The Definition of the word Hannah

Hannah

Favour, grace, one of the wives of Elkanah the Levite, and the mother of Samuel (1 Sam. 1; 2). Her home was at "Ramathaim-zophim, whence she was wont every year to go to" "Shiloh, where the tabernacle had been pitched by Joshua, to" attend the offering of sacrifices there according to the law "(Ex. 23:15; 34:18; Deut. 16:16), probably at the feast of the" "Passover (comp. Ex. 13:10). On occasion of one of these "yearly" "visits, being grieved by reason of Peninnah's conduct toward" "her, she went forth alone, and kneeling before the Lord at the" "sanctuary she prayed inaudibly. Eli the high priest, who sat at" "the entrance to the holy place, observed her, and" misunderstanding her character he harshly condemned her conduct (1 Sam. 1:14-16). After hearing her explanation he retracted his "injurious charge and said to her, "Go in peace: and the God of" "Israel grant thee thy petition." Perhaps the story of the wife" of Manoah was not unknown to her. Thereafter Elkanah and his "family retired to their quiet home, and there, before another" "Passover, Hannah gave birth to a son, whom, in grateful memory" "of the Lord's goodness, she called Samuel, i.e., "heard of God." After the child was weaned (probably in his third year) she "brought him to Shiloh into the house of the Lord, and said to" "Eli the aged priest, "Oh my lord, I am the woman that stood by" "thee here, praying unto the Lord. For this child I prayed; and" the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him: therefore I also have granted him to the Lord; as long as he "liveth he is granted to the Lord" (1 Sam. 1:27, 28, R.V.). Her" gladness of heart then found vent in that remarkable prophetic song (2:1-10; comp. Luke 1:46-55) which contains the first "designation of the Messiah under that name (1 Sam. 2:10," "Annointed = "Messiah"). And so Samuel and his parents parted." "He was left at Shiloh to minister "before the Lord." And each" "year, when they came up to Shiloh, Hannah brought to her absent" "child "a little coat" (Heb. meil, a term used to denote the" "robe of the ephod worn by the high priest, Ex. 28:31), a" "priestly robe, a long upper tunic (1 Chr. 15:27), in which to" "minister in the tabernacle (1 Sam. 2:19; 15:27; Job 2:12). "And" "the child Samuel grew before the Lord." After Samuel, Hannah had" three sons and two daughters.