1 Samuel 2:5
New International Version
Those who were full hire themselves out for food, but those who were hungry are hungry no more. She who was barren has borne seven children, but she who has had many sons pines away.

New Living Translation
Those who were well fed are now starving, and those who were starving are now full. The childless woman now has seven children, and the woman with many children wastes away.

English Standard Version
Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger. The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn.

Berean Standard Bible
The well-fed hire themselves out for food, but the starving hunger no more. The barren woman gives birth to seven, but she who has many sons pines away.

King James Bible
They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble.

New King James Version
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.

New American Standard Bible
“Those who were full hire themselves out for bread, But those who were hungry cease to be hungry. Even the infertile woman gives birth to seven, But she who has many children languishes.

NASB 1995
“Those who were full hire themselves out for bread, But those who were hungry cease to hunger. Even the barren gives birth to seven, But she who has many children languishes.

NASB 1977
“Those who were full hire themselves out for bread, But those who were hungry cease to hunger. Even the barren gives birth to seven, But she who has many children languishes.

Legacy Standard Bible
Those who were full hire themselves out for bread, But those who were hungry cease to hunger. Even the barren gives birth to seven, But she who has many children languishes.

Amplified Bible
“Those who were full hire themselves out for bread, But those who were hungry cease [to hunger]. Even the barren [woman] gives birth to seven, But she who has many children withers away.

Christian Standard Bible
Those who are full hire themselves out for food, but those who are starving hunger no more. The woman who is childless gives birth to seven, but the woman with many sons pines away.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Those who are full hire themselves out for food, but those who are starving hunger no more. The woman who is childless gives birth to seven, but the woman with many sons pines away.

American Standard Version
They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; And they that were hungry have ceased to hunger: Yea, the barren hath borne seven; And she that hath many children languisheth.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And those filled with bread are sold and the hungry have more than enough! The barren woman has given birth and she is satisfied, and she who multiplied children is desolate!

Brenton Septuagint Translation
They that were full of bread are brought low; and the hungry have forsaken the land; for the barren has born seven, and she that abounded in children has waxed feeble.

Contemporary English Version
People who once had plenty to eat must now hire themselves out for only a piece of bread. But you give the hungry more than enough to eat. A woman did not have a child, and you gave her seven, but a woman who had many was left with none.

Douay-Rheims Bible
They that were full before have hired out themselves for bread: and the hungry are filled, so that the barren hath borne many: and she that had many children is weakened.

English Revised Version
They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry have ceased: yea, the barren hath borne seven; and she that hath many children languisheth.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Those who were well-fed hire themselves out for a piece of bread, but those who were hungry hunger no more. Even the woman who was childless gives birth to seven children, but the mother of many children grieves all alone.

Good News Translation
The people who once were well fed now hire themselves out to get food, but the hungry are hungry no more. The childless wife has borne seven children, but the mother of many is left with none.

International Standard Version
Those who had an abundance of bread now hire themselves out, and those who were hungry hunger no more. While the barren woman gives birth to seven children, she who had many children languishes.

JPS Tanakh 1917
They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; And they that were hungry have ceased; While the barren hath borne seven, She that had many children hath languished.

Literal Standard Version
The satiated hired themselves for bread, | And the hungry have ceased. While the barren has borne seven, | And she abounding with sons has languished.

Majority Standard Bible
The well-fed hire themselves out for food, but the starving hunger no more. The barren woman gives birth to seven, but she who has many sons pines away.

New American Bible
The well-fed hire themselves out for bread, while the hungry no longer have to toil. The barren wife bears seven sons, while the mother of many languishes.

NET Bible
Those who are well-fed hire themselves out to earn food, but the hungry no longer lack. Even the barren woman gives birth to seven, but the one with many children withers away.

New Revised Standard Version
Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry are fat with spoil. The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn.

New Heart English Bible
Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread. Those who were hungry are satisfied. Even the barren has borne seven, and she who has many children languishes.

Webster's Bible Translation
They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren hath borne seven; and she that hath many children is become feeble.

World English Bible
Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread. Those who were hungry are satisfied. Yes, the barren has borne seven. She who has many children languishes.

Young's Literal Translation
The satiated for bread hired themselves, And the hungry have ceased. While the barren hath borne seven, And she abounding with sons hath languished.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Hannah's Prayer of Thanksgiving
4The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble are equipped with strength. 5The well-fed hire themselves out for food, but the starving hunger no more. The barren woman gives birth to seven, but she who has many sons pines away. 6The LORD brings death and gives life; He brings down to Sheol and raises up.…

Cross References
Ruth 4:15
He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth."

Psalm 113:9
He settles the barren woman in her home as a joyful mother to her children. Hallelujah!

Isaiah 33:9
The land mourns and languishes; Lebanon is ashamed and decayed. Sharon is like a desert; Bashan and Carmel shake off their leaves.

Isaiah 54:1
"Shout for joy, O barren woman, who bears no children; break forth in song and cry aloud, you who have never travailed; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband," says the LORD.

Jeremiah 15:9
The mother of seven will grow faint; she will breathe her last breath. Her sun will set while it is still day; she will be disgraced and humiliated. And the rest I will put to the sword in the presence of their enemies," declares the LORD.


Treasury of Scripture

They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren has born seven; and she that has many children is waxed feeble.

full

Psalm 34:10
The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.

Luke 1:53
He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.

Luke 16:25
But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.

the barren

1 Samuel 1:20
Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the LORD.

Psalm 113:9
He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD.

waxed feeble

1 Samuel 1:6
And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb.

Isaiah 54:1
Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD.

Jeremiah 15:9
She that hath borne seven languisheth: she hath given up the ghost; her sun is gone down while it was yet day: she hath been ashamed and confounded: and the residue of them will I deliver to the sword before their enemies, saith the LORD.

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Barren Birth Born Borne Bread Cease Ceased Children Hire Hired Hunger Hungry Languishes Mother Need Offering Pines Rest Servants Seven Themselves Wasted Waxed
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1 Samuel 2
1. Hannah's song in thankfulness
12. The sin of Eli's sons
18. Samuel's ministry
20. by Eli's blessing Hannah is more fruitful
22. Eli reproves his sons
27. A prophecy against Eli's house














(5) They that were full.--Another image to illustrate the vicissitudes of human affairs is sketched, one very familiar to the dwellers among the cornfields and vineyards of Canaan.

The barren hath born seven.--Here the thought of the inspired singer reverts to herself, and the imagery is drawn from the story of her own life. Seven children are mentioned as the full number of the Divine blessing in children (see Ruth 4:15; Jeremiah 15:9). There is a curious Jewish legend which relates how for each boy child that was born to Hannah, two of Peninnah's died.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
The well-fed
שְׂבֵעִ֤ים (śə·ḇê·‘îm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 7649: Sated, satisfied, surfeited

hire themselves out
נִשְׂכָּ֔רוּ (niś·kā·rū)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 7936: To hire

for food,
בַּלֶּ֙חֶם֙ (bal·le·ḥem)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3899: Food, bread, grain

but the starving
וּרְעֵבִ֖ים (ū·rə·‘ê·ḇîm)
Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 7457: Hungry

hunger no more.
חָדֵ֑לּוּ (ḥā·ḏêl·lū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 2308: To be flabby, desist, be lacking, idle

The barren woman
עֲקָרָה֙ (‘ă·qā·rāh)
Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 6135: Sterile

gives birth to
יָלְדָ֣ה (yā·lə·ḏāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 3205: To bear young, to beget, medically, to act as midwife, to show lineage

seven,
שִׁבְעָ֔ה (šiḇ·‘āh)
Number - masculine singular
Strong's 7651: Seven, seven times, a week, an indefinite number

but she who has many
וְרַבַּ֥ת (wə·rab·baṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Adjective - feminine singular construct
Strong's 7227: Much, many, great

sons
בָּנִ֖ים (bā·nîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1121: A son

pines away.
אֻמְלָֽלָה׃ (’um·lā·lāh)
Verb - Pual - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 535: To droop, to be sick, to mourn


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OT History: 1 Samuel 2:5 Those who were full have hired themselves (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)
1 Samuel 2:4
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