Hannah
is on top of the world. She has just brought her dear little son,
the child for whom she had prayed so long, to Shiloh to Eli the
priest. Little Samuel would now serve the Lord, fulfilling the
promise she had made before he was conceived. Hannah's prayers have
been answered, and now she would uphold
her end of the bargain.
We
might think that a mother would be upset
to leave her son behind, sorrowful to be far away from him much of
the year, but Hannah realizes
that she is
giving Samuel the best possible gift. He
will now belong to God, and God will care for him perfectly.
So
Hannah cries out in joy: “My heart exults in the Lord; my strength
is exalted in my God. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice
in my victory.”
The
Hebrew in this verse offers some important clues to the deep meaning
of Hannah's prayer. The first verb, translated here as “exults,”
is alats,
and
it does mean “to exult” but also “to rejoice” or even “to
triumph.” Hannah's joy knows no bounds because it is a response to
God and His work in her life. Her whole being, all the strength she
has, rises up to God. The verb here is rum,
and while “is exalted” serves nicely as a translation, the word
also includes shades of offering and triumph. Hannah presents
herself to God yet again, completely,
joyfully, triumphantly.
What's
more, Hannah's enemies no longer have power over her. God has
answered her prayers; He is in control. She merely has to look down
and smile upon those who once opposed her. In fact, the verb
translated here as “derides” is rachab,
and
it means simply “to enlarge.” Hannah opens her mouth, perhaps to
deride those who tormented her or perhaps simply to show them her
great satisfaction.
She
can do this because she rejoices in her victory. The verb for
“rejoice” here is
samach,
and
it emphasizes the sheer gladness and pleasure that Hannah is
experiencing because God has answered her prayers.
Indeed,
Hannah's heart
overflows
with exultation, and her prayer expresses her joy in
the God Who has so graciously heard her and given her her heart's
desire.
(1
Samuel 2:1 – NRSV-CE; Hebrew words from Biblehub.com)
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