1 Samuel 1:7

Study note

Setting — The narrator describes Hannah’s annual pilgrimage to the sanctuary while her rival Peninnah persistently provokes her due to Hannah’s barrenness. This occurs during the family’s repeated visits to the house of the LORD before Hannah’s vow and subsequent prayer.

The words — The Hebrew phrase מִדֵּי עֲלֹתָהּ (mi./Dei 'a.lo.Ta/h) literally means “as often as she went up,” emphasizing the repetitive nature of the visits. The verb יַעֲשֶׂה (ya.'a.Seh) appears with וְכֵן (ve./Khen) to form “and thus he did,” marking the ongoing cycle of her rival’s taunts.

The thread — The pattern of annual pilgrimage and maternal devotion recurs in 1 Samuel 2:19, where Hannah annually brings a robe to her growing son Samuel. The cycle of repeated provocation and response also echoes the broader biblical theme of testing and perseverance in the face of prolonged hardship.

Why it lands — The text records the factual reality of Hannah’s repeated grief without excusing the rival’s behavior or offering immediate comfort. It demands the reader acknowledge that prolonged suffering often occurs within ordinary religious routines and requires sustained endurance rather than instant resolution.

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.