(8) Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons?
I should be led to conceive, that the abstinence here spoken of concerning Hannah, did not refer to her daily, ordinary food; but the feast of the sacrifice. It was the custom in Israel, not to partake of the Lord's feast, in certain seasons of mourning. See the case of Aaron: Leviticus 10:16. compared with Deuteronomy 26:14. And is not the Christian's feast at the altar of commemoration of Jesus, to the same amount? As it is a feast upon a sacrifice in which the believer receives it, in token that he is accepted in the beloved, and hath found peace with God, in the blood of the cross; like the early church, every true partaker is supposed to celebrate the holy supper, as is recorded, from house to house, eating their meat with gladness, and singleness of heart. See Acts 2:46-47. If we spiritualize the speech of Elkanah to Hannah, in this verse, and view the words as the language of Jesus to his church, how precious are they. Surely He is dearer than a thou sand: for he hath given us in himself, a name better than of sons and daughters. Isaiah 56:5.