Back during the dark days of Samson, another man was sitting as Judge in Shiloh. His name was Eli, and he was Israel’s High Priest. He judged Israel for 30 years, and his lack of leadership was a huge part of what created the environment for the establishment of a dynasty monarchy.

It was during this time in history when Israel reached its lowest point and then was catapulted to moments of great victory. From losing the treasured Ark of the Covenant to the Philistines to the adoption of the phrase “The glory has departed” as Israel’s national motto to the smashing of the Philistines with God’s help, these were days of great reversals, declines, and returns until God moved through a barren womb. Israel was again given a new beginning through a woman whose womb could not conceive. 

God was about to reshape history for Israel, but Israel was barren, marginalized as a fringe nation, politically anemic, economically distressed, morally in chaos, and without the will to free itself from its many oppressions—the nation was as barren as Hannah’s womb. This is a story of Yahweh, who would override Israel’s enfeeblement and turn what seemed like empty waiting into a new beginning.  

The Sorrow of Hannah (1-8)

The story of Samuel is nothing short of an incredible miracle and a display of God’s love. The first eight verses tell a heartbreaking story of a man named Elkanah who had two wives, one named Hannah and one named Peninnah. Of these two wives, only Peninnah could have children, whereas Hannah was barren (1-2). The text does not tell us, but it is possible—based on Elkanah loving Hannah and giving her a double portion in verse 5—that Elkanah took Peninnah as a wife because Hannah was not able to have children.

The story began like this: every year, Elkanah would take the trip to the Tabernacle of Moses, which was erected at Shiloh, some 18 miles north of Jerusalem (3).

The trip was painful for Hannah as she was barren and in a “bitter rivalry” with Elkanah’s other wife, Peninnah, who was fertile and apt at provoking Hannah (4).

Samuel, in writing the text, mentioned that Hannah’s barrenness was a result of Yahweh having closed her womb—evidence that God was up to something miraculous (6). Elkanah clearly hoped that his love and care for her would sustain her, but Hannah wanted a child and the provoking that came from the other wife wore her down. Her heart was full of sadness, and she was vexed with uncontrollable weeping. Elkanah’s love was not as he had hoped: worth a quiver of ten sons (7-8).

Hannah Prays (9-18)

One year, during the annual pilgrimage to Shiloh to visit the Temple of the Lord, Hannah decided after her meal to go to the Temple and pray to the Lord. She entered the Tabernacle court, it would seem, not too far from where Eli was sitting at the doorpost of the Tent of Meeting. There, in great distress and weeping heavily, Hannah requested the Lord give her a son (9-10). In her petition to the Lord, she made a promise that if she did bear a son, she would dedicate him to the service of Yahweh. Her promise, which involved a razor never touching his head, indicated that she was making her son a Nazarite (11-12).  

This is the same vow Samson took, though he disobeyed the vow. It is also important to note that Samson would still have been living, and his exploits would have been known to all. His vow also included dietary restrictions and never going near a dead body.

Eli, the priest, saw that Hannah was emotional and crying indiscreetly. He discerned her to be drunk and decided to approach the woman he thought was desecrating Yahweh’s house (13-14). Hannah corrected the misconception and told him she was crying out to Yahweh with anguish, emotionally distraught but not drunk (15-16). Eli, without even knowing what the request was, sent her in peace, blessed her prayer, and called on Yahweh to grant the request (17).

Hannah grasped Eli’s blessing as a promise from Yahweh as she claimed the favor given to her by the old and morally compromised priest. Oddly, Hannah did not judge the leader without spiritual discernment—it made no difference—she grabbed the promise and believed (18). The word of God from a compromised leader made Hannah new, restored her hope, and was claimed in her heart as the authoritative will of God.

Samuel Born (19-20)

The next morning, Hannah and the whole clan were up early and worshiped the Lord. Then they headed home, only this time Hannah was not agitated by Peninnah, for she knew she would be remembered by Yahweh (19).

In time, Hannah conceived, gave birth, and named the child Samuel, which in Hebrew is Shemuel. The meaning of this name is not completely certain, but Hannah’s explanation gives a little clue: “I have asked for him from the Lord” (20). The name includes the word for God, “El”; the difficulty comes in the “Shemu-” part of the name. The word could derive from the Hebrew word for the name “Shem,” or it could come from the Hebrew word “Shema” which means “listen, hear, or obey.” It seems that with the clue given by Hannah, the latter is most likely. The meaning then has several layers due to the nuances in the meaning of the word “Shema.” The Lord heard Hannah’s request for a son, and Hannah and Samuel were both obedient to God—Hannah dedicated her son’s life to God and Samuel obeyed the Lord’s call.

The whole story was a wordplay for Israel’s sake—barren but loved. Hannah, like Israel, had no prospects for the future, living in the perpetually accusing status of a barren wife. She was helpless without claim, virtue, and power. 

The point of the text is clear: Israel was without a future but God’s phenomenal fidelity showed up and gave her a new beginning. Little time was given to the birth of Samuel. The text shows how covenant-faithful Yahweh prepared Hannah (Israel) for a new beginning.   

Dedication of Samuel (21-28)

A year after Hannah went to the Temple to plead with God for a child, she became pregnant. She told her husband that she was going to stay behind while they went to the Temple for their yearly sacrifice and wait until the child was weaned, which likely happened after the age of two. She would then go and dedicate her son to Yahweh’s presence.

Elkanah agreed but then appealed to Hannah to let Yahweh establish His word and not force it. He was likely telling Hannah not to insist he stay at the Tabernacle if Eli did not want him (21-23).

Jewish women would nurse their children for the first three years of their life, so, after weaning, Hannah took Samuel back to the Temple of the Lord, along with a large offering. She made a sacrifice to God and gave Samuel to Eli, the same priest who had been there when Hannah made her request known to God.

Samuel makes a note in the text that he was young, which was like saying, “I was really young” (24-25).

Hannah then reminded Eli of who she was, causing him to remember what he had said (26). Hannah then gave her son Samuel formally to Eli. Her vow made Samuel a lifelong “slave” to Yahweh. Samuel responded by becoming a worshiper of Yahweh (27-28).

Samuel described Yahweh’s involvement in the story: 

•  The Lord closed Hannah’s womb (5, 6).

•  The Lord remembered her (19). 

•  The Lord granted her petition (27). 

Yahweh faithfully works in our lives to give us His promise, to keep His promise, and finally to form in our hearts the faith necessary to invite His Kingdom to come to Earth and fulfill what He has promised.