1 Samuel 1 explained: A Childless Woman's Prayer Answered

A family under strain (vv. 1-8)

Elkanah had two wives, which was allowed then but here bred bitter rivalry, because Peninnah had children and Hannah had none, a deep shame in that culture. Each year at Shiloh, where Israel's sacred tent stood, the family shared meat from their sacrifice, and Elkanah gave Hannah a special share out of love, while Peninnah used the trip to taunt her.

Hannah's prayer and vow (vv. 9-11)

In tears, Hannah asks God for a son and promises he will belong to God for life. 'No razor on his head' points to the Nazirite vow, an old practice of setting a person apart for God, marked by never cutting their hair.

Eli's mistake (vv. 12-18)

Prayer was normally spoken aloud, so the old priest Eli saw her lips moving silently and assumed she was drunk. Once she explained, he blessed her, and she went away eating and at peace before anything had actually changed.

Samuel is born (vv. 19-20)

'The LORD remembered her' means God acted for her, and she conceived. The name Samuel sounds like Hebrew words about asking and hearing; scholars debate its exact meaning, but the story ties it to her request.

Keeping the promise (vv. 21-28)

Hannah waited until the boy was weaned, often around age two or three then, with Elkanah backing her vow as Israel's law let a husband do. She then brought him to Shiloh with gifts for sacrifice and left him with Eli, saying the child she had asked for she now gives back.

Key verse: 1 Samuel 1:27

Something to think about

Hannah gave away the child she had longed for most; what do you think makes a promise like that worth keeping, or not?