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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”

Hannah got up after they ate and drank at Shiloh.[a] Eli the priest was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the Lord’s tabernacle.(A) 10 Deeply hurt, Hannah prayed to the Lord and wept with many tears.(B) 11 Making a vow,(C) she pleaded, “Lord of Hosts, if You will take notice of Your servant’s affliction,(D) remember and not forget me, and give Your servant a son,[b] I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and his hair will never be cut.”[c](E)

12 While she continued praying in the Lord’s presence, Eli watched her lips. 13 Hannah was praying silently,[d](F) and though her lips were moving, her voice could not be heard. Eli thought she was drunk 14 and scolded her, “How long are you going to be drunk?(G) Get rid of your wine!”

15 “No, my lord,” Hannah replied. “I am a woman with a broken heart. I haven’t had any wine or beer; I’ve been pouring out my heart before the Lord.(H) 16 Don’t think of me as a wicked woman;(I) I’ve been praying from the depth of my anguish and resentment.”(J)

17 Eli responded, “Go in peace,(K) and may the God of Israel grant the petition you’ve requested from Him.”(L)

18 “May your servant find favor with you,”(M) she replied. Then Hannah went on her way; she ate and no longer looked despondent.[e](N)

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 1:9 LXX adds and presented herself before the Lord
  2. 1 Samuel 1:11 Lit a seed of men
  3. 1 Samuel 1:11 Lit and no razor will go up on his head
  4. 1 Samuel 1:13 Lit praying to her heart
  5. 1 Samuel 1:18 Lit and her face was not to her again