Then: the common conjunction is here rightly translated as a temporal transition.

Would bless: the context suggests repeated action and describes something that happened each year. The word bless presents special problems in certain languages, because in some cases it can only have God as subject. So here it will have to be rendered “would ask God to bless….”

The LORD give you: the pronoun you is masculine singular. So the actual words of the benediction are directed to Elkanah, even though his wife is also mentioned in the introductory statement. This explains why Good News Translation has judged it necessary to add the words “to Elkanah” after the verb say.

Which she lent to the LORD: There are textual difficulties in this part of the verse. The Masoretic Text says “that he asked of the LORD.” That is, the Masoretic Text has “he” but Revised Standard Version says she. The major difficulty with the Hebrew reading is the shift from the second person singular masculine pronoun you (referring to Elkanah) to the third person singular masculine “he.” Hebrew Old Testament Text Project suggests that the pronoun “he” refers to Elkanah and that this change in pronouns is simply a stylistic device that is commonly found in the Old Testament.

Hebrew Old Testament Text Project gives the Masoretic Text reading a {B} rating and suggests two possible translations:

(1) “May the LORD give you a child from this woman, in exchange for [the child of] the request which you [literally, he] requested for the LORD.” La Bible Pléiade follows the first interpretation: “May Yahweh give you a descendant from this woman, in exchange for the request which he requested for Yahweh.”
(2) “May the LORD give you a child from this woman, in exchange for the loan which you [literally, he] lent to the LORD.” Revised English Bible follows this interpretation: “The LORD grant you children by this woman in place of the one whom you made over to the LORD” (also Good News Translation).

According to both translations, the pronoun “he” refers to Elkanah. But Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives a different interpretation to the Hebrew text, suggesting that the third person singular masculine verb refers to the priest officiating at the offering ceremony. It was the priest Eli who requested the child for the LORD.

The Septuagint and a manuscript from Qumran are the basis for the translation found in Revised Standard Version. See also New Revised Standard Version (“for the gift that she made to the LORD”), New American Bible, and New Jerusalem Bible. See also the comments on 1.27 regarding the words translated loan and lent in Revised Standard Version.

To their home: literally “to his place.” The sense seems to be “each one to his place.” The question that translators must answer before translating this expression is whether the meaning is “Elkanah and Hannah would return home” (Contemporary English Version) or “everyone [including Eli] would go home.” The translation in Contemporary English Version seems most likely to be correct, since Elkanah and Hannah are the ones who have traveled (verse 19).

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 .