1 Samuel 1:10 Study Bible: She was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the LORD, and wept bitterly.

◄ 1 Samuel 1:10 ►

In her bitter distress, Hannah prayed to the LORD and wept with many tears.

In her bitter distress
The Hebrew word for "bitter" is "marat," which conveys a deep sense of anguish and sorrow. This phrase captures the profound emotional turmoil that Hannah experienced due to her barrenness and the societal pressure to bear children. In ancient Israel, a woman's worth was often tied to her ability to produce offspring, particularly sons, who would carry on the family name and inheritance. Hannah's distress is not just personal but also cultural, reflecting the weight of expectations placed upon her. Her bitterness is a testament to the depth of her longing and the intensity of her situation.

Hannah prayed to the LORD
The act of prayer here is significant. The Hebrew verb "palal" means to intercede or to make supplication. Hannah's prayer is an act of faith and submission to God, acknowledging His sovereignty and power over her circumstances. In the context of the Old Testament, prayer was a means of communicating with God, seeking His intervention, and expressing one's deepest desires and needs. Hannah's prayer is a model of earnest and heartfelt supplication, demonstrating her reliance on God as her ultimate source of hope and deliverance.

and wept with many tears
The phrase "wept with many tears" emphasizes the depth of Hannah's emotional state. The Hebrew word "bakah" for "wept" indicates a loud, lamenting cry, often associated with mourning or deep sorrow. This expression of emotion is not just a private moment but a public display of her grief and desperation. In the biblical narrative, tears are often seen as a powerful form of communication with God, symbolizing sincerity and vulnerability. Hannah's tears are a physical manifestation of her inner turmoil and a plea for divine intervention. Her weeping underscores the authenticity of her prayer and her unwavering faith in God's ability to change her circumstances.

Persons / Places / Events

1. Hannah
A devout woman who is deeply distressed due to her inability to bear children. Her account is a testament to faith and perseverance in prayer.

2. The LORD
The covenant God of Israel, to whom Hannah directs her heartfelt prayer, demonstrating her faith and reliance on Him.

3. Shiloh
The place where the tabernacle of the LORD was located during this time, and where Hannah went to pray.

4. Peninnah
Hannah's rival, who provoked her because Peninnah had children while Hannah did not.

5. Elkanah
Hannah's husband, who loved her dearly despite her barrenness and tried to comfort her.

Teaching Points

The Power of Persistent Prayer
Hannah's account teaches us the importance of persistent and heartfelt prayer. Despite her distress, she continually sought the LORD, demonstrating unwavering faith.

God's Compassion for the Brokenhearted
Hannah's tears and anguish remind us that God is compassionate and attentive to the cries of the brokenhearted. He invites us to bring our deepest sorrows to Him.

Faith in the Midst of Trials
Hannah's faith did not waver despite her prolonged trial. Her example encourages us to trust in God's timing and sovereignty, even when answers are delayed.

The Role of Emotional Honesty in Prayer
Hannah's prayer was marked by emotional honesty. We are encouraged to be genuine in our prayers, expressing our true feelings and desires to God.

The Impact of a Godly Example
Hannah's account has inspired countless believers to trust in God's faithfulness. Our own faith and perseverance can serve as a powerful testimony to others.

Bible Study Questions

1. How does Hannah's approach to prayer in 1 Samuel 1:10 challenge or inspire your own prayer life?

2. In what ways can you relate to Hannah's experience of distress and how can her response guide you in similar situations?

3. How does the account of Hannah encourage you to trust in God's timing and sovereignty, especially in areas where you are waiting for answers?

4. What other biblical figures demonstrate similar faith and perseverance in prayer, and what can you learn from their accounts?

5. How can you apply the lessons from Hannah's account to support and encourage others who are experiencing similar trials?

Connections to Other Scriptures

Philippians 4:6-7
This passage encourages believers to present their requests to God with thanksgiving, promising peace that transcends understanding, similar to Hannah's approach in prayer.

James 5:16
Highlights the power of fervent prayer, which is exemplified by Hannah's earnest supplication to the LORD.

Psalm 34:17
Speaks of the LORD hearing the cries of the righteous, paralleling Hannah's experience of being heard by God.

Sermons

The Lord of Hosts	B. Dale	1 Samuel 1:3, 11
Effectual Prayer	B. Dale	1 Samuel 1:9-13
God Sought in Trouble	Helen Plumptre.	1 Samuel 1:10-11
Prayer At the Point of Agony	Joseph Parker, D. D.	1 Samuel 1:10-11
The Success of Hannah's Prayer, and the Reasons for It	Dean Goulburn.	1 Samuel 1:10-11

People

Eli, Elihu, Elkanah, Ephah, Hannah, Hophni, Jeroham, Peninnah, Phinehas, Samuel, Tohu, Zuph

Places

Ramah, Ramathaim-zophim, Shiloh

Topics

Bitter, Bitterly, Bitterness, Deeply, Distressed, Greatly, Grief, Hannah, Prayed, Prayer, Prayeth, Sore, Soul, Weepeth, Weeping, Wept

Dictionary of Bible Themes

1 Samuel 1:10

     5296   disabilities
     5831   depression
     5835   disappointment
     5844   emotions
     5928   resentment, against God

1 Samuel 1:1-20

5225 barrenness
5733 pregnancy

1 Samuel 1:6-16

1 Samuel 1:9-18

1 Samuel 1:9-20

1 Samuel 1:9-28

     5155   hair
     5663   childbirth
     5704   inheritance, material
     8610   prayer, asking God
     8613   prayer, persistence

1 Samuel 1:10-20

8614 prayer, answers

Library

Of Self-Annihilation
Of Self-Annihilation Supplication and sacrifice are comprehended in prayer, which, according to S. John, is "an incense, the smoke whereof ascendeth unto God;" therefore it is said in the Apocalypse that "unto the Angel was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all Saints'' (Chap. viii. 3). Prayer is the effusion of the heart in the Presence of God: "I have poured out my soul before God" saith the mother of Samuel. (1 Sam. i. 15) The prayer of the wise men at the feet of …
Madame Guyon—A Short and Easy Method of Prayer

Prayer and Sacrifice Explained by the Similitude of a Perfume --Our Annihilation in this Sacrifice --Solidity and Fruitfulness of this Prayer as Set Forth in The
Prayer ought to be both petition and sacrifice. Prayer, according to the testimony of St John, is an incense, whose perfume rises to God. Therefore it is said in the Revelation (chap. viii. 3), that an angel held a censer, which contained the incense of the prayers of saints. Prayer is an outpouring of the heart in the presence of God. "I have poured out my soul before the Lord," said the mother of Samuel (1 Sam. i. 15). Thus the prayers of the Magi at the feet of the infant Jesus in the stable of …
Jeanne Marie Bouvières—A Short Method Of Prayer And Spiritual Torrents

Home Dedication.
"The rose was rich in bloom on Sharon's plain, When a young mother with her first born thence Went up to Zion, for the boy was vowed Unto the Temple-service; by the hand She led him, and her silent soul, the while, Oft as the dewy laughter of his eye Met her sweet serious glance, rejoiced to think That aught so pure, so beautiful, was hers, To bring before her God!" Beautiful thought, and thrice beautiful deed,--fresh from the pure fount of maternal piety! The Hebrew mother consecrating her first-born …
Samuel Philips—The Christian Home

John Newton 1Sam 1:10,18
…
John Newton—Olney Hymns

Hwochow Women's Bible Training School
COURSE OF STUDY FIRST TERM Book of Genesis. Gospel according to St. Luke or St. Mark. Acts of the Apostles, chapters i. to ix. "A Synopsis of the Central Themes of the Holy Bible." Reading Lessons, with necessary Explanation and Writing of Chinese Character. Arithmetic. Singing and Memorisation of Hymns. SECOND TERM Book of Exodus, Numbers, and 1 Samuel i. to xvi. The Gospel according to St. John. The Epistle of St James. "A Synopsis of the Central Themes of the Holy Bible"--(continued). Reading …
A. Mildred Cable—The Fulfilment of a Dream of Pastor Hsi's

The Love of the Holy Spirit in Us.
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not."--Matt. xxvii. 37. The Scripture teaches not only that the Holy Spirit dwells in us, and with Him Love, but also that He sheds abroad that Love in our hearts. This shedding abroad does not refer to the coming of the Holy Spirit's Person, for a person can not be shed abroad. He comes, takes possession, and dwells in us; but that which is shed abroad …
Abraham Kuyper—The Work of the Holy Spirit

The Prophet Jonah.
It has been asserted without any sufficient reason, that Jonah is older than Hosea, Joel, Amos, and Obadiah,--that he is the oldest among the prophets whose written monuments have been preserved to us. The passage in 2 Kings xiv. 25, where it is said, that Jonah, the son of Amittai the prophet, prophesied to Jeroboam the happy success of his arms, and the restoration of the ancient boundaries of Israel, and that this prophecy was confirmed by the event, cannot decide in favour of this assertion, …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

And V the Kingdom Undivided and the Kingdom Divided
THE HISTORICAL BOOKS: I and II Samuel. I and II Kings. I and II Chronicles. NOTE.--As these three pairs of books are so closely related in their historical contents, it is deemed best to study them together, though they overlap the two divisions of IV and V. I. CHARTS Chart A. General Contents +--+ " I AND II SAMUEL " +-------------+-----+------+ "Samuel "Saul "David " +-------------+-----+------+----------+ " " " " I AND II KINGS "NOTE.--Biblical …
Frank Nelson Palmer—A Bird's-Eye View of the Bible

Divers Matters.
I. Beth-cerem, Nehemiah 3:14. "The stones, as well of the altar, as of the ascent to the altar, were from the valley of Beth-cerem, which they digged out beneath the barren land. And thence they are wont to bring whole stones, upon which the working iron came not." The fathers of the traditions, treating concerning the blood of women's terms, reckon up five colours of it; among which that, "which is like the water of the earth, out of the valley of Beth-cerem."--Where the Gloss writes thus, "Beth-cerem …
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica

Ramah. Ramathaim Zophim. Gibeah.
There was a certain Ramah, in the tribe of Benjamin, Joshua 18:25, and that within sight of Jerusalem, as it seems, Judges 19:13; where it is named with Gibeah:--and elsewhere, Hosea 5:8; which towns were not much distant. See 1 Samuel 22:6; "Saul sat in Gibeah, under a grove in Ramah." Here the Gemarists trifle: "Whence is it (say they) that Ramah is placed near Gibea? To hint to you, that the speech of Samuel of Ramah was the cause, why Saul remained two years and a half in Gibeah." They blindly …
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica

The King --Continued.
The years thus well begun are, in the historical books, characterized mainly by three events, namely, the bringing up of the ark to the newly won city of David, Nathan's prophecy of the perpetual dominion of his house, and his victories over the surrounding nations. These three hinges of the narrative are all abundantly illustrated in the psalms. As to the first, we have relics of the joyful ceremonial connected with it in two psalms, the fifteenth and twenty-fourth, which are singularly alike not …
Alexander Maclaren—The Life of David

Nature of Covenanting.
A covenant is a mutual voluntary compact between two parties on given terms or conditions. It may be made between superiors and inferiors, or between equals. The sentiment that a covenant can be made only between parties respectively independent of one another is inconsistent with the testimony of Scripture. Parties to covenants in a great variety of relative circumstances, are there introduced. There, covenant relations among men are represented as obtaining not merely between nation and nation, …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

I Will Pray with the Spirit and with the Understanding Also-
OR, A DISCOURSE TOUCHING PRAYER; WHEREIN IS BRIEFLY DISCOVERED, 1. WHAT PRAYER IS. 2. WHAT IT IS TO PRAY WITH THE SPIRIT. 3. WHAT IT IS TO PRAY WITH THE SPIRIT AND WITH THE UNDERSTANDING ALSO. WRITTEN IN PRISON, 1662. PUBLISHED, 1663. "For we know not what we should pray for as we ought:--the Spirit--helpeth our infirmities" (Rom 8:26). ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. There is no subject of more solemn importance to human happiness than prayer. It is the only medium of intercourse with heaven. "It is …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Samuel
Alike from the literary and the historical point of view, the book[1] of Samuel stands midway between the book of Judges and the book of Kings. As we have already seen, the Deuteronomic book of Judges in all probability ran into Samuel and ended in ch. xii.; while the story of David, begun in Samuel, embraces the first two chapters of the first book of Kings. The book of Samuel is not very happily named, as much of it is devoted to Saul and the greater part to David; yet it is not altogether inappropriate, …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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