1Sa 2:1

For several years now, Hannah had been absent from the sanctuary of Shiloh. (Modern practice is to wean a child before it is a year old, but in Israel women were accustomed to nurse their children three or four years — and sometimes longer: cp 2Ma 7:27.) Nevertheless her heart had been full with rejoicing and praise to the Almighty for the great blessing of a son. In her meditations, as she cared for the child, she had seen beyond even Samuel’s time to the greater time of which it was typical — that is, to the establishment of God’s kingdom in its worldwide scope. Now Hannah, bringing her precious gift to the Lord, stands once more at Shiloh. The troubles of former days are recalled, the provocations and inner conflicts. Now the sunshine of Divine favor has been experienced, and her life has come full circle, back again to the place where she cried out of the depths of despair and God heard her plea. Her heart is full with thanksgiving to God, and her words pour forth like a fountain, fresh and clear and sweet.

Hannah’s song has close links with three other Bible passages: Psa 75 (most likely dealing with the angelic destruction of Sennacherib’s army), Psa 113 (one of the “great Hallel” Psalms, commemorating the Passover and deliverance from Egypt), and of course Luk 1:46-55 (Mary’s song of rejoicing at the prospective birth of an even more important son than Samuel). Perhaps one reason for this is that, in each instance, deliverance or visitation came at Passover!

MY HORN IS LIFTED HIGH: Sym power and strength and exaltation, as the power of an animal is in its horn, or horns (Psa 75:4,5; 89:17,24; 112:9; 2Sa 22:3).

MY MOUTH BOASTS OVER MY ENEMIES: Hannah was now in a position to speak in confidence and even to rebuke her enemies, because God had vindicated her in giving her a son. Now she could open wide her mouth in praise to God. The plural, “enemies”, suggests that Peninnah had been joined by her children in taunting the barren Hannah — just as Hagar had been joined by Ishmael in taunting first Sarah and then Isaac. (Cp Christ: out of his mouth goes a sharp 2-edged sword: Rev 1:16; 2:16; 19:15.)

FOR I DELIGHT IN YOUR DELIVERANCE: The reason why “my heart rejoices in the Lord.” All things are possible, all things work together for good, if we will steadfastly set ourselves to rejoice in God’s salvation. The psalmists of Israel used the word “rejoice” many times. It is the very spirit of the Psalms. Five times they repeat the precise words of Hannah: “I will rejoice in thy salvation.” Paul, writing to the Philippians, expressed a closely related thought. He spoke of his imprisonment, of enmity and rivalry, of partisanship, insincerity, and pretense. Then he spoke of the need continually to rejoice: Phi 1:18,19. So even evil men could be used by God to serve a good purpose, and even in distress and persecution Paul could rejoice at the outworking of God’s salvation. Hannah too had suffered for several years from the cruelty and reproach of Peninnah (1Sa 1:6), because of her barrenness. Perhaps others had taken up the thought that God was sorely punishing barren Hannah for some great hidden sin. It did indeed appear that God was blessing Peninnah and chastening Hannah, but there was a wise divine providence at work that in time drastically changed these outward appearances.

REJOICE… DELIVERANCE: Or “salvation” (AV). Salvation is so wonderful and marvelous and glorious a thing that — if the whole mind is set on it, and the whole life directed toward it, and everything else is put resolutely aside — there can be no unhappiness. Unhappiness can only be due to failure of vision!

1Sa 2:2

THERE IS NO ONE HOLY LIKE THE LORD: The perfect, glorious, and incomparable holiness of the Lord is a great and powerful and inspiring thought. “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts!”, even the seraphim cried (Isa 6:3). Holiness is the highest ambition toward which any mortal can aspire, for it brings him closest to God. Cp Luk 1:49.

THERE IS NO ONE BESIDES YOU: Hannah recognizes the unique and exclusive supremacy of God. This attribute of God is emphasized over and over throughout the Bible, but nowhere more effectively than: “I am the Lord, and there is none else. There is no God beside me…” (Isa 45:5,6).

THERE IS NO ROCK LIKE OUR GOD: Used by Moses numerous times in Deu 32. Strength, dependability, defense, shelter, security, permanence, and unchangeableness. More tangibly, a “rock in ancient times could be a fortress or a hiding place or an impregnable refuge.

1Sa 2:3

DO NOT KEEP TALKING: The verb is in the masculine plural, which could refer to the sons of Peninnah, or perhaps the sons of Eli (v 12), since Hannah no doubt saw that her son’s mission would involve in some way the elimination of these “sons of Belial” (cp Pro 8:13).

A GOD WHO KNOWS: “A God of knowledge” (AV). God knew all things: He knew the sins of Eli’s sons, and He knew the faith of the barren woman. He knew the need, of the whole nation of Israel, for a man to lead them back to righteousness. And He was not only a God who KNEW, but He was also a God who ACTED upon that knowledge. He was a God who could wait, with infinite patience, and then still act, deliberately, to do what must be done.

BY HIM DEEDS ARE WEIGHED: God judges not by outward appearance, but God judges the heart. Even Hannah’s son needed to learn this lesson, when years later he looked upon the sons of Jesse (1Sa 16:7). By outward appearances, Peninnah was more righteous than Hannah — but God was trying the hearts (Psa 11:4,5). In the conclusion of the matter, the relative positions of the two wives were reversed for all the world to see.

Israel compared to Sodom: