1 Samuel 2:6
The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.
Original Language Analysis
יְהוָ֖ה
The LORD
H3068
יְהוָ֖ה
The LORD
Strong's:
H3068
Word #:
1 of 6
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
מֵמִ֣ית
killeth
H4191
מֵמִ֣ית
killeth
Strong's:
H4191
Word #:
2 of 6
to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill
וּמְחַיֶּ֑ה
and maketh alive
H2421
וּמְחַיֶּ֑ה
and maketh alive
Strong's:
H2421
Word #:
3 of 6
to live, whether literally or figuratively; causatively, to revive
מוֹרִ֥יד
he bringeth down
H3381
מוֹרִ֥יד
he bringeth down
Strong's:
H3381
Word #:
4 of 6
to descend (literally, to go downwards; or conventionally to a lower region, as the shore, a boundary, the enemy, etc.; or figuratively, to fall); cau
Cross References
Deuteronomy 32:39See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.Isaiah 26:19Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.2 Kings 5:7And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me.Revelation 1:18I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.Job 5:18For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole.John 11:25Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:Psalms 116:3The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.Matthew 12:40For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.1 Samuel 20:3And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death.
Historical Context
Sheol in early Israelite thought was the realm of the dead, a shadowy existence awaiting all. References to God 'bringing up' from Sheol are rare in early texts, making Hannah's statement theologically significant as early resurrection hope (cf. 1 Kings 17:22; 2 Kings 4:35).
Questions for Reflection
- How does God's sovereignty over death shape your approach to mortality?
- What comfort do you find in the God who can 'bring up' from the grave?
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Analysis & Commentary
Hannah's theology reaches cosmic proportions. God's sovereignty extends to life and death, the grave (Sheol) and resurrection. The parallelism 'killeth/maketh alive' and 'bringeth down/bringeth up' affirms total divine control over human destiny. This early statement of resurrection hope is remarkable, anticipating fuller revelation. Hannah proclaims not merely that God permits death but that He actively governs it for His purposes. Such absolute sovereignty provides comfort when facing mortality and hope when confronting death.