1 Samuel 1:11

And she made a vow, saying, “O LORD of Hosts, if only You will look upon the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, not forgetting Your maidservant but giving her a son, then I will dedicate him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall ever touch his head.”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Hannah addresses the LORD of Hosts during her bitter distress and heavy weeping, immediately before the priest Eli observes her silent prayer.

The words — The narrative records her action with וַ/תִּדֹּ֨ר (va./ti.Dor), meaning "and she vowed," and נֶ֜דֶר (Ne.der), meaning "a vow," establishing a formal binding promise.

The thread — This vow to dedicate a son with an uncut razor appears in the Nazirite regulations of Numbers 6:5 and the angelic announcement to Samson's mother in Judges 13:5.

Why it lands — The text presents a conditional vow where divine remembrance triggers lifelong consecration and physical separation. This structure requires the reader to evaluate whether they will bind themselves to total surrender when receiving divine relief.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וַתִּדֹּ֨רva./ti.Dorand/ she vowed נֶ֜דֶרNe.dera vow וַתֹּאמַ֗רva./to.Marand/ she said יְהוָ֨הYah.wehO Yahweh צְבָא֜וֹתtze.va.'otof hosts אִם־'im-<if>רָאֹ֥הra.'Ohcertainly [if] <to see>תִרְאֶ֣ה׀tir.'Ehyou will look בָּעֳנִ֣יbo./'o.Nion/ [the] affliction of אֲמָתֶ֗ךָ'a.ma.Te./khamaidservant/ your וּזְכַרְתַּ֙נִי֙u./ze.khar.Ta./niand/ you will remember/ me וְלֹֽא־ve./lo'-and/ not תִשְׁכַּ֣חtish.Kachyou will forget אֶת־'et-<obj.>אֲמָתֶ֔ךָ'a.ma.Te./khamaidservant/ your וְנָתַתָּ֥הve./na.ta.Tahand/ you will give לַאֲמָתְךָ֖la./'a.ma.te./Khato/ maidservant of/ your זֶ֣רַעZe.ra'spring of אֲנָשִׁ֑ים'a.na.Shimmen וּנְתַתִּ֤יוu./ne.ta.Ti/vand/ I will give/ him לַֽיהוָה֙la./Yah.wehto/ Yahweh כָּל־kol-all יְמֵ֣יye.Mei[the] days of חַיָּ֔יוchai.Ya/vlife/ his וּמוֹרָ֖הu./mo.Rahand/ a razor לֹא־lo'-not יַעֲלֶ֥הya.'a.Lehit will go up עַל־'al-on רֹאשֽׁוֹ׃ro.Sh/ohead/ his

King James Version

And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.

Cross-references

Judges 13:5 For behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son. And no razor shall touch his head, because the boy will be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hand of the Philistines.”
Numbers 6:5 For the entire period of his vow of separation, no razor shall touch his head. He must be holy until the time of his separation to the LORD is complete; he must let the hair of his head grow long.
Genesis 29:32 And Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and she named him Reuben, for she said, “The LORD has seen my affliction. Surely my husband will love me now.”
Ecclesiastes 5:4 When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it, because He takes no pleasure in fools. Fulfill your vow.
Genesis 28:20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and watch over me on this journey, and if He will provide me with food to eat and clothes to wear,
Psalms 25:18 Consider my affliction and trouble, and take away all my sins.
Judges 11:30 Jephthah made this vow to the LORD: “If indeed You will deliver the Ammonites into my hand,
1 Samuel 1:19 The next morning they got up early to bow in worship before the LORD, and then they returned home to Ramah. And Elkanah had relations with his wife Hannah, and the LORD remembered her.
Numbers 6:8 Throughout the time of his separation, he is holy to the LORD.
Numbers 21:2 So Israel made a vow to the LORD: “If You will deliver this people into our hands, we will devote their cities to destruction.”