The Meaning of 1 Samuel 2:8 Explained

1 Samuel 2:8

KJV: He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, and he hath set the world upon them.

YLT: He raiseth from the dust the poor, From a dunghill He lifteth up the needy, To cause them to sit with nobles, Yea, a throne of honour He doth cause them to inherit, For to Jehovah are the fixtures of earth, And He setteth on them the habitable world.

Darby: He raiseth up the poor out of the dust; from the dung-hill he lifteth up the needy, To set him among nobles; and he maketh them inherit a throne of glory; For the pillars of the earth are Jehovah's, and he hath set the world upon them.

ASV: He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, He lifteth up the needy from the dunghill, To make them sit with princes, And inherit the throne of glory: For the pillars of the earth are Jehovah's, And he hath set the world upon them.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

He raiseth up  the poor  out of the dust,  [and] lifteth up  the beggar  from the dunghill,  to set  [them] among princes,  and to make them inherit  the throne  of glory:  for the pillars  of the earth  [are] the LORD'S,  and he hath set  the world  upon them. 

What does 1 Samuel 2:8 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 2:8 mean?

He raises from the dust the poor from the ash heap [And] lifts the needy to set [them] among princes and the throne of glory make them inherit for of Yahweh the pillars of the earth [are] and He has set upon them the world
מֵקִ֨ים מֵעָפָ֜ר דָּ֗ל מֵֽאַשְׁפֹּת֙ יָרִ֣ים אֶבְי֔וֹן לְהוֹשִׁיב֙ עִם־ נְדִיבִ֔ים וְכִסֵּ֥א כָב֖וֹד יַנְחִלֵ֑ם כִּ֤י לַֽיהוָה֙ מְצֻ֣קֵי אֶ֔רֶץ וַיָּ֥שֶׁת עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם תֵּבֵֽל

מֵקִ֨ים  He  raises 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
מֵעָפָ֜ר  from  the  dust 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עָפָר  
Sense: dry earth, dust, powder, ashes, earth, ground, mortar, rubbish.
דָּ֗ל  the  poor 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular construct
Root: דַּל  
Sense: low, poor, weak, thin, one who is low.
מֵֽאַשְׁפֹּת֙  from  the  ash  heap 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַשְׁפֹּת  
Sense: ash heap, refuse heap, dung-hill.
יָרִ֣ים  [And]  lifts 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָרוּם 
Sense: to rise, rise up, be high, be lofty, be exalted.
אֶבְי֔וֹן  the  needy 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: אֶבְיׄון  
Sense: in want, needy, chiefly poor, needy person.
לְהוֹשִׁיב֙  to  set  [them] 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
נְדִיבִ֔ים  princes 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: נָדִיב  
Sense: inclined, willing, noble, generous.
וְכִסֵּ֥א  and  the  throne 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כִּסֵּא 
Sense: seat (of honour), throne, seat, stool.
כָב֖וֹד  of  glory 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: כָּבֹוד  
Sense: glory, honour, glorious, abundance.
יַנְחִלֵ֑ם  make  them  inherit 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: נָחַל  
Sense: to get as a possession, acquire, inherit, possess.
לַֽיהוָה֙  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
מְצֻ֣קֵי  the  pillars 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: מָצוּק  
Sense: molten support, pillar, column.
אֶ֔רֶץ  of  the  earth  [are] 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
וַיָּ֥שֶׁת  and  He  has  set 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שִׁית  
Sense: to put, set.
עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם  upon  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
תֵּבֵֽל  the  world 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: תֵּבֵל  
Sense: world.