1 Samuel 1:5

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CowboysDad
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1 Samuel 1:5

Post by CowboysDad »

The Hebrew here is challenging to translate:
מָנָ֥ה אַחַ֖ת אַפָּ֑יִם

Most translations read "a double portion" or "a worthy portion."
In other words Elkanah gave a double portion BECAUSE Hannah was loved by him despite her barrenness.

The RSV has a completely different take, "only one portion."
In other words Elkanah gave only one portion BECAUSE Hannah was barren despite his love for her.

My Hebrew skills are stretched to the limit in trying to make sense of it.
What do y'all think?
Daniel McCabe, ThM, DMin
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Ken M. Penner
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Re: 1 Samuel 1:5

Post by Ken M. Penner »

The RSV here depends on not on the Hebrew but on the LXX, which says he gave Anna one portion although he loved her.
Ken M. Penner, Ph.D.
St. Francis Xavier University
Isaac Fried
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Re: 1 Samuel 1:5

Post by Isaac Fried »

אַפָּיִם are the two identical sides of the face, and hence מָנָה אַחַת אַפָּיִם is, reasonably, a portion identically reproduced. Compare with the כִּפְלַיִם of Isaiah 40:2
כִּי לָקְחָה מִיַּד יהוה כִּי לָקְחָה מִיַּד יהוה, כִּפְלַיִם בְּכָל חַטֹּאתֶיהָ
NIV: "that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins."
כִּפְלַיִם is from the root כפל which is a variant of קבל, 'opposite, parallel', as in Ex. 26:5
מַקְבִּילֹת הַלֻּלָאֹת אִשָּׁה אֶל אֲחֹתָהּ
NIV: "with the loops opposite each other."

The post-biblical קפל is 'fold', and the present-day Hebrew usage להכפיל 'to multi-ply', is exactly what it means in English: 'to fold over'.

Compare also Job 41:5(13)
מִי גִלָּה פְּנֵי לְבוּשׁוֹ בְּכֶפֶל רִסְנוֹ מִי יָבוֹא
KJV: "Who can discover the face of his garment? or who can come to him with his double bridle?"

Related to כֶּפֶל is כֶּבֶל, 'braided rope of parallel strands', as in Ps. 149:8
לֶאְסֹר מַלְכֵיהֶם בְּזִקִּים וְנִכְבְּדֵיהֶם בְּכַבְלֵי בַרְזֶל
KJV: "To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron."
It is a variant of
קֶבֶל, כֶבֶל, חֶבֶל, הֶבֶל, גֶבֶל
as in Ex. 28:22
וְעָשִׂיתָ עַל הַחֹשֶׁן שַׁרְשֹׁת גַּבְלֻת מַעֲשֵׂה עֲבֹת
NIV: "For the breastpiece make braided chains of pure gold, like a rope."
where גַּבְלֻת is חַבְלֻת or כַּבְלֻת.

Isaac Fried, Boston University
CowboysDad
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Re: 1 Samuel 1:5

Post by CowboysDad »

Thanks so much! Really helpful!
Daniel McCabe, ThM, DMin
kwrandolph
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Re: 1 Samuel 1:5

Post by kwrandolph »

CowboysDad wrote:The Hebrew here is challenging to translate:
מָנָ֥ה אַחַ֖ת אַפָּ֑יִם

Most translations read "a double portion" or "a worthy portion."

The RSV has a completely different take, "only one portion."
In other words Elkanah gave only one portion BECAUSE Hannah was barren despite his love for her.
This construction is found only here in 1 Samuel. I checked the DSS but as far as I can tell, it didn’t survive the millennia. So we go with what we have.

One question: is the construction מנה אחת אפים or אפים כי ? The first leaves us guessing, the second would indicate a meaning along the lines of “because”, “on the face that…”. In other words, Hannah got one portion “on the face that” she had no children?
CowboysDad wrote:My Hebrew skills are stretched to the limit in trying to make sense of it.
What do y'all think?
That’s what I like about discussions like this, they keep me honest. I don’t know how many times I’ve read this, without giving it a proper analysis as you have done.

Upon reflection, I think I prefer the reading of אפים כי . What d‘y’all say?

Karl W. Randolph.
S_Walch
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Re: 1 Samuel 1:5

Post by S_Walch »

So instead of splitting the verse as (1):

ולחנה יתן מנה אחת אפים
כי את חנה אהב

We'd read it as (2):

ולחנה יתן מנה אחת
אפים כי את חנה אהב

(2) is also along the lines of how the LXX seems to have taken the Hebrew (although it does appear that the LXX had a different Vorlage of 1 Samuel than the Masoretes had).

I see no issue with (2); and as has been said, taking it as (1) leaves one scratching one's head.
Ste Walch
CowboysDad
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Re: 1 Samuel 1:5

Post by CowboysDad »

Note 1 Samuel 23:3 where the singular form וְאַף כִּי is used in much the same way and is translated "how much more then."
Daniel McCabe, ThM, DMin
kwrandolph
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Re: 1 Samuel 1:5

Post by kwrandolph »

CowboysDad wrote:Note 1 Samuel 23:3 where the singular form וְאַף כִּי is used in much the same way and is translated "how much more then."
Daniel, you make a good point. So I looked up אף כי and found that it is used some 26 times in Tanakh. Sometimes, however, when we find plural and singular occurrences, that there is a recognizable difference in the meanings that are conveyed. So even it seems that way here.

When looking at the singular אף כי it appears that the closest English equivalent is “so even…” though that seems somewhat strained when looking at Genesis 3:1. That is, unless this was jumping into the middle of a conversation where what went on previously was not recorded. But that meaning seems to fit well with Deuteronomy 31:27 and other verses.

Here in 1 Samuel 1:5 the plural seems more to have the meaning of “because of” rather than the singular “even so”. At least that’s how I understand it.

That’s my 2¢ for now, what did I miss?

Karl W. Randolph.
Kenneth Greifer
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Re: 1 Samuel 1:5

Post by Kenneth Greifer »

Maybe instead of giving Hannah a portion of the sacrifice, he gave her a portion from the meal offerings they were baking to offer to G-d. It could say he gave her "one portion they are baking." I think only priests ate from the meal-offerings, so this one might not have been offered to G-d.

Kenneth Greifer
Kenneth Greifer
Kenneth Greifer
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Re: 1 Samuel 1:5

Post by Kenneth Greifer »

Actually, I have a second possible alternative translation. Maybe it says he gave portions to his other wife and her kids, but he will give Hannah "one portion they are surrounding" because he loved her. Maybe his wife and her kids wanted that particular portion and were surrounding it, but he gave it to her. The geminate verb spelled alef pay pay might be alef pay in this quote.

Kenneth Greifer
Kenneth Greifer
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