The Beginning:
Elkanah regularly travels with his household to worship and sacrifice at Shiloh, where the tabernacle stands and Eli serves as priest. Hannah, one of Elkanah’s wives, is unable to have children, and she suffers deep grief and humiliation from Peninnah, who has children. During one of the annual visits, Hannah’s distress leads her to seek the Lord in prayer.
The Middle:
At Shiloh, Hannah prays silently and weeps, making a vow that if God grants her a son, she will dedicate him to the Lord for all his life. Eli initially misunderstands her silent prayer and thinks she is drunk, but Hannah explains her anguish, and Eli responds with a blessing that God would grant her request. Hannah departs in peace, and in time she conceives and bears a son, naming him Samuel, acknowledging God’s answer. When the child is weaned, Hannah brings him to Shiloh with offerings and publicly fulfills her vow by presenting Samuel to serve before the Lord under Eli.
The End:
After dedicating Samuel, Hannah prays a song of praise to the Lord, rejoicing in God’s holiness, sovereignty, and justice. Her song declares that the Lord overturns human pride and power, raises the lowly, and establishes his purposes. The narrative closes with Samuel ministering before the Lord at Shiloh, marking the beginning of his lifelong service.
Hannah’s prayer and song present God as the living Lord who hears the afflicted and acts with sovereign freedom, not constrained by human status or strength. Her vow and fulfillment highlight devotion that responds to divine grace: the child granted by God is returned to God’s service. The song also anticipates a larger redemptive horizon—God’s rule over history includes judging arrogance, lifting the humble, and guiding his people toward stable leadership, preparing the way for Israel’s transition from the era of the judges to the time of kings.
Shiloh functions here as Israel’s central worship site, housing the tabernacle and priestly leadership. Ancient Israelite pilgrimage to a sanctuary for annual sacrifices fits the broader pattern of covenant worship, where families participated in offerings and communal meals; the narrative assumes this established religious setting as the backdrop for Samuel’s dedication.
“For the LORD has heard my petition that I made to him.” — 1 Samuel 1:27
Answer the questions below. When you choose an option, you will see the result and an explanation.
1. What vow did Hannah make during her prayer at Shiloh?
2. Why did Eli initially misunderstand Hannah while she was praying?