Who was Hannah in the Bible?

Hannah was the wife of Elkanah and the mother of the prophet Samuel. She is known for her deep faith and fervent prayer for a child, which God answered after she vowed to dedicate her son to the Lord's service (1 Samuel 1:1-2, 20).

Why is Hannah's story important?

Hannah's story is a powerful example of faith, perseverance in prayer, and keeping vows to God. Her prayer of thanksgiving (1 Samuel 2:1-10) is a significant song of praise that foreshadows themes later echoed in the Magnificat.

What happened to Hannah's son Samuel?

After Samuel was weaned, Hannah fulfilled her vow by bringing him to the high priest Eli at the tabernacle in Shiloh to serve the Lord. Samuel grew up to become a great prophet and judge who anointed Israel's first kings (1 Samuel 1:24-28).

Hannah

Old TestamentUnited MonarchyFemaleProphetMother

Hannah, the wife of Elkanah, was the mother of the prophet Samuel, whom she dedicated to the Lord's service at a young age.

Hannah

Biography

Hannah was the beloved but barren wife of Elkanah, an Ephraimite who also had a second wife, Peninnah, by whom he had children. Year after year Peninnah provoked Hannah over her childlessness, intensifying her anguish during the family's annual pilgrimage to the Tabernacle at Shiloh. In profound distress, Hannah poured out her grief to the LORD in silent, heartfelt prayer (1 Samuel 1:10-16), vowing to dedicate any son born to her entirely to God's service as a Nazirite. The priest Eli initially mistook her fervent prayer for drunkenness, but upon understanding her situation, he blessed her. God remembered Hannah, and she conceived and bore Samuel, whom she brought to Shiloh to serve under Eli as soon as he was weaned. Her prayer of praise in 1 Samuel 2:1-10 anticipates the Magnificat of the Virgin Mary.

Significance

Hannah's life is a paradigm of faithful prayer in suffering. She demonstrates that honest, persistent petition before God is not a lack of faith but an act of faith, and her story establishes that God is attentive to the cries of the oppressed and forgotten. Her son Samuel became the last judge and the kingmaker of Israel, anointing both Saul and David, making Hannah's faithfulness a pivot point in Israel's entire monarchical history. Her hymn of praise (1 Samuel 2) theologizes the reversal of human fortunes through divine intervention, a theme that echoes throughout the Psalms and the New Testament. Hannah stands as a model of consecrated motherhood and intercessory prayer.

Authority Records

Wikidata VIAF GND

SpouseElkanahChildSamuel

Verse Appearances (11)

1Sam

1Sam 1:2 1Sam 1:5 1Sam 1:8 1Sam 1:9 1Sam 1:13 1Sam 1:15 1Sam 1:19 1Sam 1:20 1Sam 1:22 1Sam 2:1 1Sam 2:21

References

Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]

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