The Meaning of 1 Samuel 2:7 Explained

1 Samuel 2:7

KJV: The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.

YLT: Jehovah dispossesseth, and He maketh rich, He maketh low, yea, He maketh high.

Darby: Jehovah maketh poor, and maketh rich, he bringeth low, also he lifteth up:

ASV: Jehovah maketh poor, and maketh rich: He bringeth low, he also lifteth up.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The LORD  maketh poor,  and maketh rich:  he bringeth low,  and  lifteth up. 

What does 1 Samuel 2:7 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 2:1-11 - The God Of The Lowly
Hannah's song was to inspire David, the Virgin-Mother, and countless others to sing hymns of praise. So the song of a bird will set the whole woodland ringing with the minstrelsy of a feathered chorus. We, too, shall sing someday! God will turn the waters of our tears, which fill the jars to their brim, into the wine of joy. You, also, my friend, shall someday take your harp from the willows and get from it music which will go through the world to stir men's sad hearts.
How full of the Lord the song is! The overflowing heart ascribes its rapture to the Rock of Ages. He saves; He is holy; He knows; He weighs; He kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and up; He will vindicate our trust. We do not prevail by strength, but by yielding ourselves into His hands. God answers our prayers thoroughly. The gifts that come from above are good and perfect. Bereaved mother, your little child is yours still, though hidden from your eyes! Try to think of your beloved one as ministering to the Lord in the eternal temple! [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Samuel 2

1  Hannah's song in thankfulness
12  The sin of Eli's sons
18  Samuel's ministry
20  by Eli's blessing Hannah is more fruitful
22  Eli reproves his sons
27  A prophecy against Eli's house

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 2:7 mean?

Yahweh makes poor and makes rich He brings low and lifts up
יְהוָ֖ה מוֹרִ֣ישׁ וּמַעֲשִׁ֑יר מַשְׁפִּ֖יל אַף־ מְרוֹמֵֽם

יְהוָ֖ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
מוֹרִ֣ישׁ  makes  poor 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יָרַשׁ  
Sense: to seize, dispossess, take possession off, inherit, disinherit, occupy, impoverish, be an heir.
וּמַעֲשִׁ֑יר  and  makes  rich 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular
Root: עָשַׁר  
Sense: to be or become rich or wealthy, enrich, pretend to be rich.
מַשְׁפִּ֖יל  He  brings  low 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular
Root: שָׁפֵל  
Sense: to be or become low, sink, be humbled, be abased.
מְרוֹמֵֽם  lifts  up 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יָרוּם 
Sense: to rise, rise up, be high, be lofty, be exalted.