Hannah Prays, and the Lord Gives Samuel

1:1 There was a man from Ramathaim Zophim, from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah. He was the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 1:2 He had two wives; the name of the first was Hannah and the name of the second was Peninnah. Now Peninnah had children, but Hannah was childless. 1:3 Year after year this man would go up from his city to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh. It was there that the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phineas, served as the Lord’s priests. 1:4 Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he used to give meat portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. 1:5 But he would give a double portion to Hannah, because he especially loved her. Now the Lord had not enabled her to have children. 1:6 Her rival wife used to upset her and make her worry, for the Lord had not enabled her to have children. 1:7 Peninnah would behave this way year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the Lord’s house, Peninnah would upset her so that she would weep and refuse to eat. 1:8 Finally her husband Elkanah said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep and not eat? Why are you so sad? Am I not better to you than ten sons?” 1:9 On one occasion in Shiloh, after they had finished eating and drinking, Hannah got up. (Now at the time Eli the priest was sitting in his chair by the doorpost of the Lord’s temple.) 1:10 She was very upset as she prayed to the Lord, and she was weeping uncontrollably. 1:11 She made a vow saying, “O Lord of hosts, if you will look with compassion on the suffering of your female servant, remembering me and not forgetting your servant, and give a male child to your servant, then I will dedicate him to the Lord all the days of his life. His hair will never be cut.” 1:12 As she continued praying to the Lord, Eli was watching her mouth. 1:13 Now Hannah was speaking from her heart. Although her lips were moving, her voice was inaudible. Eli therefore thought she was drunk. 1:14 So he said to her, “How often do you intend to get drunk? Put away your wine!” 1:15 But Hannah replied, “That’s not the way it is, my lord! I am under a great deal of stress. I have drunk neither wine nor beer. Rather, I have poured out my soul to the Lord. 1:16 Don’t consider your servant a wicked woman, for until now I have spoken from my deep pain and anguish.” 1:17 Eli replied, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant the request that you have asked of him.” 1:18 She said, “May I, your servant, find favor in your sight.” So the woman went her way and got something to eat. Her face no longer looked sad. 1:19 They got up early the next morning and after worshiping the Lord, they returned to their home at Ramah. Elkanah had marital relations with his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. 1:20 After some time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, thinking, “I asked the Lord for him. 1:21 This man Elkanah went up with all his family to make the yearly sacrifice to the Lord and to keep his vow, 1:22 but Hannah did not go up with them. Instead she told her husband, “Once the boy is weaned, I will bring him and appear before the Lord, and he will remain there from then on.” 1:23 So her husband Elkanah said to her, “Do what you think best. Stay until you have weaned him. May the Lord fulfill his promise.” So the woman stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him. 1:24 Once she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with three bulls, an ephah of flour, and a container of wine. She brought him to the Lord’s house at Shiloh, even though he was young. 1:25 Once the bull had been slaughtered, they brought the boy to Eli. 1:26 She said, “Just as surely as you are alive, my lord, I am the woman who previously stood here with you in order to pray to the Lord. 1:27 I prayed for this boy, and the Lord has given me the request that I asked of him. 1:28 Now I dedicate him to the Lord. From this time on he is dedicated to the Lord.” Then they worshiped the Lord there.

Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible®, copyright ©1996, 2019 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Hannah was childless and deeply grieved. She prayed to the Lord in sorrow and vowed that if he gave her a son, she would give him back to God. The Lord heard her, gave her Samuel, and Hannah later brought him to Shiloh to serve the Lord all his life.

Elkanah and his family went up year after year to worship and sacrifice at Shiloh. Hannah suffered because she had no children, and Peninnah repeatedly upset her. Elkanah loved Hannah, but he could not remove her sorrow.

In her deep pain, Hannah prayed to the Lord of hosts. She poured out her heart and asked the Lord to remember her and give her a son. She vowed that if the Lord gave her a male child, she would dedicate him to the Lord for all his days.

Eli first misunderstood her and thought she was drunk. When Hannah explained herself, he sent her away in peace and asked the God of Israel to grant her request. Hannah left with hope, and her sadness lifted.

The Lord remembered Hannah. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son, whom she named Samuel, because she had asked him from the Lord. After Samuel was weaned, Hannah kept her vow. She brought the boy to Shiloh with an offering and gave him to Eli so that he would remain at the Lord’s house. The chapter ends with worship.

• The Lord had not enabled Hannah to have children.
• Hannah brought her grief honestly to the Lord in prayer.
• Hannah’s vow was serious and was made before God.
• Eli first misread Hannah’s prayer, but then blessed her.
• The Lord remembered Hannah and gave her a son.
• Samuel was named as a sign that he was asked for from the Lord.
• Hannah kept her vow and brought Samuel to serve at Shiloh.

• Warning: Do not make Peninnah’s cruelty sound like God approved it; the text does not say that.
• Warning: Do not turn Hannah’s vow into a general rule for bargaining with God.
• Warning: Do not treat Samuel’s dedication as a simple pattern for every child dedication practice.
• Promise: The Lord hears Hannah’s prayer and remembers her in his time.
• Application: We may bring deep pain to the Lord honestly, as Hannah did.
• Application: Keep vows and commitments made before God.
• Application: Return to the Lord what he has given, with reverence and obedience.

This passage begins the book of 1 Samuel and shows God quietly moving his plan forward through answered prayer. Samuel’s birth is a gift from the Lord, and his dedication prepares him to serve in the house of the Lord at Shiloh.

Believers may bring deep pain to the Lord without pretending. God is not absent when he seems to delay. We should be careful not to misuse someone else’s sorrow or to turn Hannah’s experience into a formula for getting what we want.

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