1 Samuel 2 Hannah's Prayer

seekeroftruth

Well-Known Member
1 Samuel 2:2 Then Hannah prayed and said:

“My heart rejoices in the Lord;
in the Lord my horn[a] is lifted high.
My mouth boasts over my enemies,
for I delight in your deliverance.

2 “There is no one holy like the Lord;
there is no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God.

3 “Do not keep talking so proudly
or let your mouth speak such arrogance,
for the Lord is a God who knows,
and by him deeds are weighed.

4 “The bows of the warriors are broken,
but those who stumbled are armed with strength.
5 Those who were full hire themselves out for food,
but those who were hungry are hungry no more.
She who was barren has borne seven children,
but she who has had many sons pines away.

6 “The Lord brings death and makes alive;
he brings down to the grave and raises up.
7 The Lord sends poverty and wealth;
he humbles and he exalts.
8 He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
he seats them with princes
and has them inherit a throne of honor.

“For the foundations of the earth are the Lord’s;
on them he has set the world.
9 He will guard the feet of his faithful servants,
but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness.

“It is not by strength that one prevails;
10 those who oppose the Lord will be broken.
The Most High will thunder from heaven;
the Lord will judge the ends of the earth.

“He will give strength to his king
and exalt the horn of his anointed.”

11 Then Elkanah went home to Ramah, but the boy ministered before the Lord under Eli the priest.

a. 1 Samuel 2:1 Horn here symbolizes strength; also in verse 10

This came from the easy English site.

Hannah was very happy to have a son. But God, not her son, made her most happy (verse 1). Hannah felt shame when she had no children. God saved her from this shame. She could now speak against Peninnah who had been unkind for many years. God gave Hannah courage and he made her strong. Hannah tells how special God is (verse 2). There is no one else like God. The Bible often uses picture language to describe God. A ‘rock’ means that God is strong and firm. A rock is a strong base for a house. This shows that people can depend on God.

‘Loud boast’ means to speak in a proud way so that everyone can hear (verse 3). This is how Peninnah spoke to Hannah. But God sees everything. He often changes situations. He helps the people who cannot help themselves (verses 4-5). ‘The woman who could not have any children now has seven’ (verse 5). This phrase means that God completely answered Hannah’s prayer. ‘Seven’ can also mean ‘many’. In verse 21, we read that Hannah had 5 more children.

‘The rubbish pile’ (verse 8) was the place where people threw their rubbish. It was outside the city or town. It was a dusty place and had a bad smell. Very poor people did not own anything. So, they went to the rubbish pile to look for food and clothes.

‘The foundations of the earth’. The people thought that God made the physical earth in this way. A foundation is the solid base for a building. This sentence is also picture language. It means that God makes everything firm. And he controls all things. Because God can control the earth, he can also protect his people (verses 9-10). ‘Silent in the darkness’ refers to death. In the end, God destroys his enemies. The people who trust God will succeed.

Hannah had more children after Samuel. That other wife who was giving her such a hard time had to stop. Everything was right with the world.... and Hannah first born son... he was a servant in the Temple. Eli [that priest that accused Hannah of being drunk and dismissed her saying "God will answer your prayers"] now had a young boy to raise!

:coffee:
 
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