1 Samuel 1:14

14 “Must you come here drunk?” he demanded. “Throw away your wine!”

1 Samuel 1:14 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 1:14

And Eli said unto her, how long wilt thou be drunken?
&c.] What, every day drunk? what, continually in this wicked practice? when will it be stopped? for Eli might have observed on other days, and at other times, odd looks, and a strange behaviour in her, which he took for the effects of drinking too much wine: or how long will this drunken fit last? she had been a considerable time as he thought in it, and it was not gone off yet: the Targum is,

``how long wilt thou behave like a fool, or a mad woman?''

as drunken people generally do act, as if they were fools, or mad:

put away thy wine from thee;
not as if she had any with her there to drink of, but he advises her, since it had such an effect upon her, to abstain from it, and wholly disuse it, and so break off such an habit and custom she had got into; or he would have her go home and sleep it out, and wait till she had digested it, and the strength of it was gone off, before she came to such a place of devotion and worship; from hence the Jews say ^F23 it may be learnt, that a drunken person ought not to pray.

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FOOTNOTES:

F23 T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 31. 1.

1 Samuel 1:14 In-Context

12 As she was praying to the LORD, Eli watched her.

13 Seeing her lips moving but hearing no sound, he thought she had been drinking.

14 “Must you come here drunk?” he demanded. “Throw away your wine!”

15 “Oh no, sir!” she replied. “I haven’t been drinking wine or anything stronger. But I am very discouraged, and I was pouring out my heart to the LORD .

16 Don’t think I am a wicked woman! For I have been praying out of great anguish and sorrow.”