God responds powerfully to sincere worship and earnest prayers.
In this verse, the text tells us that “Then they arose early in the morning and worshiped before the LORD and returned again to their house in Ramah. And Elkanah had relations with Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her” (v.19). Their dedication to rise early and worship underscores the deep reverence that Elkanah and Hannah had for God and His commandments. By placing worship first in their day, they demonstrated that their devotion to the LORD was more than a passing duty—it was the primary focus in their lives. This attitude of faithfully turning to God, even amid personal struggle, appears multiple times in Scripture as believers in both the Old and New Testaments consistently seek the Lord in prayer (reference: Luke 18:1).
The verse mentions returning to “their house in Ramah” (v.19). Ramah was a town in the hill country of Ephraim, located about 5 miles north of Jerusalem. It served as an important location during the era of the judges, when Israel’s tribal confederation often had no centralized authority. Elkanah, who lived during the final portion of this period (traditionally dated around the 11th century BC), was known to be a faithful Israelite who upheld the regular practice of sacrifice and worship. His wife Hannah, likewise, remained devout, trusting that God would hear her pleas for a child. Together, they show us a model of perseverance and hope in the face of long-term disappointment.
Lastly, the phrase “the LORD remembered her” (v.19) signifies God’s sovereign involvement in Hannah’s life, which would soon bring about the birth of Samuel, one of Israel’s greatest prophets. Just as this verse illustrates that God is attentive to the humble cries of His people, the New Testament emphasizes that Jesus Christ likewise hears the pleas of the hurting and meets them in their need (reference: Matthew 11:28-30). Hannah’s faith and God’s response together form the foundation for Samuel’s story, whose life and leadership helped transition Israel from the time of the judges to the era of the monarchy.
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1 Samuel 1:19 meaning
In this verse, the text tells us that “Then they arose early in the morning and worshiped before the LORD and returned again to their house in Ramah. And Elkanah had relations with Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her” (v.19). Their dedication to rise early and worship underscores the deep reverence that Elkanah and Hannah had for God and His commandments. By placing worship first in their day, they demonstrated that their devotion to the LORD was more than a passing duty—it was the primary focus in their lives. This attitude of faithfully turning to God, even amid personal struggle, appears multiple times in Scripture as believers in both the Old and New Testaments consistently seek the Lord in prayer (reference: Luke 18:1).
The verse mentions returning to “their house in Ramah” (v.19). Ramah was a town in the hill country of Ephraim, located about 5 miles north of Jerusalem. It served as an important location during the era of the judges, when Israel’s tribal confederation often had no centralized authority. Elkanah, who lived during the final portion of this period (traditionally dated around the 11th century BC), was known to be a faithful Israelite who upheld the regular practice of sacrifice and worship. His wife Hannah, likewise, remained devout, trusting that God would hear her pleas for a child. Together, they show us a model of perseverance and hope in the face of long-term disappointment.
Lastly, the phrase “the LORD remembered her” (v.19) signifies God’s sovereign involvement in Hannah’s life, which would soon bring about the birth of Samuel, one of Israel’s greatest prophets. Just as this verse illustrates that God is attentive to the humble cries of His people, the New Testament emphasizes that Jesus Christ likewise hears the pleas of the hurting and meets them in their need (reference: Matthew 11:28-30). Hannah’s faith and God’s response together form the foundation for Samuel’s story, whose life and leadership helped transition Israel from the time of the judges to the era of the monarchy.