1 Samuel 1:24-28 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… In the Hebrew of this passage, the word translated "young" is the same as that translated "child," so that the literal rendering of the words is, "and the child was a child." This may have two meanings, both of which are very instructive. The first meaning is that the child was young in age, when he was dedicated to the Lord by his parents. Very likely the words before us, "the child was young," are put in as a sort of explanation, as much as to say: "He was entirely dependent upon his mother and father; so young that he could not have gone up to Shiloh by himself; if he could walk a little, it was all he could do; he could not have brought himself to Eli, or into the house of the Lord." But the words, "and the child was young," may bear another and perhaps a more satisfactory meaning. It would be high praise if it were said of a man, "and the man was a man"; we should understand by it that he was brave, outspoken, fearless, upright, possessed of all manly virtues. And when it is said, "the child was a child," perhaps we are to understand that the little Samuel had all childlike graces, was gentle, teachable, humble, submissive to his parents, and those set over him. And this may lead us to think how the young people of our own days have too often none of those graces, which should distinguish young people; the children are too often children no more — in forwardness, in conceit, in insubordination, in want of respect for parents and elders, they are like persons three or four times as old as themselves: a very bad sign of the times, and only matching too well with others which we see around us. (Dean Goulburn.) Parallel Verses KJV: 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. |
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