1 Samuel Chapter 2 Part One (Verses 1-6)

Hannah's Prayer
Now we come to one of the most beautiful exaltations in all the Bible. These verses in Scripture are often called Hannah's prayer, but is is also called Hannah's song. It is quite possible Hannah may have sung her prayer, similar to how many of the Psalms were sung. 

(Side note: Jewish prayers were always spoken aloud. This is one reason why Eli the high priest, when he saw Hannah's lips moving, but no sounding coming from her mouth, assumed she was drunk (1 Samuel 1:13). We see additional evidence that Jewish prayers were spoken aloud in the Book of Daniel chapter 6. When King Darius makes a decree that "anyone who makes a petition to any god or man besides you, o king, for thirty days, shall be cast into the lions' den" (Daniel 6:7), Daniel "entered his house...and continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God" (Daniel 6:10). Subsequently, Daniel's revivals "found Daniel making petition and supplication before his God" (Daniel 6:12). Now if Daniel had been silently praying, his enemies would have had no idea who Daniel was praying to. Only if Daniel's prayer was spoken aloud would his revivals have had evidence that Daniel was praying to his God. Furthermore, it continues to this day, that when Jews pray, they pray aloud. I have been told by a Jewish acquaintance, silent prayer is the way of the Gentiles.)

Major Themes:
First, Hannah’s prayer is a psalm. A number of the translations indicate this by the way they format the text. It looks just like one of the psalms from the Book of Psalms. Hannah’s prayer employs parallelism and symbolism, which is typical of a psalm. One interesting element of the Hebrew language is it does not use amplifying words such as "very" or "really". When the dessert is very delicious, the Hebrew will often write the text as "the dessert is delicious delicious." If the dessert is one of the best thing you have ever tasted, in Hebrew it will be written "the dessert is delicious delicious delicious." The same idea occurs with Hebrew poetry. In English we might say, a flower is blue. In Hebrew poetry, it will be written two or three different ways: the flower is blue; the flower looks like a moonbeam; the flower shimmers like blue waters. In English, we call this repetitive and redundant. In Hebrew, they call it poetry.

Second, Hannah’s psalm is a prayer, a prayer Hannah may have prepared in advance for her worship. In the majesty of these words, let us not forget that this is Hannah’s prayer of praise. Hannah had spent 3-5 years raising her son, Samuel. During that time, it is easy to imagine Hannah spent many hours giving thanks to God and working on composing this prayer of thanksgiving to be recited at Samuel's dedication ceremony.

Third, Hannah’s psalm also appears to reflect Israel’s experiences with God in the past. Inspired Scripture has a way of linking itself with the rest of Scripture. Hannah’s words of praise in her psalm seem to flow, in part, from Israel’s experiences in the past, particularly the exodus. Often an inspired writer’s words or expressions are borrowed from other biblical texts, and sometimes they seem to be an almost unconscious part of the fabric of the author’s thinking. Hannah speaks of God as exalting her “horn” in verse 1; Moses uses the symbolism of the “horn” in Deuteronomy 33:17. Hannah speaks of God as her “rock” (verse 2). God is described as Israel’s “Rock” in Deuteronomy 32:30-31.When Hannah speaks of the weak and humble being elevated to power and prominence, was this not true of Israel at the exodus? When Israel speaks of the hungry being fed, was this not also true at the exodus? When she speaks of the powerful being humbled, was this not true of Egypt at the exodus? I believe Hannah viewed God’s work in her life through the perspective of God’s work in Israel’s history.

Fourth, Hannah’s prayer goes far beyond her own experience, focusing on the character of the one true God whom she worships and to whom she gives praise. Unlike Jonah’s “psalm” (Jonah 2), Hannah’s psalm does not concentrate on her sorrow, her suffering, or even on her blessings. Hannah’s psalm focuses on her God. Out of her suffering and exaltation, she comes to see God more clearly, and as a result, she praises Him for who and what He is. Her psalm speaks of God as holy (verse 2), as faithful (“rock,” verse 2), as omniscient (all knowing, verse 3), as gracious (verse 8), as all powerful (verse 6), as sovereign, the great reverser of circumstances (verses 6-10).

Fifth, Hannah’s prayer goes far beyond her experience, beyond the past and present, looking far ahead into the future. Hannah’s psalm is prophetic; it is prophecy. It looks forward to the time when Israel will have a king (verse 10). I believe it looks forward to the coming of the ultimate King, our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the ultimate fulfillment of her messianic prophecy.

Sixth, we should not overlook that while Hannah’s psalm is the expression of her great joy and praise, it is offered at the time she must leave her son behind, never again to have him in her home. This is a time when Hannah expresses her joy and gratitude to God for Samuel, the answer to her prayer. It is a time when Hannah expresses her faith in God and her devotion to Him. But it is also a time of separation when she will leave Samuel in Shiloh and return to Ramah. God’s faithfulness in the past is her assurance of His faithfulness in the future, and thus she can give this child to God.

Seventh, Hannah’s song is very similar to Mary’s song in the Gospel of Luke 1:46-55. It is a worthwhile exercise to study these songs side by side. There are many, many similarities between these two songs, which helps confirm that Hannah's song is not only speaking of the future king to rule in Israel, but the king she is referring to is the King, Jesus Christ.

    

1. (1Sa 2:1-2) Thanksgiving and praise.

And Hannah prayed and said:

"My heart rejoices in the LORD;
My horn is exalted in the LORD.
My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies,
Because I rejoice in Your salvation.
No one is holy like the LORD,
For there is none besides You,
Nor is there any rock like our God."

Hannah’s song is a close match to the one David sings in 2 Samuel 22. Both begin with a reference to the strength of the Lord as a horn and rock. Both speak of a deliverer and salvation. Both end with the mention of His anointed. Hannah and David’s songs serve as bookends to the entire Book of Samuel. They both teach a similar lesson about the Lord and His ruling over His people.

And Hannah prayed and said: Unlike many of our prayers, Hannah's prayer is asking nothing from God; instead, it is full of praise and joy. Usually my prayers are full of requests: "Jesus heal Adrian from her cancer." "Lord, keep John and his wife safe as they travel home to Canada." "Lord, watch over, protect and guide the lives of the young ones in our church's children's ministeries." How many times do you pray to give thanks to the Lord, asking for nothing in return? Using Hannah's prayer as a model, I challenge us to give more prayers of thanksgiving to God.

My heart rejoices in the LORD: Hannah shows a depth of commitment and love for God. On the day she makes the biggest sacrifice she will ever make in her life, she rejoices in the LORD! Notice though, that she rejoices in the LORD, she does not, and she cannot, rejoice in the leaving behind of her son. But she can, and she does, rejoice in the LORD. In the most desperate situations, when we have nothing else to rejoice in, we can rejoice in the LORD. (“Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4). Also worth noting, the word "rejoices" in Hebrew is very strong and would probably be better translated as "exalts" or "triumphs" in the LORD.

My horn is exalted in the LORD: The horn is an often used as a picture of strength in the Bible (Psalm 18:2 "The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." Psalm 112:9: "He has freely given to the poor, His righteousness endures forever; His horn will be exalted in honor."). The symbolism is pulled from nature in which the strength of an ox or a steer is expressed in its horn. Hannah is speaking of her strength and power being exalted in the LORD. "To exalt the horn" signifies "to be raised to a position of power or authority" (Psalm 89:17: "For You are the glory of their strength, and by Your favor our horn is exalted." Psalm 148:14: "And He has lifted up a horn for His people, praise for all His godly ones; even for the sons of Israel, a people near to Him, praise the LORD!").

My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies: In the King James Version, this phrase is translated as "my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies." This is the literal translation of the Hebrew; however, it is difficult to glean the meaning from this phrase. A better way to phrase this would be: "My mouth is opened wide, to pour forth abundant praises to God and to give a full answer to the ridicule brought forth by my enemies." Hannah, being tormented by Peninnah, kept silent due to her grief. Now, Hannah declares she can find strength in the face of her enemies because she finds joy in the salvation God brings. Hannah has a strong sense of vindication over her rival, Peninnah. Peninnah had cruelly brought Hannah low (1 Samuel 1:6-7), but now Hannah can rejoice because the LORD has lifted her up.

Because I rejoice in Your salvation: Salvation in the Old Testament means to deliver, to rescue from dangers or adversaries, or to receive help in times of trouble. (Psalm 27:1 "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?")

There is none holy like the LORD: In this verse, Hannah shows a classic form of Hebrew poetry - a repetitive parallelism. To say the LORD is holy is to say He is completely set apart; that He is unique, and not like any other. So, when she continues in the same verse and says, "For there is none besides You," she is saying the same thing as "There is none holy like the LORD," only saying it in different words. When she says, "Nor is there any rock like our God," she is again saying the same thing in different words.

Hebrew poetry does not rhyme words by sound like English poetry. (One two, I love you. Three four, open the door.) Instead, it rhymes ideas. The ideas of the three lines of 1 Samuel 2:2 all rhyme together, having different words yet "sounding" the same. Beyond the literary structure, the idea is emphasized: God is so great, there is no one - not one in all the universe - who compares with Him. His power, wisdom and purity is of a different order than ours.

Nor is there any rock like our God: The word "rock" is a frequent metaphor used to describe the strength, faithfulness and unchangeableness of God. "The Rock! His work is perfect, for all His ways are just; a God of faithfulness and without injustice, righteous and upright is He" (Deuteronomy 32:4). "For who is God besides the LORD? And who is a rock, besides our God?" (2 Samuel 22:32).

2. (1Sa 2:3) A warning to the arrogant and proud.

"Talk no more so very proudly;
Let no arrogance come from your mouth,
For the LORD is the God of knowledge;
And by Him actions are weighed."

Talk no more so very proudly: Hannah most likely has her rival in mind, her "fellow-wife" Peninnah here. But in some way, she sees Peninnah as just a representative of all the proud and arrogant people in the world. Hannah wisely tells the proud to talk no more and to let no arrogance come from your mouth. Pride can be expressed in many ways, but it usually is expressed by our words. Psalms and Proverbs are filled with warnings about prideful speech. “May the LORD silence all flattering lips and every boastful tongue” (Psalm 12:3). “A fool’s mouth lashed out with pride, but the lips of the wise protect them” (Proverbs 14:3). “Let their lying lips be silenced, for with pride and contempt they speak arrogantly against the righteous” (Psalm 31:18).

For the LORD is the God of knowledge: This, of course, is the best reason to forsake our pride. Next to God, we all know nothing, and since we are all far from God, we are all far from all knowledge.

By Him actions are weighed: God knows the hearts of men and knows the true value of men's actions. God is the supreme Judge and He ultimately is the one to give a verdict on the true thoughts and intents of man's heart. "All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, but the LORD weighs the motives" (Proverbs 16:2). 

3. (4-6) Hannah gives glory to the God who often humiliates the strong and exalts the weak.

"The bows of the mighty men are broken,
And those who stumbled are girded with strength.
Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
And the hungry have ceased to hunger.
Even the barren has borne seven,
And she who has many children has become feeble.
The LORD kills and makes alive;
He brings down to the grave and brings up.
The LORD makes poor and makes rich;
He brings low and lifts up.

The bows of the mighty men are broken: The bow was the major weapon of war and was used extensively for hunting. A broken bow meant a warrior was defenseless in battle; a broken bow in the hand of a hunter meant he would go hungry. Thus, a broken bow is a symbol of defeat."The wicked have drawn the sword and bent their bow to cast down the afflicted and the needy, to slay those who are upright in conduct. But their swords will pierce their own heart, and their bows will be broken" (Psalm 37:14-15). "His tabernacle is in Salem; His dwelling place also is in Zion. The He broke the flaming arrows, the shield and the sword and the weapons of war" (Psalm 76:3).

And those who stumbled are girded with strength: "To be girded with strength" is a figure derived from the practice of "girding up the loins" (i.e., tying up the long robes the Israelites used to wear) in order to prepare for activities which required a lot of movement such as running, jumping and fighting a battle.Those who are weak, who are ready to fall down at every challenge they meet, they are clothed with strength by the LORD. Using the LORD's strength, the weak can go through every trial, perform all their duties and be of service to those around them and can oppose all their enemies. "It is God that girds me with strength, and makes my way perfect" (Psalm 18:32). "For You have girded me with strength for battle; You have subdued under me those who rose up against me" (Psalm 18:39).

Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread: They who formerly lived in the abundance of their riches have been forced to labor hard for their daily bread.

And the hungry have ceased to hunger: Those who were hungry are now at rest. They no longer toil in their hunger pain, but have now have food to satisfy their tummies.

Even the barren has borne seven: Seven can mean many and can also mean complete. (Some examples of the number seven found in the Bible are: Noah brought seven pairs of clean animals onto the ark (Genesis 7:2), seven stems are on the tabernacle's lampstand (Exodus 25:37), seven things the LORD hates in Proverbs 6:16, seven parables in Matthew 13 and seven woes in Matthew 23). A woman with seven sons is thought to have a complete family as seen in the Book of Ruth. "Then the women said to Naomi, 'Blessed is the LORD who has not left you without a redeemer today, and may his name become famous in Israel. May he also be to you a restorer of life and a sustainer of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him'" (Ruth 4:14-15).

And she who has many children has become feeble: Those who have had many children, God can bring them low by taking away their physical strength and by taking away her children. A very similar illustration is seen in Jeremiah 15, when God proclaims judgment on His people for straying away from Him and following other gods. "She who bore seven has grown feeble; she has fainted away; her sun went down while it was yet day; she has been ashamed and disgraced. And the rest of them I will give to the sword before their enemies, declares the LORD" (Jeremiah 15:9).

The LORD kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up: The power of life an death are in the hands of God. Who He chooses, He takes out of this world; whom He chooses, He preserves, even bringing back people on the brink of death. (King Hezekiah comes to mind here: "In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, 'Thus says the LORD: "Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live."' Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the LORD, and said, 'Remember me now, O LORD, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what is good in Your sight.' And Hezekiah wept bitterly. And the word of the LORD came to Isaiah, saying, 'Go and tell Hezekiah, "Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: "I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will add to your days fifteen years."'" (Isaiah 38:1-5) And with that, Hezekiah lived another 15 years.)

(Side note: Many translations incorrectly translate this verse, as well as many other verses, using the word "grave". The Hebrew word here is Sheol, and Sheol is NOT the grave! Sheol is the abode of the dead. It is a physical place located down toward the center of the earth. Before Christ, everyone who died went to Sheol. Sheol was divided into a lovely place where the righteous folks went, and a place of torment where the wicked went. This can be best seen in Jesus' story about Lazarus and the rich man (Luke 16:19-31). After Jesus Christ died, He freed the righteous abiding in Sheol and they ascended to heaven. Thereafter, Sheol became only the place for the wicked, and the righteous ascend to heaven and dwell with Jesus. In the New Testament, the Greek equivalent, "Hades" is used. 

Lastly, people often call Sheol/Hades "hell". This is VERY WRONG! "Hell" is the place of eternal punishment and is often called the "lake of fire" in the Book of Revelation. The lake of fire is yet a future place of torment, prepared especially for the beast, false prophet and Satan. Ultimately, death and Hades/Sheol will be thrown into the lake of fire. "And the beast was taken and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshiped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone" (Revelation 19:20). "And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever" (Revelation 20:10). "Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire" (Revelation 20:14-15).)

We should be humble before God because He knows how to humble the strong: the bows of the mighty men are broken … those who were full are now begging, and she who has many children has become feeble. If we are strong now, or exalted now, we should be humble, because the LORD can change our place quickly.

We should be humble before God because He knows how to exalt the weak. Those who stumbled are girded with strength … those who were hungry have ceased to hunger … even the barren has borne seven. If we are weak now, or in a low place, we should wait humbly before God and let Him lift us up. God delights to assist those who gird themselves with His strength. “The righteous cry, and the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all” (Psalm 34:17-19).

In Luke chapter 14, Jesus said when we have the opportunity to set ourselves high, we should take a low place instead. Then, when someone sets us in a higher place, it will be a pleasant experience. “’When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for someone more distinguished than you may have been invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, “Give your place to this man,” and then in disgrace you proceed to occupy the last place. But when you are invited, go and recline at the last place, so that when the one who has incited you comes, he may say to you, “Friend, move up higher,”; then you will have honor in the sight of all who are at the table with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted’” (Luke 14:8-11).

A very similar passage about setting ourselves on high is also seen in Proverbs 25:6-7: "Don't demand an audience with the king or push for a place among the great. It is better to wait for an invitation to the head table than to be sent away in public disgrace."

Hannah knew all this intimately in her life. She was barren “because the LORD had closed her womb” (1 Samuel 1:6). She knew The LORD makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up. God had first set her low, and then brought her high. She could see the hand of the LORD in it all. The Lord helps those who cannot help themselves. None of us can truly help ourselves, but we often make the mistake of thinking we can. When this happens, we risk not leaving room for God to bless us. How many blessings have we missed because we have decided to go our own way. We neglect to “trust in the LORD with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6).