Question 1

Who is Hannah in this passage and what struggle is she facing?

Accepted Answer

Hannah is one of Elkanah’s two wives. The other wife, Peninnah, has children, but Hannah cannot have any. In her culture, this is a deep shame and sorrow, because children are seen as a blessing from God. The passage says the Lord had shut up her womb, so her pain is not just physical but also spiritual. On top of that, Peninnah provokes and mocks her year after year. Hannah’s struggle is with childlessness, jealousy in the home, and the feeling of being forgotten, even as she tries to worship God.

Question 2

Why does Peninnah provoke Hannah, and what does this show about their family?

Accepted Answer

Peninnah provokes Hannah because she has children and Hannah does not. She uses this to hurt Hannah, especially during the yearly trips to worship at Shiloh. This shows how sin and rivalry can poison a family, especially in a home with more than one wife. Elkanah loves Hannah and tries to comfort her, but his love cannot wipe away the pain she feels. The story shows that when God’s design for marriage is not followed, it often leads to tension, envy, and deep grief, even in a family that still goes to worship.

Question 3

What does Hannah’s silent prayer and vow tell us about prayer?

Accepted Answer

Hannah goes to the house of the Lord in deep bitterness of soul. She prays silently, moving her lips but making no sound, and weeping. She promises that if God gives her a son, she will give him to serve the Lord all his life, with no razor on his head, which points to a special dedication. Her prayer shows honest pouring out of the heart, not fancy words. It shows that God hears quiet, tearful prayers and that real prayer can come from great pain, joined with a willing heart that is ready to give back to God what He gives.

Question 4

Why does Eli think Hannah is drunk, and what can we learn from his mistake?

Accepted Answer

Eli sees Hannah’s lips moving but hears no sound, so he assumes she is drunk and rebukes her. This shows how easily someone, even a spiritual leader, can misjudge a suffering person. Hannah explains she has not drunk wine or strong drink but is pouring out her soul to the Lord. Eli then blesses her and asks that God grant her request. From this mistake we can learn to be slow to judge those who are praying or grieving in ways we do not understand, and to be more gentle and careful with those who are hurting.

Question 5

What does it mean that “the LORD remembered” Hannah?

Accepted Answer

When the passage says “the LORD remembered her,” it does not mean God had forgotten Hannah and then suddenly remembered. It means God chose to act for her in mercy and faithfulness. After her prayer and Eli’s blessing, Hannah goes home, and in time she conceives and bears a son, Samuel. This shows that God had heard her earlier cry and, in His time, answered it. The phrase reminds us that God sees the afflictions of His people, even when nothing seems to be happening, and that His timing and ways are in His hands.

Question 6

Why does Hannah name her son Samuel, and what is the meaning of his name?

Accepted Answer

Hannah names her son Samuel because, as she says, “Because I have asked him of the LORD.” The name is connected to the idea of being asked from God. Every time she calls his name, it reminds her and others that this child was a gift given in answer to prayer. His very name keeps the story of God hearing her cry alive. This also hints at Samuel’s future role, since he will be a man who listens to God and speaks God’s word to the people of Israel.

Question 7

Why did Hannah keep her vow and bring young Samuel to live at Shiloh?

Accepted Answer

Hannah had promised that if God gave her a son, she would give him to the Lord all his life. After Samuel is weaned, she does exactly that. She brings him, along with offerings, to Eli at the house of the Lord in Shiloh. She reminds Eli that she is the woman who had prayed there before, and that this is the child she prayed for. Then she gives Samuel over to serve the Lord. Her actions show that she takes her vows to God very seriously and that answered prayer should lead to obedience and worship, not just relief.

Question 8

What does this story teach about God’s character in times of suffering?

Accepted Answer

This story shows that God is sovereign over life, including the ability to give children, and that He uses personal affliction for His purposes. It also shows that He is near to the brokenhearted. Hannah’s womb was shut by the Lord, yet in His time He opened it in answer to her prayer. Through her pain and her vow, God brings Samuel into the world, who will serve His people in a special way. So we see that God hears the cries of those who are despised or mocked, and that He can turn deep sorrow into joy and service.

Question 9

How can Hannah’s response to pain help someone who feels overlooked or barren in life?

Accepted Answer

Hannah feels deeply overlooked and empty. She cannot fix her situation herself, and other people’s words either hurt her more or fall short. Yet instead of turning from God, she goes to Him with honest tears, telling Him all her grief and making a willing vow. For someone who feels barren, whether in childbearing or in other hopes, her example shows that it is right to bring that ache directly to God, again and again. It also encourages us that God may use our hardest seasons in ways we cannot see yet, both in us and through us.

1 Samuel 1:1

Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite:

Elkanah and His Wives

Hannah Prays for a Son

The Birth of Samuel

Elkanah and His Wives

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1 Samuel 1:1

Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite:

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Elkanah and His Wives

Hannah Prays for a Son

The Birth of Samuel

Elkanah and His Wives

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