Definition: And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, The LORD give thee seed of this woman for the loan which is lent to the LORD. And they went unto their own home.

Explanation: Okay, let’s break down this verse from 1 Samuel 2:20 together. It's a really important passage about faith and God’s plan! Here’s what it means in simpler terms: Basically, it’s saying God is giving Elkanah and his wife a special blessing – a chance to have children. Let’s unpack it piece by piece: “And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife…” This tells us that Eli, a man of importance in the story, is offering this blessing. It's a gesture of favor and recognition. “…and said, The LORD give thee seed of this woman for the loan which is lent to the LORD.” This is the core of it. “Seed of this woman” refers to Hannah, Elkanah’s wife. God is giving her a seed – meaning a baby girl – that he's lending out to others (the Israelites). He wants to ensure that when those children are born, they will be a blessing for the nation. “And they went unto their own home.” This means that Eli and his wife left their original home and moved to a new place – likely a rural area where they could raise Hannah’s child safely. What's the big takeaway? This verse is about God’s plan for the future. He’s using a situation (a loan) to bring about a larger, more significant outcome – the birth of a great leader and a powerful nation. It emphasizes that God actively works in our lives and creates opportunities for blessings. It's a story about faith and trust. Eli is trusting that God will provide what’s needed, even when things seem difficult. It speaks to the idea that God’s plans are often bigger than we can imagine. --- Do you want me to: Explain another verse? Discuss the context of this passage in more detail (like why it's significant for Israel)? Talk about the symbolism behind this story?