⁵And even though he loved Hannah very much he would give her only one share, because^a the Lord had kept her from having children. ⁶Peninnah, her rival, would torment and humiliate her, because the Lord had kept her childless. ⁷This went on year after year; whenever they went to the house of the Lord, Peninnah would upset Hannah so much that she would cry and refuse to eat anything. ⁸Her husband Elkanah would ask her, “Hannah, why are you crying? Why won’t you eat? Why are you always so sad? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?”

Hannah and Eli

^9–10One day, after they had finished their meal in the house of the Lord at Shiloh, Hannah got up. She was deeply distressed, and she cried bitterly as she prayed to the Lord. Meanwhile, Eli the priest was sitting in his place by the door. ¹¹^*Hannah made a solemn promise: “Almighty Lord, look at me, your servant! See my trouble and remember me! Don’t forget me! If you give me a son, I promise that I will dedicate him to you for his whole life and that he will never have his hair cut.”^b

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Footnotes

aAnd … because; or To Hannah, however, he would give a special share, because he loved her very much, even though.
bnever have his hair cut: A sign of dedication to the Lord (see Num 6:5).

Cross references

*1.11: Nu 6:5