He treated her gently, tenderly. While he was powerless to change her circumstances, there is no suggestion that his words were other than understanding and kind.9 He really did, as we heard in verse 5, love her. Hannah, who has so far in the story been the passive recipient of the actions of others (of the Lord’s closing of her womb, of Peninnah’s taunts, and of Elkanah’s words of comfort), now acted. Her action (to all appearances an insignificant action) will turn out