Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Samuel 1:10
And she [was] in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.
1Sa 1:10-11
And she was in bitterness of soul and prayed unto the Lord.
The success of Hannahs prayer, and the reasons for it
1.Both Jacobs prayer and Hannahs prayer are very short. Hannahs consists of a single verse. It is quite clear that the much speaking has nothing to do with being heard.
2. Both Hannahs prayer and Jacobs were offered when the offerer was in trouble. Jacob was flying from the face of Esau. Now observe the wonderful graciousness and tenderness of God, that He makes a special promise to prayer offered up in distress, whether of mind, body, or estate. Call upon me, says He, in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me. Hannah mixed tears with her prayers, for she prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore. Christ mixed tears with His prayers in the garden, Who in the days of His flesh offered up prayers and supplications, with strong crying and tears, unto Him that was able to save Him from death.
3. Again, Hannahs prayer was secret. It was not spoken in articulate language. Now, Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard.
4. Hannah fully looked for and expected a result from her prayer. I gather this from the fact of her making a vow. When you are vexed, anxious, thwarted, troubled about anything, try to tell the story in the simplest words to God, asking deliverance from the trouble, if it be His good pleasure to grant it; if not, asking patience under it, and to be kept from going wrong, and acting in any way contrary to His will. Seek to be perfectly open, and to tell everything that is upon your mind,–your temptations, the difficulties you find in keeping your temper and conduct right, and what your special wishes are under the circumstances. Our Heavenly Father, our Divine Friend, is pleased and honoured by the confidence we repose in Him. He would have our prayer to be not only an act of homage, but an act of confidence; not only an abasemeant of the heart before His majesty, but a pouring forth of the heart before His fatherly goodness. (Dean Goulburn.)
Prayer at the point of agony
Understand what prayer is; prayer is the utterance of agony. There is a flippant way of praying, which means nothing, which God never hears. We cannot always pray at the point of agony. There are indeed some whole days upon which I cannot pray at all. I can say my prayers, I can put myself into a certain reverent attitude; but all power of prayer has gone away from me; and then upon other days I could pray from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, and have conscious influence with God. Hast thou ever an hour in thy poor, blank, barren life, when thou seemest to have influence in heaven? Employ every golden moment of that hour, and in the strength of Gods answer thou shalt go many days. (Joseph Parker, D. D.)
God sought in trouble
You know, when you have been walking out with your father or mother, if you come to a pretty meadow, you can leave their side, run about, pick flowers, and hardly care whether your father and mother are near you or not. But if you should run a thorn into your finger, or hurt yourself in any way, how eagerly would you run to tell them all your trouble, and to seek their help! Now God has just such children: when all is smooth and easy around them, they care not much for their Fathers company; but let pain or trouble come, they are glad to run to him, and to pour out their hearts before him. If it had not been for Hannahs trouble, Hannah would never have known so much of prayer and praise. (Helen Plumptre.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
She was in bitterness of soul, i.e. oppressed with grief, as that phrase is used, Job 7:11; 10:1; Rth 1:20.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And she was in bitterness of soul,…. Because of her barrenness, and the taunts and reflections she had met with on that account; her life was bitter to her, she could take no pleasure in any of the comforts of it:
and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore; her prayer was with strong crying and tears; it was very fervent and affectionate; she prayed most vehemently, and wept bitterly. This perhaps was about the time of the evening sacrifice, about three or four o’clock in the afternoon; seeing it was after dinner that she arose up and went to prayer in the house of God, at the door of the tabernacle, or near it, as it should seem by the notice Eli took of her, who sat there.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(10) And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.
The Holy Ghost hath been very particular, to mark the earnestness of Hannah’s soul, in prayer. Reader! you will not overlook I hope, who it was that, being in an agony, prayed more earnestly. Oh! thou precious Lamb of God! how lovely art thou, in every renewed view! Luk 22:44 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
1Sa 1:10 And she [was] in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.
Ver. 10. And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed. ] Herein she took a right course to get comfort. So did David, Psa 109:4 and Paul, 1Co 4:13 “being defamed we pray.” If she should have rendered to Peninnah railing for railing, there would have been somewhat to do. Prayer and patience are the best antidotes against contempt and contumelies; the one hot, the other cold; the one quickening, the other quenching.
And wept sore.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
soul. Hebrew. nephesh. App-13.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
in bitterness of soul: Heb. bitter of soul, Rth 1:20, 2Sa 17:8, Job 7:11, Job 9:18, Job 10:1, Isa 38:15, Isa 54:6, Lam 3:15
prayed: Psa 50:15, Psa 91:15, Luk 22:44, Heb 5:7
wept sore: Gen 50:10, Jdg 21:2, 2Sa 13:36, 2Ki 20:3, Jer 13:17, Jer 22:10
Reciprocal: 1Sa 22:2 – discontented 1Sa 30:6 – grieved 2Ki 4:27 – vexed Job 3:20 – the bitter Psa 119:145 – cried Pro 14:10 – heart Pro 31:6 – of heavy hearts Mal 2:13 – covering 1Pe 5:7 – Casting
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1Sa 1:10. She was in bitterness of soul Oppressed with grief, which returned when she was alone, and thought of her barrenness, which made her pray, with many tears, for a child. They had newly offered their peace- offerings, to obtain the favour of God; and in token of their communion with him, they had feasted upon the sacrifice: and now it was proper to put up her prayer, in virtue of the sacrifice. For the peace-offerings typified Christs mediation, as well as the sin-offerings: since by this not only atonement is made for sin, but an answer to our prayers obtained.