Who was Hannah in the Bible?
Hannah was a woman who prayed for a child in deep distress and, when God answered, gave her son Samuel back to the LORD — her song of praise anticipating Mary’s Magnificat centuries later.
Childless and grieved, Hannah wept and prayed so fervently at the tabernacle that the priest Eli thought she was drunk. She vowed that if God gave her a son, she would dedicate him to the LORD.
God answered, and Samuel was born. True to her vow, Hannah brought him to serve at the tabernacle as soon as he was weaned.
Her prayer of thanksgiving (1 Samuel 2), exalting the God who lifts the lowly, echoes through Scripture — and is unmistakable in the mouth of Mary as she carried Jesus.
Original BibleDawn answer · reviewed 2026-06. Drafted with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy.