The Truth About Hannah And Her Son In The Bible

In Hannah's prayer, she told God that she wanted a son. She mentioned her pain, and that God kept repeatedly bypassing her, while Peninnah continued to have children. In this prayer, however, she made a huge promise to Him.

The story is detailed in 1 Samuel, chapter 1, verses 2 to 20 (via Bible Gateway). The tale of her prayer begins in verse 11 where she pleads with God and asks for a son. She pledges that if He gives her the son she wants, she would ensure that God will have a loyal servant in him: "By giving me a son, I'll give him completely, unreservedly to you. I'll set him apart for a life of holy discipline."

It wasn't long before Hannah, after years of childlessness, was finally pregnant with the very son she wished for. Her prayers were answered, and she named the boy Samuel. On the next family trip to Shiloh, Hannah stayed back and told her husband that she wouldn't go back until Samuel was weaned. She was keeping her promise and had plans to take Samuel there when she was ready. When he was finally weaned off, Hannah brought the toddler to Shiloh with ingredients for a sacrificial meal. She asked for Eli and offered her son to him, the same priest who had previously witnessed her desperate prayer from before. For the remainder of Samuel's life, he was dedicated to God and raised by Eli.