Hannah

Bible Reference:
Book of 1 Samuel in the Old Testament

"And Hannah prayed and said, “My heart exults in the Lord; my horn is exalted in the Lord. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation." (1 Samuel 2:1)

Hannah is one of the wives of Elkanah, and she was the mother of Samuel. Hannah’s story deals with infertility, bullying, answered prayer, and arrives prophetically into the New Testament.

Having children was an important part of the culture then, yet Hannah’s infertility didn’t matter to Elkanah. The Bible makes it clear how deeply he loved her and the pain she endured from the other wife.

Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the Lord Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the Lord. Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the Lord had closed her womb. Because the Lord had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat. Her husband Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?” (1 Samuel 1:3-8).

Hannah’s pain is deep, yet her honor for God is deeper.

Hannah isn’t the first woman in the Bible to suffer infertility. First, there was Sarah, the wife of Abraham, then Rebekah, the wife of Isaac, and Rachel, the wife of Jacob.

Yet Hannah’s response was profoundly different than theirs. In her pain, Hannah didn’t retaliate against Peninnah or Elkanah. She took her pain to the only one who could alleviate it — the Lord her God. In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head” (1 Samuel 1:10-11). Yet even in her sincere petition Hannah is met with more negativity. The priest in the temple accuses her of being drunk and says to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.”

Once again, Hannah doesn’t get defensive but responds to Eli honorably. She is met with words of hope. “Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.” Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him” (1 Samuel 1:15-17).

After returning home from this visit to Shiloh, her prayer is answered the very next day. So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him” (1 Samuel 1:20)

Credit: Who is Hannah in the Bible?, Christianity.com

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