Verse 17:[1] Then Eli answered and said, (Judg. 18:6; Mark 5:34; Luke 7:50; 8:48) Go in peace: and (Ps. 20:4, 5) the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.
[Go in peace [thus most interpreters], לְכִ֣י לְשָׁל֑וֹם] Depart with peace (Junius and Tremellius), that is, free thyself from this anxiety, and let thy soul rest in the providence of God, who doubtlessly is going to attend to thine affairs. Thus in 2 Kings 5:19 (Malvenda out of Junius). This salutation is common among the Hebrews, when friends take leave of each other, whereby all good things are prayed for them under the name of peace (Mendoza).
Go in peace; I recall my censure, and give thee my blessing, and wish thee peace, that is, a quiet and composed mind, free from whatsoever it is that grieves and oppresses thee; and withal, good success and prosperity in what thou desirest; for peace is a very comprehensive word among the Hebrews.
[The God of Israel give to thee thy petition[2] (thus the Septuagint, Pagnine, Montanus, Junius and Tremellius, similarly Jonathan)] May He fulfill, etc. (Syriac, Tigurinus), grant, etc. (Munster); may He compose thine affair (Arabic). In שֵׁלָתֵךְ, thy petition, the middle letter Aleph (א) is quiescent in strong sound of the Zere (ֵ)[3] (Munster). These are words either of wishing, or rather of prophecy (Mendoza). It is prophetic, for Eli was a prophet (Drusius).
[God shall give, etc.] That is to say, God has heard thee, and is going to give what thou hast asked (Vatablus). God often guides the words of the Priest. See John 11:51 (Grotius).
Grant, or will grant; for it may be either a prayer or a prediction, which he might deliver, either from the consideration of God’s known goodness and readiness to hear prayers; or he might be directed to say so by a special instinct of God’s Spirit, which sometimes was given to the high priests, even when they were wicked, as John 11:51, and much more when they were holy men, as Eli was. And some add, that he was a prophet.
[1] Hebrew: וַיַּ֧עַן עֵלִ֛י וַיֹּ֖אמֶר לְכִ֣י לְשָׁל֑וֹם וֵאלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל יִתֵּן֙ אֶת־שֵׁ֣לָתֵ֔ךְ אֲשֶׁ֥ר שָׁאַ֖לְתְּ מֵעִמּֽוֹ׃
[2] Hebrew: וֵאלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל יִתֵּן֙ אֶת־שֵׁ֣לָתֵ֔ךְ.
[3] שְׁאֵלָה signifies a request or petition.
Matthew Henry: 'The atonement Eli made for his rash unfriendly censure, by a kind and fatherly benediction, 1 Samuel 1:17. He did not (as many are apt to do in such a case) take it for an affront to have his mistake rectified and to be convinced of his error, nor did it put him out of humour. But, on the contrary, he now encouraged Hannah's devotions as much as before he had discountenanced them; not only intimated that he was satisfied of her innocency by those words, Go in peace, but, being high priest, as one having authority he blessed her in the name of the Lord, and, though he knew not what the particular blessing was that sh…