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NASB | 1 Samuel 1:11 She made a vow and said, "O LORD of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and a razor shall never come on his head." |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 1 Samuel 1:11 She made a vow, saying, "O LORD of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction (suffering) of Your maidservant and remember, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life; a razor shall never touch his head." |
Bible Question: Your comments are helpful in gaining perspective on her prayer. I am curious, however, how she came to see that giving up the gift she yearned for was the thing to do. I have tried to imagine what teaching she would have received that led her to this astonishing act. I can't find anything in the stories that precede her life that models such a choice. I did find the references where God claimed all the firstborn and required redemption for them. Is that part of the explanation? Or is it even bigger, referring to God's constant reminder that everything we receive is already his? Who taught her? Her mother? Priestly readings? |
Bible Answer: Greetings again, Katherine! I see it this way: Hanna did not expect to have a child, even though she yearned for one! The very name "Samuel" means 'name of God' and serves as a continual reminder of God's mercy toward those who call upon His name. And Hanna was very grateful when she bore a son! In this way, she could gain retribution for the insults that she endured (1 Sam. 1:6,7), even though Elkanah, her husband, didn't especially have a need for a son to carry on the family heritage (1 Sam. 1:2,8). So even though a son was not especially needed to please her husband, since he had other children by his other wife, Hanna still desired to have a son, and she would devote him to a lifetime of service to the Lord, which is a sacrifice that she made out of gratitude! So she made a request of the Lord and was vindicated in much the same way that Rachel was (with the birth of Joseph in Genesis 30). As for her learning, she would have known about Sampson and the Nazirite vow (Numbers 6, Judges 13), according to the history that could be gained by spending much time in the house of the Lord, which is something that Hanna did often (1 Sam. 1:7). So I would conclude that she learned or came to this conclusion from spending time in the presence of the priests in the house of the Lord and possibly from her own husband. If you read carefully, there is no mention of any such disapproval from Elkanah for the dedication of their son, and Elkanah supports Hanna's decision (1 Sam. 1:23). Blessings to you, Makarios |