Hannah and Elkanah’s faithful obedience shows that God honors sincere vows and uses our devotion to accomplish His purposes.
Then we read in 1 Samuel 1:25: Then they slaughtered the bull, and brought the boy to Eli. (v.25) This moment unfolds at Shiloh, a central place of worship located in the tribal territory of Ephraim, where the tabernacle of God resided from about 1350-1100 BC.In the broader storyline, Hannah had previously been barren, yet she prayed earnestly and vowed to dedicate her child entirely to the LORD’s service if He would grant her a son.Once her prayer was answered, she and her husband Elkanah honored the vow by bringing young Samuel—likely just weaned—to Eli the priest, along with sacrificial offerings of gratitude.
By slaughtering the bull, the family fulfilled both the thanksgiving aspect of Hannah’s vow and the customary sacrifice for entering the tabernacle presence at Shiloh (Numbers 15:3). Samuel, as the boy in this verse, is physically presented to the priest, signifying Hannah’s complete trust in God and her willingness to give her son to the LORD’s work. This act parallels, in a distant way, how Jesus was presented at the temple by Mary and Joseph (Luke 2:22), though Samuel’s dedication was under the specific vow Hannah made before his birth.
In fulfilling her promise, Hannah models profound faithfulness. By bringing Samuel to Eli, she expresses gratitude that mirrors later biblical accounts where people rejoice upon receiving God’s favor (Psalm 116:17-19). Samuel’s subsequent service to God would become a cornerstone of Israel’s spiritual leadership in the years to come.
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1 Samuel 1:25 meaning
Then we read in 1 Samuel 1:25: Then they slaughtered the bull, and brought the boy to Eli. (v.25) This moment unfolds at Shiloh, a central place of worship located in the tribal territory of Ephraim, where the tabernacle of God resided from about 1350-1100 BC.In the broader storyline, Hannah had previously been barren, yet she prayed earnestly and vowed to dedicate her child entirely to the LORD’s service if He would grant her a son.Once her prayer was answered, she and her husband Elkanah honored the vow by bringing young Samuel—likely just weaned—to Eli the priest, along with sacrificial offerings of gratitude.
By slaughtering the bull, the family fulfilled both the thanksgiving aspect of Hannah’s vow and the customary sacrifice for entering the tabernacle presence at Shiloh (Numbers 15:3). Samuel, as the boy in this verse, is physically presented to the priest, signifying Hannah’s complete trust in God and her willingness to give her son to the LORD’s work. This act parallels, in a distant way, how Jesus was presented at the temple by Mary and Joseph (Luke 2:22), though Samuel’s dedication was under the specific vow Hannah made before his birth.
In fulfilling her promise, Hannah models profound faithfulness. By bringing Samuel to Eli, she expresses gratitude that mirrors later biblical accounts where people rejoice upon receiving God’s favor (Psalm 116:17-19). Samuel’s subsequent service to God would become a cornerstone of Israel’s spiritual leadership in the years to come.