[d]for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have spoken until now.”
¹⁷ Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him.”
¹⁸ And she said, “Let your maidservant find favor in your sight.” So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.
Eli blessed her that her prayer would be answered, and the couple returned home. She did bear a son, Samuel.

Lent to the Lord
On bearing Samuel, Hannah cared for him for just a couple years. Once weaned, it was time to fulfill her promise: ²⁷ For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition which I asked of Him. ²⁸ Therefore I also have lent him to the Lord; as long as he lives he shall be lent to the Lord.” So they worshiped the Lord there.
Hannah was considered as a prophetess by Jonathan b. Uzziel. In his targum he thus explains the first five verses of I Sam. ii. as being a prophecy:
1 Samuel 2:2 And Hannah prayed and said:
“My heart rejoices in the Lord;
My horn^[a] is exalted in the Lord.
I smile at my enemies,
Because I rejoice in Your salvation.
² “No one is holy like the Lord,
For there is none besides You,
Nor is there any rock like our God.
³ “Talk no more so very proudly;
Let no arrogance come from your mouth,
For the Lord is the God of knowledge;
And by Him actions are weighed.
⁴ “The bows of the mighty men are broken,
And those who stumbled are girded with strength.
⁵ Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
And the hungry have ceased to hunger.
Even the barren has borne seven,
And she who has many children has become feeble.
Jewish Encyclopedia: Samuel was the son of Elkanah and Hannah, of Ramathaim-zophim, in the hill-country of Ephraim (I Sam. i. 1). He was born while Eli was judge. Devoted to Yhwh in fulfilment of a vow made by his mother, who had long been childless, he was taken to Shiloh by Hannah as soon as he was weaned, to serve Yhwh during his lifetime (i. 11, 22-23, 28).
Have we pleaded with God for something, and when received, not thought to return it to God? What have we received that we were then willing to “lend to the Lord” and God’s service? When our children are born, do we dedicate them to God” Or do we keep them for ourself? When God blesses us in business, material possession, a talent, or anything else, what do we do with it? Do we use them solely for our own personal gain, or do we give back to God?
For LDS, this concept of lending back to the Lord includes tithing. God provides us with so much, that we covenant to return 10 percent tithe to God and his Church. We are also asked to share our time, talents, and resources to building up God’s church and work on the earth. This may include assisting in the Church, serving in our communities, caring for the poor and needy, or sharing a talent to make the world a better place.
Hannah’s devotion would bring to Israel their greatest Judge and the beginning of the united kingdom of Israel. He would be a Seer, a Prophet, and a Priest. In lending her son to God, she opened the door for the entire nation to be blessed. Imagine the continued struggles Israel would have suffered had she kept Samuel to herself. Imagine the suffering that happens in the world around us, because we do not share our blessings, gifts and talents with others.
Bibliography
The god Chemosh: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemosh
Levirate Marriage: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levirate_marriage

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Hannah Is Blessed With A Son - 1 Samuel 1
Elder John A. Widtsoe:  "I believe that the busy person...who has his worries and troubles, can solve his problems better and more quickly in the house of the Lord than anywhere else. If he will [do] the temple work for himself and his dead, he will confer a mighty blessing upon those who have gone before, and...a blessing will come to him, for at the most unexpected moments, in or out of the temple will come to him, as a revelation, the solution of the problems that vex his life. That is the gift that comes to those who enter the temple properly." (quoted by David B. Haight, Ensign, Nov 1990)
Hannah was distraught over being childless. She prayerfully went to the temple in search of answers and came away with peace. Many of us have gone to the temple when upset over circumstances or while searching for answers. Service in the House of the Lord brings peace to the soul, helps one put things in proper perspective, and we often find answers to perplexing problems in our lives.