"And Hannah prayed, and said, "My heart rejoiceth in the LORD,
mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over
mine enemies; because I rejoice in Thy salvation."
(1 Samuel 2:1)
Hannah At Prayer
Wilhelm Wachtel
(1875-1942)
Polish painter
Image courtesy/Wikimedia Commons
At the time Hannah prayed:
"My heart rejoiced in the LORD:
my horn is exalted in the LORD.
My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies,
for I rejoice in Your salvation.
There is no one holy like the LORD.
Indeed, there is no one besides You!
And there is no Rock like our God.
Do not boast so proudly,
or let arrogance come from your mouth,
for the LORD is a God who knows,
and by Him actions are weighed.
The bows of the mighty are broken,
but the feeble are equipped with strength.
The well-fed hire themselves out for food,
but the starving hunger no more.
The barren woman gives birth to seven,
but she who has many sons pines away.
The LORD brings death and gives life;
He brings down to Sheol and raises up.
The LORD sends poverty and wealth;
He humbles and He exalts.
He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap.
He seats them among princes
and bestows on them a throne of honor.
For the foundations of the earth are the LORD's,
and upon them He has set the world.
He guards the steps of His faithful ones,
but the wicked perish in darkness;
for by his own strength shall no man prevail.
Those who oppose the LORD will be shattered.
He will thunder from heaven against them.
The LORD will judge the ends of the earth
and will give power to His King.
He will exalt the horn of His Anointed."
(1 Samuel 2: 1-10)
"Hannah's heart rejoiced, not in Samuel, but in the Lord.
She looks beyond the gift, and praises the Giver.
She rejoiced in the salvation of the Lord, and in expectation of His coming,
who is the whole salvation of His people. The strong are soon weakened,
and the weak are soon strengthened, when God pleases.
Are we poor? God made us poor, which is a good reason why we should be
content, and make up our minds to our condition. Are we rich? God made us
rich, which is a good reason why we should be thankful, and serve Him cheerfully,
and do good with the abundance He gives us.
He respects not man's wisdom or fancied excellences, but chooses those
whom the world accounts as foolish, teaching them to feel their guilt,
and to value His free and precious salvation.
This prophecy looks to the kingdom of Christ, the kingdom of grace, of which
Hannah speaks, after having spoken largely of the kingdom of providence.
And, here is the first time that we meet with the name MESSIAH, or His Anointed.
The subjects of Christ's kingdom will be safe, and the enemies of it will be
ruined; for the Anointed, the Lord Christ, is able to save, and to destroy."
-Matthew Henry's Commentary