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Hannah got up after she had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the chair by the doorpost of the tent[a] of the Lord. 10 Deeply distressed, she prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. 11 Hannah[b] made a vow: “Lord of the Heavenly Armies, if you just look at the misery of your maid servant, remember me, and don’t forget your maid servant. If you give your maid servant a son,[c] then I’ll give him to the Lord[d] for all the days of his life,[e] and a razor is never to touch[f] his head.”

12 As she continued to pray in the Lord’s presence, Eli was watching her mouth. 13 Hannah[g] was praying inwardly.[h] Her lips were quivering, and her voice could not be heard. So Eli thought she was drunk. 14 Eli told her, “How long will you stay drunk? Put away your wine!”

15 “No, sir!”[i] Hannah replied. “I’m a deeply troubled[j] woman. I’ve drunk neither wine nor beer. I’ve been pouring out my soul in the Lord’s presence. 16 Don’t consider your maid servant a worthless woman. Rather, all this time I’ve been speaking because I’m very anxious and distressed.”

17 “Go in peace,” Eli answered. “May the God of Israel grant the request you have asked of him.”

18 She said, “Let your servant[k] find favor in your eyes.” Then she[l] went on her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.[m]

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 1:9 Or temple
  2. 1 Samuel 1:11 Lit. She
  3. 1 Samuel 1:11 Lit. seed of men
  4. 1 Samuel 1:11 So MT; LXX reads him to your presence as a gift until the day of his death
  5. 1 Samuel 1:11 So MT; LXX and DSS read life, and wine or strong drink he won’t drink; Cf. 4QSama
  6. 1 Samuel 1:11 Or cross; MT reads to go over; 4QSama reads to come upon
  7. 1 Samuel 1:13 So MT; 4QSama LXX read She
  8. 1 Samuel 1:13 Lit. in her heart
  9. 1 Samuel 1:15 Lit. No, my lord
  10. 1 Samuel 1:15 Lit. harsh of spirit; i.e. one whose life is hard
  11. 1 Samuel 1:18 Lit. maid servant
  12. 1 Samuel 1:18 Lit. Then the woman
  13. 1 Samuel 1:18 So LXX; The meaning of MT is uncertain.

Then Hannah got up after eating and drinking at Shiloh. (Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the temple[a] of Yahweh.) 10 She was deeply troubled,[b] so she prayed to Yahweh and wept bitterly. 11 She made a vow[c] and said: “O Yahweh of hosts, if you will look with compassion on the misery of your female servant, and will remember me, and not forget your female servant, and will give to your female servant a male child[d] then I will give him to Yahweh all the days of his life, and a razor will never pass over his head.”[e] 12 While[f] she continued to pray before Yahweh, Eli was observing her mouth. 13 Now Hannah had been speaking in her heart; her lips were moving, but her voice could not be heard, so Eli considered her to be drunk. 14 Then Eli said to her, “How long will you behave like someone who is drunk? Put away your wine!” 15 But Hannah answered and said, “No, my lord. I am a woman deeply distressed,[g] but I have not drunk wine or strong drink. Rather, I have poured out my soul before Yahweh. 16 Do not regard your female servant as worthless,[h] but because of the extent of my worries and my provocation I have spoken all of this.” 17 Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant your request that you have asked of him.” 18 And she said, “May your female slave find favor in your sight.” Then the woman went on her way and ate something, and her face did not look sad any longer.[i]

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 1:9 This is not the temple of Solomon (ca. 966 bc), but rather the tabernacle that first resided at Shiloh after the conquest of Joshua.
  2. 1 Samuel 1:10 Literally “bitter of soul”
  3. 1 Samuel 1:11 Literally “vowed a vow”
  4. 1 Samuel 1:11 Literally “an offspring of men”
  5. 1 Samuel 1:11 “A razor will never pass over his head” indicates that Hannah promised to dedicate her son to Yahweh as a Nazirite, according to the terms of Num 6:1–21
  6. 1 Samuel 1:12 Literally “And it happened that when”
  7. 1 Samuel 1:15 Literally “difficult of spirit”
  8. 1 Samuel 1:16 Literally “as a daughter of Belial/daughter of worthlessness”
  9. 1 Samuel 1:18 Literally “her faces were not for her any longer”