Elkanah her husband is a literal translation. As noted on verse 21, some translations omit the words “her husband” as being stylistically inappropriate, since Elkanah has already been introduced to the reader as Hannah’s husband.
Do what seems best to you: literally “Do whatever is good in your eyes” (Fox). It should be made clear in translation that what seemed best to Hannah was that she should stay at home until the weaning of the child was complete. So some languages may require a semicolon before the words wait until you have weaned him. Others may join the two phrases by saying something like “that is to say….”
Only: the Hebrew adverb used here serves to emphasize what follows. Elkanah’s primary concern is the fulfillment of the promise of the LORD to Hannah. Many versions leave the word out altogether, but if the receptor language has a particle that provides the same sort of emphasis, it should be used here.
His word: a textual problem exists at this point. The Hebrew text says his word (so Revised Standard Version, New Revised Standard Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). According to the Hebrew, Elkanah expresses the desire that the LORD will establish his own (the LORD’s) word. On the other hand, the Septuagint and a manuscript from Qumran say “that which goes out of your mouth,” that is, may the LORD establish what Hannah has said. Possibly a scribe read “his word” as “your [feminine] word,” since the difference in Hebrew between these two readings (his word and “your word”) consists of a change of the final consonant only. The reading of the Septuagint is followed by Good News Translation (“your promise”), Revised English Bible (“your vow”), and New American Bible (“your resolve”). The words “your promise” refer to Hannah’s promise in verse 11.
Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament recommends the reading of the Hebrew text but gives a {B} evaluation, meaning that there is relatively little doubt about whether that is the correct reading. Translators are encouraged to follow Revised Standard Version rather than Good News Translation. The words his word seem to refer to God’s word to Hannah spoken through Eli in 1.17. Against the Hebrew text, however, is the fact that God had already fulfilled his word when Samuel was born.
The word nursed is more literally “gave suck to.” Other languages may say “gave her milk” or “caused to suck the breast.”
Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .