Old Testament · character
Hannah
A mother who gained Samuel through tearful prayer and gave him back.
Hannah was a woman tormented by childlessness. After gaining Samuel through anguished prayer, she gave him back to God — a mother of faith.
A Wordless Prayer
The priest Eli mistook her earnest prayer, with only her lips moving, for drunkenness. Hannah answered that she was "a woman deeply troubled ... pouring out my soul to the Lord" (1 Samuel 1).
Offering and Praise
When she had her son, Hannah kept her vow and dedicated Samuel at the temple. Her song, beginning "My heart rejoices in the Lord," closely resembles Mary's song that came later.
Related verses
- 1 Samuel 1:27"I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked."