Now there was a certain man of Ramatha'im-zophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite:
A certain man of Ramathaim-zophim, х haa-Raamaatayim-Tsowpiym (H7436), with the article; Septuagint, Armathaim]. The first word, being in the dual number, signifies the double city-the old and new town of Ramah (1 Samuel 1:19). There were five cities of this name, all on high ground. This city had the addition of Zophim attached to it, because, as some think, it was founded by Zuph or Zophai (1 Chronicles 6:26; 1 Chronicles 6:35), "an Ephrathite," that is, a native of Ephratha. Beth-lehem, and the expression of Ramathaim-zophim, must, on the assumption that the conjecture as to its founder is correct, be understood as Ramah in the land of Zuph (cf. 1 Samuel 9:5), Ramathaim-zophim signifying Ramah of the Zophites, or descendants of Zuph. Others, considering "mount Ephraim" as pointing to the locality in Joseph's territory, regard "Zophim" not as a proper but a common noun, signifying watchtowers or watchmen, with reference either to the height of its situation (cf. Numbers 23:14; Reland's 'Palaestina,' pp. 694, 695) or its being the residence of prophets who were watchmen (Ezekiel 3:17). Its exact site is unknown. It is said to be on "mount Ephraim;" and, on the assumption that the mountain range called "the hills of Ephraim" retained their name, even in their extension south of Benjamin, Robinson ('Biblical Researches,' 2:, p. 334) identifies this Ramah with Sola (Zuph).
Elkanah, the son of Jeroham ... This genealogy is given at length in 1 Chronicles 6:22-23; 1 Chronicles 6:33-34. Though of the Levitical order, and a good man, he practiced polygamy, which, though contrary to the original law, seems to have been prevalent among the Hebrews in those days, when "there was no king in Israel, and every man did what seemed right in his own eyes."