Hannah

Hannah is the wife of Elkanah and the mother of Samuel. She has been childless for a long time, but begs God for a son. She promises that this child will serve God all his life.

The Hebrew name Hannah means “the gifted one”. Another woman with this name appears in the Gospel according to Luke. She is the elderly prophetess who thanks God when she sees Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:36-38).

Hannah is the wife of Elkanah. Elkanah loves her very much despite her being childless (1 Samuel 1:5). But Elkanah’s other wife, Peninnah, torments Hannah because she has no children and Peninnah has.

During their annual visit to the sanctuary in Shiloh, Peninnah offends Hannah deeply. So Hannah goes to the sanctuary to pray and says to God, “Almighty LORD, look at me, your servant! See my trouble and remember me! Don’t forget me! If you give me a son, I promise that I will dedicate him to you for his whole life and that he will never have his hair cut” (1 Samuel 1:11).
The priest Eli sees Hannah praying, but thinks that she is drunk. When he wants to drive her away, Hannah tells him what she has asked God. On hearing this, Eli says that God will hear her prayer.
When Hannah is back home, she does indeed become pregnant and has a son whom she calls “Samuel” (1 Samuel 1:17-20).

When Samuel is weaned, Hannah brings him to the sanctuary in Shiloh. He was probably around three at the time (2 Maccabees 7:27).
When Hannah leaves him behind with the priest Eli, she sings a song of praise (1 Samuel 2:1-10). In this song, she thanks God that he looks after ordinary people, and that strong people on the contrary lose their power.
This song has similarities to the song of Mary, the mother of Jesus, in Luke 1:46-54.

Hannah and Elkanah go every year to the sanctuary to visit Samuel. Then Hannah always brings for Samuel a coat she has made herself.
The priest, Eli, blesses them with the words: ‘May the Lord give you other children, instead of the boy that you have given up to the LORD.’ In addition to Samuel Hannah and Elkanah did indeed have more XtopicX_2362_children: three sons and two daughters (2 Samuel 2:21).