¹² As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. ¹³ Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman. ¹⁴ And Eli said to her, “How long will you go on being drunk? Put your wine away from you.” ¹⁵ But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. ¹⁶ Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation.” ¹⁷ Then Eli answered, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him.” ¹⁸ And she said, “Let your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.

¹⁹ They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord; then they went back to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. ²⁰ And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, “I have asked for him from the Lord.”

1) Who was Eli? Who was Hannah?
If we look back at the beginning of the chapter, we get more of the picture. Eli was a priest, and he was working in the temple where this story takes place. Hannah was a Jewish woman who was barren. She was one of two wives of her husband, and she was favored by him.

2) What was causing Hannah so much anguish?
Hannah was barren. Her husband’s other wife, Peninnah, had children, and would ridicule Hannah for being barren, probably out of jealousy that Hannah was the favorite wife. Hannah not only had to endure the pain of being childless, but she also had to endure bullying from a relentless woman who knew her inner wounds.

3) What action did Hannah take to deal with her “anxiety and vexation”?
When her soul was in anguish, Hannah cried out to the Lord. She prayed fervently, pouring out her soul to the Lord. She took her wounds to the Healer.

4) What caused Hannah to have peace?
When Eli the priest discovered that she was not drunk, but praying with such fervor that she appeared to be, he was able to speak on behalf of God and reassure Hannah that her prayers would be answered. These words gave Hannah the hope that she needed. She was reminded to trust in the Lord, and that He would take care of her. Although it would be some time before Hannah would see the fruit of the answered prayer, she was able to regain her composure, to eat and to have peace in her heart, because she trusted God.

1) Who was Eli? Who was Hannah?
Eli is just a small part of this story, but I love how he was able, with a single sentence, to be used by God to bring comfort to a woman who was in such anguish that she appeared to be drunk. How can we use our words (sparingly!) to bring hope to a friend who is hurting? Next time you are sitting with a hurting friend, pray that God would give you the words to say, and that you would say only His words.

2) What was causing Hannah so much anguish?
Hannah’s wounds were deep and personal, and they were made worse by the sinful ridicule of her rival. I know none of us wants to identify with Peninnah in this story, but the truth is that sometimes, in our sin, we can make others’ wounds worse by the things we say or by the way we flaunt the things we have that they long for. Women, let’s check our hearts! Is there anyone, particularly someone I may see as a rival, that I may be sinning against by rubbing salt in an open wound (even behind their back)? Everyone has hurts in their lives, even the people we don’t particularly like. Let’s bring hope, not hurt.

3) What action did Hannah take to deal with her “anxiety and vexation”?
There are all kinds of unhealthy ways to deal with the deep struggles of our hearts. There are also many ways to deal that are partially helpful. Talking with a Christian counselor or a mentor or friend can help, but the ultimate Healer for our souls’ wounds is God Himself. Let’s not forget to keep Him central! And let’s follow Hannah’s example and pour out our souls to Him when we are in anguish.

4) What caused Hannah to have peace?
Hannah had peace because she trusted God. She did not yet know how her situation would play out, but she was reminded that God heard her petition, and she knew He was in control. God’s sovereignty is such a peace to us! When we can’t control the situations in our lives that are causing us pain, the only comfort is that there is Someone who IS in control—and He is good. Lean into His sovereignty as a source of comfort!

Don’t miss today’s other Journey Study, Radical Release
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Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Find super awesome stuff like “origin”, “definition”, and even all the different ways that single word has been translated into English! If you want to be geeky, you can even click the word and hear its original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

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Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

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