The Story of Hannah: God Hears the Brokenhearted

By Haylie Cobb, Class of 2025 – English (now Digital Humanities)

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”

Jesus’ concern for the lowly and weak, the humble and gentle, is so important that these are the first words in His Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5. Yet, I use these well-known verses to preface a story that came a thousand years before them—a story about how God used a lowly, humble, and faithful woman, Hannah, as an instrument in His divine plans.

Hannah’s Story

Hannah’s story and her beautiful song has become one of, if not my favorite passage in the Bible. Her story opens the book of 1 Samuel, and foreshadows the entire story of the monarchy of Israel. She was the wife of a man named Elkanah, however, she was barren; she couldn’t have children. Today, infertility is a difficult and painful issue for many women. It brings mourning and questioning, and my heart goes out to any woman who experiences it. And in Ancient Israel, it was no less difficult. Not only did it mean the end of a family line, but in their culture, barrenness was sometimes seen as a judgment or punishment from God (Jackson 291). For Hannah, she was one of two wives of Elkanah. Elkanah’s second wife, Peninnah, had children, and would mock and berate Hannah for having none. In fact, it was probably because of Hannah’s barrenness that Elkanah took Peninnah as a second wife (Walton 461). This shows how grieved Hannah would have been over her situation. She was hurting and desperate, but in her pain, she turned to God.

Hannah’s Prayer

When the family went up for their yearly sacrifice and worship to God, Hannah went to the house of the Lord and began to pray. She prayed silently as the tears fell down her face. She prayed fervently, begging God for a child. She asked Him so faithfully and beautifully in all her brokenness, “O Lord of hosts, if only you will look on the misery of your servant, and remember me, and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a male child, then I will set him before you as a nazirite until the day of his death” (1 Sam 1:11 NRSV). She promised to give up her son to be a nazirite, a person that would take an oath to serve God all of their life. This humility and sacrifice before God, even in her pain, shows how Hannah was an incredible example of faith.

While she was praying silently, Eli, the priest, saw her and accused her of being drunk. However, Hannah explained that “I am a woman deeply troubled; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord” (1 Sam 1:15 NRSV). Eli realized his mistake, and told her that God heard her and would grant her what she asked. Hannah conceived and had a son. As she promised, she dedicated her son to God and brought him to the temple so he could live and grow up with Eli.

Her son’s name was Samuel, and he became the priest that would anoint David as the future king of Israel. Hannah’s story is further brought to life through her prayer in 1 Samuel 2. It describes how God does not rely on human strength, but raises the shamed, mourning, and weak to a place of honor, joy, and strength.

“The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble gird on strength. “Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry are fat with spoil. “The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn. “The Lord kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up. “The Lord makes poor and makes rich; he brings low, he also exalts” (‭‭1 Sam‬ ‭2‬:‭4‬-‭7 NRSV‬).

Be Humble and Trust God’s Plan

The entire song of Hannah is incredibly beautiful and it’s a passage I return to again and again. It describes how God is the source of all true strength and glory. He brings down the proud and raises up the humble. He listens to the weak and comforts the broken-hearted. It is in Him that we should place our strength and hope.

This story plays an important role in the narrative of 1 Samuel. Saul is chosen by the Israelites to be king, and he has all the human qualifications of one: he is tall, strong, and powerful. However, he soon disregards God’s will for Israel and relies on his own wisdom and strength. And it is his downfall.

However, there is another king after him, David. He has none of Saul’s qualifications, being a lowly shepherd boy and the youngest of his brothers. Yet, God chooses David because his heart is faithful to Him. God does not look to human strength, but rather humility and devotion to Him.

These two stories are beautifully foreshadowed by Hannah’s story. She is a symbol that God uses the broken and weak among us to play an incredible part in His plan. God does not look to what we as human beings can do or our own strength. Rather, He asks us to trust in Him and in His power. Hannah’s song shows the danger of having confidence in human strength and weakness. God is so much bigger than any earthly power. And yet, He sees the humblest of us and comforts our broken hearts. Even in the desperate, lowly situations we find ourselves in, God hears us and is there to lift us up.

References

Jackson, Justin. “The Bows of the Mighty Are Broken: The ‘Fall’ of the Proud and the Exaltation of the Humble in 1 Samuel”. Themelios. Vol. 46, Issue 2, 2021. The Bible. New Revised Standard Version, Zondervan. Walton John H., et al. “NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible”. Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2016.