Hannah was the wife of Elkanah
and the mother of the prophet Samuel.
Her name means “grace” or “favor.”
Though deeply loved by her husband,
she endured years of barrenness
and provocation from her rival.
Hannah is remembered for
her desperate prayer,
her vow,
and her faithful dedication of Samuel to the Lord.
Hannah stands as a model of heartfelt prayer and costly devotion. In a time of spiritual decline in Israel, she brought her bitter sorrow to the Lord at the tabernacle in Shiloh and poured out her soul before Him. God heard her prayer, opened her womb, and gave her a son. True to her vow, she gave that son back to the Lord for lifelong service. Through Hannah’s faith and sacrifice, God raised up Samuel — the prophet who would lead Israel, anoint its first kings, and stand as a pivotal figure in redemptive history. Her story shows that God often begins great works in the hidden place of a burdened heart that turns to Him in prayer.
- Hannah’s barrenness was a source of deep grief, made heavier by the provocation of Peninnah, Elkanah’s other wife.
- She did not turn away from the Lord in her pain but brought her anguish directly to Him in prayer.
- Her vow was specific and costly: if God gave her a son, she would give him to the Lord for all the days of his life.
- Eli the priest initially misunderstood her silent prayer and thought she was drunk, yet later blessed her.
- After Samuel was weaned, Hannah kept her promise and brought him to the tabernacle to serve the Lord.
- Her prayer of thanksgiving (1 Samuel 2) is a powerful song that celebrates God’s sovereignty, justice, and care for the humble.
- God later gave Hannah three more sons and two daughters, showing His ongoing kindness to her.
- Marriage & Barrenness (1 Samuel 1) – Married to Elkanah; deeply loved by him but unable to have children; provoked by Peninnah year after year.
- Prayer at Shiloh (1 Samuel 1) – During the annual visit to the tabernacle, she prays in deep anguish, weeps bitterly, and makes a vow to the Lord.
- Eli’s Blessing (1 Samuel 1) – Eli initially rebukes her but then blesses her; Hannah goes away no longer sad.
- Birth of Samuel (1 Samuel 1) – She conceives and bears a son; names him Samuel, saying, “I have asked for him from the Lord.”
- Dedication of Samuel (1 Samuel 1) – After the child is weaned, she brings him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh and lends him to the Lord for life.
- Song of Thanksgiving (1 Samuel 2) – Hannah prays a prophetic song of praise celebrating God’s power and justice.
- Later Blessings (1 Samuel 2) – She visits Samuel each year and brings him a little robe; the Lord gives her more children.
- 1 Samuel 1:10-11 – “She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly… ‘O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant… and give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life.’”
- 1 Samuel 1:15 – “I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord.”
- 1 Samuel 1:27-28 – “For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.”
- 1 Samuel 2:1-2 – “My heart exults in the Lord… There is none holy like the Lord: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God.”
- 1 Samuel 2:21 – “Indeed the Lord visited Hannah, and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew in the presence of the Lord.”
Hannah’s life is a quiet yet powerful testimony to the God who hears the brokenhearted. In her barrenness and bitterness of soul she did not grow cynical but poured out her distress before the Lord. God answered her prayer, and she responded with costly faithfulness, giving back to Him the son she had so longed for. Through her devotion the Lord raised up one of Israel’s greatest leaders. In Hannah we see that deep sorrow can become the soil of deep prayer, and that God often does His greatest work through those who simply bring their need to Him and keep their word.
Entry compiled for the JESUSaves.com Bible Glossary. Optimized for wiki.js Visual Editor.