11 She made a vow and said , "O Lord of hosts , if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant , but will give Your maidservant a [1]son e , then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life , and a razor shall never come on his head ." 12 Now it came about, as she [2]continued praying before the Lord , that Eli was watching her mouth . 13 As for Hannah , she was speaking in her heart , only her lips were moving , but her voice was not heard . So Eli thought she was drunk . 14 Then Eli said to her, " How long e will you make yourself drunk ? Put away your wine from you." 15 But Hannah replied , "No , my lord , I am a woman [3]oppressed in spirit ; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink , but I have poured out my soul before the Lord . 16 "Do not [4]consider your maidservant as a worthless woman , for I have spoken until now out of my great concern and [5]provocation ." 17 Then Eli answered and said , " Go in peace ; and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of Him." 18 She said , " Let your maidservant find favor in your sight ." So the woman went her way and ate , and her face was no longer sad.
19 Then they arose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord , and returned e again to their house in Ramah . And Elkanah [6]had relations with Hannah his wife , and the Lord remembered her. 20 It came about [7]in due time , after Hannah had conceived , that she gave birth to a son ; and she named e him Samuel , saying, " Because I have asked him of the Lord ." 21 Then the man Elkanah went up with all his household to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and pay his vow . 22 But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband , "I will not go up until the child is weaned ; then I will bring him, that he may appear before the Lord and stay there forever e ." 23 Elkanah her husband said to her, "Do what seems best [8]to you. Remain until you have weaned him; only may the Lord confirm His word ." So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him. 24 Now when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with a three-year-old bull and one ephah of flour and a jug of wine , and brought him to the house of the Lord in Shiloh , although the child was young . 25 Then they slaughtered the bull , and brought the boy to Eli . 26 She said , "Oh , my lord ! As your soul lives , my lord , I am the woman who stood here beside you, praying to the Lord . 27 " For this boy I prayed , and the Lord has given me my petition which I asked of Him. 28 " So I have also [9]dedicated him to the Lord ; as long e as he lives he is [9]dedicated to the Lord ." And he worshiped the Lord there .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 1 Samuel 1:11-28
Commentary on 1 Samuel 1:9-18
(Read 1 Samuel 1:9-18)
Hannah mingled tears with her prayers; she considered the mercy of our God, who knows the troubled soul. God gives us leave, in prayer, not only to ask good things in general, but to mention that special good thing we most need and desire. She spoke softly, none could hear her. Hereby she testified her belief of God's knowledge of the heart and its desires. Eli was high priest, and judge in Israel. It ill becomes us to be rash and hasty in censures of others, and to think people guilty of bad things while the matter is doubtful and unproved. Hannah did not retort the charge, and upbraid Eli with the wicked conduct of his own sons. When we are at any time unjustly censured, we have need to set a double watch before the door of our lips, that we do not return censure for censure. Hannah thought it enough to clear herself, and so must we. Eli was willing to acknowledge his mistake. Hannah went away with satisfaction of mind. She had herself by prayer committed her case to God, and Eli had prayed for her. Prayer is heart's ease to a gracious soul. Prayer will smooth the countenance; it should do so. None will long remain miserable, who use aright the privilege of going to the mercy-seat of a reconciled God in Christ Jesus.
Commentary on 1 Samuel 1:19-28
(Read 1 Samuel 1:19-28)
Elkanah and his family had a journey before them, and a family of children to take with them, yet they would not move till they had worshipped God together. Prayer and provender do not hinder a journey. When men are in such haste to set out upon journeys, or to engage in business, that they have not time to worship God, they are likely to proceed without his presence and blessing. Hannah, though she felt a warm regard for the courts of God's house, begged to stay at home. God will have mercy, and not sacrifice. Those who are detained from public ordinances, by the nursing and tending of little children, may take comfort from this instance, and believe, that if they do that duty in a right spirit, God will graciously accept them therein. Hannah presented her child to the Lord with a grateful acknowledgment of his goodness in answer to prayer. Whatever we give to God, it is what we have first asked and received from him. All our gifts to him were first his gifts to us. The child Samuel early showed true piety. Little children should be taught to worship God when very young. Their parents should teach them in it, bring them to it, and put them on doing it as well as they can; God will graciously accept them, and will teach them to do better.