transferred from the elder branch of the Aaronic family, comp. Josephus' Antiquities, 5. 11. 5)13 sat at the

entrance probably to the holy place, when a lonely woman came and knelt towards the sanctuary. Concealed

by the folds of the curtain, she may not have noticed him, though he watched every movement of the

strange visitor. Not a sound issued from her lips, and still they moved faster and faster as, unburdening the

long secret, she poured out her heart  14 in silent prayer.

And now the gentle rain of tears fell, and then in spirit she believingly rose to the vow that the child she

sought from the Lord should not be cherished for the selfish gratification of even a mother's sacred love. He

would, of course, be a Levite, and as such bound from his twenty-fifth or thirtieth year to service when his

turn for it came. But her child should wholly belong to God. From earliest childhood, and permanently,

should he be attached to the house of the Lord. Not only so - he should be a Nazarite, and that not of the

ordinary class, but one whose vow should last for life (Numbers 6:2; comp. Judges 13:5).

It leaves on us the twofold sad impression that such prayerful converse with God must have been rare in

Shiloh, and that the sacrificial feasts were not infrequently profaned by excesses, when such a man as Eli

could suspect, and roughly interrupt Hannah's prayer on the supposition of her drunkenness. But Eli was a

man of God; and the modest, earnest words which Hannah spake soon changed his reproof into a blessing.

And now Hannah comes back to those she had left at the sacrificial feast. The brief absence had

transformed her, for she returns with a heart light of sorrow and joyous in faith. Her countenance15 and

bearing are changed. She eats of the erst untasted food, and is gladsome. She has already that for which to

thank God, for she is strong in faith.

Another morning of early worship, and the family return to their quiet home. But God is not unmindful of

her. Ere another Passover has summoned the worshippers to Shiloh, Hannah has the child of her prayers,

whom significantly she has named Samuel, the God-answered (literally: heard of God - Exauditus a Deo).

This time Hannah accompanied not her husband, though he paid a vow which he seems to have made,16 if a

son were granted; no, nor next time. But the third year, when the child was fully weaned,17 she presented

herself once more before Eli. It must have sounded to the old priest almost like a voice from heaven when

the gladsome mother pointed to her child as the embodiment of answered prayer: "For this boy have I

prayed; and Jehovah gave me my asking which I asked of Him. And now I (on my part) make him the asked

one unto Jehovah all the d ays that he lives: he is 'the asked one' unto Jehovah!"  18 And as she so vowed

and paid her vow, one of the three bullocks which they had brought was offered a burnt-offering, symbolic

of the dedication of her child.19 Once more Hannah "prayed;" this time not in the language of sorrow, but in

that of thanksgiving and prophetic anticipation. For was not Samuel, so to speak, the John the Baptist of the

Old Testament? and was it not fitting that on his formal dedication unto God, she should speak words

reaching far beyond her own time, and even furnishing what could enter into the Virgin -mother's song?

"And Hannah prayed and said:

1 "My heart rejoiceth in Jehovah - Uplifted my horn in Jehovah, Wide opened my mouth upon my foes For I

rejoice in Thy salvation!20 2 None holy as Jehovah - for none is beside Thee, Nor is there rock as our God!

3 Multiply not speech lofty, lofty - (Nor) insolence come out of your mouth, For God of all knowledge21 is

Jehovah, And with Him deeds are weighed. 22 4 Bow-heroes are bro ken,23 And the stumbling girded with

strength. 5 "The full hire themselves out for bread And the hungry cease -Even till the barren bears seven,

And the many-childed languisheth away! 6 Jehovah killeth and maketh alive,24 He bringeth down to Sheol,

and bringeth up. 7 Jehovah maketh poor and maketh rich, He layeth low and lifteth up. 8 He lifteth from the

dust the weak, And from the dunghill raiseth the poor To make them sit down with nobles.25 And seats of

honor will He assign them - For Jehovah's are t he pillars of the earth, And He hath set on them the habitable

9 The feet of His saints will He keep,26 And the wicked in darkness shall be put to silence, For not by

strength shall man prevail! 27 10 Jehovah - broken they that strive with Him, Above him (over such) in the

heavens shall He thunder; Jehovah shall judge the ends of the earth, And give strength to His King, And

lift on high the horn of His Anointed!"