HANNAH: From Sorrow To Song

Could you let go of something deeply precious to you—even if you had waited for it for so long? That is a hard question. A heavy decision. Hannah faced that very situation, and she did not fail the test.

THE BARREN

In ancient times, having children was a major concern. Hannah was unable to bear children (1 Sam. 1:2)—a devastating problem in her day. It was common practice for a man to marry another wife if the first could not produce an heir. Most likely, this explains why Peninnah entered the picture. Elkanah, Hannah’s husband, loved her deeply (1:5). Yet Peninnah, his other wife, resented her and constantly mocked her because she was childless (1:6–7). To make matters worse, barrenness was often viewed as a curse from God, who was believed to control fertility (1:5–6).

Hannah carried a heavy burden: she could not give her husband a child, she was insulted by her rival, she was likely judged by others as cursed, and perhaps she even wondered if God Himself was angry with her.

THE BROKEN

For many years, Hannah endured in silence (1:7–8). At times, her grief was so heavy that she could not even eat—made worse by Peninnah’s cruelty. Finally, when she could no longer bear it, she went to the house of the Lord to pray. “She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly… Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard” (1 Sam. 1:10, 13).

She suffered in silence. She prayed in silence. Yet her brokenness did not keep her from drawing near to God. In her prayer, she made a vow: if the Lord granted her a son, she would give him back to the Lord (1:11). It was there that she encountered Eli, the high priest, who even mistook her for being drunk (1:13–18).

THE BLESSED

The Lord remembered Hannah (1:19). She conceived and bore a son, naming him Samuel, saying, “I have asked for him from the Lord” (1:20). Samuel was no ordinary child—he was the answer to years of prayer. He was proof that God had not forgotten her. The birth of Samuel ended Hannah’s long years of waiting and longing. Finally, she had a son! We hear no more of Peninnah—rightly so, for she had nothing left to boast about.

But the story does not end here. Just as God remembered Hannah’s request, Hannah remembered her vow (1:22). She cared for the boy for a season, but she never forgot that the time would come when she must give him back to the Lord. And she fulfilled her promise.

The writer records Hannah’s prayer of worship (2:1–10). Interestingly, her song bears striking similarities to Mary’s song centuries later when she celebrated the coming of Christ into her womb (Luke 1:46–55). Both women responded with humility and faith, and both received blessings beyond what they imagined. They were right in their reflection: God exalts the lowly (1 Sam. 2:7–8; Luke 1:52–53). And the Lord rewarded Hannah’s faithfulness. He gave her five more children (1 Sam. 2:21). She did not withhold her son from God, and God was not stingy toward her. Samuel, the child she surrendered, would later become one of the greatest prophets and judges in Israel’s history.

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There is a special place in God’s heart for the broken. “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit” (Ps. 34:18). The story of Hannah shows that God never forgets those who honor Him. It may take time, but God will always keep His word.

It is also remarkable that Hannah was able to let go of Samuel—even though she had waited so long and longed so deeply for him. For Hannah, worship meant letting go. Her faith in God was greater than even her love for her own child. She refused to let the gift distract her devotion from the Giver. Her surrender echoes Abraham’s willingness to offer Isaac when God asked for him. And more profoundly, it reflects what God Himself did when He gave His only Son out of love for the world (John 3:16). Stay Curious.