Song of Hannah

Text and Content

1 Samuel 1 tells the story of Hannah, who was distressed because she could not bear children. Hannah was the wife of Elkanah and was taunted by his other wife, Peninnah. She wept and prayed at the sanctuary in Shiloh, making a vow that if the Lord gave her a son, she would give him to the Lord all the days of his life (1 Samuel 1:11). She later gave birth to Samuel. When the child was weaned, Hannah kept her vow and entrusted him to the priest Eli; the prayer she offered on that occasion is 1 Samuel 2:1–10. The Korean Revised Version, New Edition (Gaeyeok Gaejeong) introduces the passage with the words "Hannah prayed, and said," as does the KJV ("And Hannah prayed, and said"). The designation "song" was applied later because the passage is poetic in form.

The content unfolds in four main movements:

• Confession of joy: "mine horn is exalted in the LORD" (2:1).
• Declaration that God alone is holy: Hannah sings that there is no rock like God (2:2).
• Scenes of reversed fortunes: The bows of the mighty are broken, and those who stumbled are girded with strength. Those who were full hire themselves out for bread, while the hungry hunger no more. The barren woman bears seven (2:4–5).
• Anticipation of a king: The Lord raises the poor out of the dust (2:8), and the song concludes, "and exalt the horn of his anointed" (2:10).

Background

The story is set at the close of the period of the judges, when Israel did not yet have a king. At that time "the temple of the LORD" stood at Shiloh (1:9). The Hebrew name Hannah is understood to be related to the word for "grace." In the ancient Near East, the "horn" was a metaphor for strength and dignity. The word "Sheol" in 2:6 (rendered "the grave" in the KJV) is a Hebrew term for the place where the dead go (see Hades).

Significance in the Whole of Scripture

The word "anointed" in 2:10 translates the Hebrew mashiach. This song is regarded as an early instance of the term being applied to a king. Samuel would later anoint Saul and David, so the song serves as an overture to the account of the monarchy that runs throughout the books of Samuel (see anointing and Messiah). The line about raising up the poor to set them among princes (2:8) is nearly identical to Psalm 113:7–8.

In the New Testament, the Song of Mary in Luke 1:46–55 echoes this song most clearly. Mary's song proclaims that God puts down the mighty and exalts the lowly, fills the hungry with good things, and sends the rich away empty (Luke 1:52–53). This theme of reversal parallels the Song of Hannah. The "horn of salvation" in the Song of Zacharias (Luke 1:69) employs the same metaphor.

Interpretation and Debated Questions

• Authorship: Traditional interpretation holds that Hannah composed the song herself. On this view, the reference to a king before the monarchy was established is understood as prophecy. Some critical scholars, citing the royal and military imagery, hold that an editor inserted a preexisting hymn at this point.
• Christological reading: Christian tradition has read "his anointed" in 2:10 as a type of Jesus Christ.
• Jewish tradition: Jewish tradition includes a view that counts Hannah among the prophetesses. 1 Samuel 1:1–2:10 is reportedly used as a synagogue reading for Rosh Hashanah, the New Year festival.
• Meaning of "seven": According to the text, Hannah bears six children, including Samuel (2:21). Many interpreters therefore take the "seven" of 2:5 as an expression of fullness rather than a literal number.
• Distinguishing the two prayers: The vow Hannah prayed with only her lips moving (chapter 1) and the song of thanksgiving (chapter 2) belong to separate scenes. The "prayer of Hannah" frequently mentioned in sermons usually refers to the vow of chapter 1.

In the Korean Church

In the Korean church, Hannah's story frequently serves as a sermon text on prayer for one's children, vows, and a mother's faith. The name "Hannah" is sometimes given to mothers' prayer groups and women's missionary society gatherings.