John Gill Commentary 1 Samuel 1:9

"So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest was sitting upon his seat by the door-post of the temple of Jehovah." — 1 Samuel 1:9 (ASV)

So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after
they had drank

After dinner, after Elkanah and Peninnah, and their children, had eaten heartily, and drunk freely, and made a comfortable meal, and even a feast of it, at the place where the tabernacle and altar were, and their peace offerings were offered up, part of which they had been regaling themselves with. The Targum is, 'after she had eaten in Shiloh, and after she had drunk;' for upon the entreaty of her husband, and to make him easy, she might be prevailed upon to eat somewhat, though it might be but little; and to drink, though it was but water; for as for wine and strong drink, she declares afterwards she had not drunk, (1 Samuel 1:15).

now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the Lord ;

for so the tabernacle was called, and sometimes the temple is called a tabernacle, (Jeremiah 10:20). Now at the door posts and side of the threshold of the temple of the Lord, as the Targum; at the entrance of the great court of the Israelites, Eli had a seat placed, on which he sat;

this must be at the gate of the court of the tabernacle, by the pillars of it; for in the court itself none afterwards might sit but kings of the family David ^F14 ;

here Eli sat as an high priest and judge, to give advice in difficult cases, and to try and judge all causes that were brought before him;

some say ^F15 that he was on this day constituted an high priest, and others say ^F17 he was now made a judge; but no doubt he was both high priest and judge before this time.

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FOOTNOTES:

• F14: Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn. Yoma, c. 7. sect. 1.
• F15: Shoched Tob apud Yalkut, par. 2. fol. 12. 4.
• F17: Seder Olam Rabba, c. 13. p. 37.