“And Hannah prayed, and said: my heart exults in the LORD, my horn is exalted
in the LORD; my mouth is enlarged over my enemies; because I rejoice in Your
salvation…”
Hannah’s prayer has moved and motivated people from time immemorial. How could it not? Here was a
woman who experienced intense pain, stigma. Here was a woman who cried out in agony to the Maker:
“And she was in bitterness of soul--and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore” (Samuel 1). Simply put,
Hannah had been inconsolable. Neither her devoted husband Elkanah nor Eli the high priest managed to
comfort her, not for lack of trying. As we also find in Samuel 1, Hannah’s hurt will heal when God hears
her fervent prayers. As a result, she conceived and gave birth to Samuel.
Before Abravanel deciphers Hannah’s lofty message, he asks: Had Hannah reached prophecy? Did God
communicate with her? Technically speaking, Abravanel answers, Hannah does not rate among Israel’s
full-fledged prophets. For that matter, Abravanel adds, neither did Kings David and Solomon. The three,
though, had been imbued with the heavenly spirit, a level just a notch underneath prophecy. “And
Hannah prayed”, for Abravanel is proof. Hannah’s prayer tells readers that the words that will follow
must be categorized as inspired by Above, but not a communication sent by Him. Furthermore, the
timing of her prayer is significant. Hannah offered prayer as she escorts her young son Samuel to study
and work in Shiloh’s Tabernacle. Consequently, her words focus on her beloved son, and not to foretell
the future, as other commentators have suggested.
Jewish law recognizes Hannah’s lasting contribution to liturgy. In our context here, we mean that she
taught future generations how to pray, how to arrange prayers. As a rule, prayer begins with praise to
the Creator. Praise proceeds personal petitioning for needs and wishes. Hannah’s supplication, then,
established that model, as we shall see.
“And Hannah prayed, and said: my heart exults in the LORD, my horn is exalted in the LORD…” Abravanel
believes that Hannah is serving a rebuttal to her husband Elkanah and to Eli the high priest. Both men
tried to comfort her. Elkanah sought to lift her spirits. His words of solace, however, missed the mark.
“And Elkanah her husband said unto her: Hannah, why do you weep…Why is your heart grieved?”
Elkanah hoped for a mood change, from sad to happy. Shouldn’t their wonderful marriage be a source
of contentment, more than had she given birth to children – to paraphrase Elkanah’s sentiments. “Am
not I better to you than ten sons?”
Abravanel explains that Elkanah failed to dispel Hannah’s funk. Her prayer enlightens: “My heart exults
in the LORD.” Her sense of well-being, she meant, did not depend on Elkanah’s words. Closeness with
the Creator cheered her: “My heart exults in the LORD, my horn is exalted in the LORD.”
Now, Abravanel moves on to show how Hannah’s prayer addresses Eli’s harsh words to her in Shiloh
when he badly mistook her actions – and character. “Now Hannah, she spoke in her heart; only her lips
moved, but her voice could not be heard; therefore, Eli thought she was intoxicated. And Eli said unto
her: How long will you be drunken? put away your wine from you.”
Hannah chanted: “My mouth is enlarged over my enemies…” What motivated eloquent poetry?
“Because I rejoice in Your salvation.” Self-worth and contentment spring from one source – the Creator.
Inner peace comes from the One Above, no one else.
Hannah, according to Abravanel, makes another inspired statement, something to take to heart:
Hannah’s son had not been her cause of jubilation; God had. “Because I rejoice in Your salvation.”
Hannah went to the heart of the matter. In essence, Samuel was not the root cause of Hannah’s
celebration. Rather, she credits the Giver of her son as the ultimate and true source of joy: “I rejoice in
Your salvation.” This introduces Abravanel’s comments on Hannah’s profound prayer.