Hebrew Translation: 1 Samuel 1:1-6

Hebrew studies have returned!

This is my last semester taking a Hebrew course. The final Hebrew course is Hebrew Expository II. I am starting to feel like I might be getting a grasp of the language. Dad and I were talking about language acquisition and how by the time this term is over I'm going feel ready to start learning the basics of Biblical Hebrew.

I went back and forth about blogging the weekly translation assignments again. I decided today that I would because I found the accountability of regularly posting helpful. It is going to be a different in two ways.

First, this will not be one continual narrative translated. Last terms translation project was the Book of Ruth. This term the weekly translations are selected from chapters in Readings in Biblical Hebrew: An Intermediate Textbook by Ehud Ben Zvi, Maxine Handcock, and Richard A. Beinert. There will be narratives, law, wisdom literature, and poetry.

Second, my method had to change. You may remember that I was translating on paper, writing the literal English words above the Hebrew, parsing all the words, then smooth it out to a readable translation. It was helpful system my comprehension but tedious and time consuming. Then I would take a picture of the work, download it, edit it, and upload it to the blog. This time I am going to be working in a Word doc. Faster for me but you won't see the process.

The translation for the first three week's was 1 Samuel 1:1-28. I've divided the passage into sections which I'll be posting over this week. Next Monday I will post this week's completed translations of Leviticus 6:1-7. 

If you would like to see the Hebrew and compare my translation with the ESV, click the link: 

1 Samuel 1:1-6 

And there was a certain man from Ramathaim-Zophim, of the hill-country of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephrathite. He had two wives. The name of the first was Hannah and the name of the second was Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

And that man went up year after year from his city, to bow down and to sacrifice before the Lord of Hosts, in Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the Lord. And on the day that Elkana sacrificed he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters; but to Hannah he gave a double portion for he loved Hannah and Lord had shut her womb. And her rival would provoked her greatly, to make her tremble, for the Lord had shut up her womb.