Illustration created for this project.
Hannah
A barren woman who prayed for a son and, given Samuel, dedicated him to the Lord.
What we know — and how we know it
Bible — stated in scripture (with verse) · 1
Ancient writers — non-biblical testimony · 1
Scholarly — supported scholarly belief · 2
Family & lineage
Scan by NYPL — Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)
Ancient writersJosephus retells Hannah's story (naming her Anna) in his 'Jewish Antiquities', describing her vow, her prayer at Shiloh, and the birth of Samuel. This is a dependent paraphrase of the biblical account rather than independent attestation, so it confirms the tradition's early currency but not the figure historically.
Josephus, Jewish Antiquities 5.342-350 (Whiston 5.10.2-4), trans. Thackeray & Marcus, Loeb Classical Library (1934); a dependent paraphrase of 1 Samuel 1 (Hannah called Anna), not an independent source.
Life, role & deeds
ScholarlyThe Song of Hannah is widely regarded by scholars as a literary model behind Mary's Magnificat, sharing its reversal-of-fortunes theme (the lowly raised, the mighty brought down). This intertextual relationship is a mainstream point in Gospel and Samuel commentary.
Comparative study of 1 Samuel 2:1-10 and Luke 1:46-55 (the Magnificat) in standard commentaries.
Name & titles
ScholarlyHannah renders the Hebrew Ḥannāh, built on the root ḥēn meaning 'grace' or 'favour' — a fitting name for the once-barren woman who prays for and receives a son. The same name passes through Greek as Anna, the form borne by the prophetess Anna in Luke 2.
Standard Hebrew onomastics: Ḥannāh from the noun ḥēn (grace/favour); cf. the Greek Ἄννα (Anna).
Where in scripture
1 SamuelFamily
In their own words — 6 recorded sayings
“And she made an oath, and said, O Lord of armies, if you will truly take note of the sorrow of your servant, not turning away from me but keeping me in mind, and will give me a man-child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and his hair will never be cut.” — 1 Samuel 1:11
“And Hannah, answering him, said, No, my lord, I am a woman whose spirit is broken with sorrow: I have not taken wine or strong drink, but I have been opening my heart before the Lord. Do not take your servant to be a good-for-nothing woman: for my words have come from my stored-up sorrow and pain.” — 1 Samuel 1:15-16
“And she said, May your servant have grace in your eyes. So the woman went away, and took part in the feast, and her face was no longer sad.” — 1 Samuel 1:18
“Now the time came when Hannah, being with child, gave birth to a son; and she gave him the name Samuel, Because, she said, I made a prayer to the Lord for him.” — 1 Samuel 1:20
“But Hannah did not go, for she said to her husband, I will not go till the child has been taken from the breast, and then I will take him with me and put him before the Lord, where he may be for ever.” — 1 Samuel 1:22
“And she said, O my lord, as your soul is living, my lord, I am that woman who was making a prayer to the Lord here by your side:” — 1 Samuel 1:26
Speaker attribution: Clear Bible MACULA (CC BY 4.0). Wording: Bible in Basic English (public domain).
In art
