1 Samuel 2:1

Hannah Exalts the Lord in Prayer

2:1 Hannah prayed, ¹ 

“My heart rejoices in the Lord;

my horn ²  is exalted high because of the Lord.

I loudly denounce ³  my enemies,

for I am happy that you delivered me. ⁴ 

Yesaya 60:5

60:5 Then you will look and smile, ⁵ 

you will be excited and your heart will swell with pride. ⁶ 

For the riches of distant lands ⁷  will belong to you

and the wealth of nations will come to you.

Yoel 2:23

2:23 Citizens of Zion, ⁸  rejoice!

Be glad because of what the Lord your God has done! ⁹ 

For he has given to you the early rains ¹⁰  as vindication.

He has sent ¹¹  to you the rains –

both the early and the late rains ¹²  as formerly.

[2:1]  ¹ tn Heb “prayed and said.” This is somewhat redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified in the translation.

[2:1]  ² sn Horns of animals have always functioned as both offensive and defensive weapons for them. As a figure of speech the horn is therefore often used in the Bible as a symbol of human strength (see also in v. 10). The allusion in v. 1 to the horn being lifted high suggests a picture of an animal elevating its head in a display of strength or virility.

[2:1]  ³ tn Heb “my mouth opens wide against.”

[2:1]  ⁴ tn Heb “for I rejoice in your deliverance.”

[60:5]  ⁵ tn Or “shine,” or “be radiant” (NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[60:5]  ⁶ tn Heb “and it will tremble and be wide, your heart.”

[60:5]  ⁷ tn Heb “the wealth of the sea,” i.e., wealth that is transported from distant lands via the sea.

[2:23]  ⁸ tn Heb “sons of Zion.”

[2:23]  ⁹ tn Heb “be glad in the Lord your God.”

[2:23]  ¹⁰ tn Normally the Hebrew word הַמּוֹרֶה (hammoreh) means “the teacher,” but here and in Ps 84:7 it refers to “early rains.” Elsewhere the word for “early rains” is יוֹרֶה (yoreh). The phrase here הַמּוֹרֶה לִצְדָקָה (hammoreh litsdaqah) is similar to the expression “teacher of righteousness” (Heb., מוֹרֶה הַצֶּדֶק , moreh hatsedeq) found in the Dead Sea Scrolls referring to a particular charismatic leader, although the Qumran community seems not to have invoked this text in support of that notion.

[2:23]  ¹¹ tn Heb “caused to come down.”

[2:23]  ¹² sn For half the year Palestine is generally dry. The rainy season begins with the early rains usually in late October to early December, followed by the latter rains in March and April. Without these rains productive farming would not be possible, as Joel’s original readers knew only too well.