What is the meaning of 1 Samuel 1:8? Hannah, why are you crying? Hannah has just left the tabernacle court in tears, stung by Peninnah’s taunts and her own barrenness (1 Samuel 1:6-7). Elkanah recognizes the outward evidence of her sorrow. • Scripture never trivializes tears; God “puts my tears in Your bottle” (Psalm 56:8). • Grief that drives us to God rather than away from Him is honored; compare with the Shunammite who “caught hold of his feet” when her child died (2 Kings 4:27). • Jesus Himself “wept” before raising Lazarus (John 11:35), showing that tears and faith are not enemies. Why won’t you eat? Hannah’s refusal of food signals a fast born of desperation, not discipline. • David likewise “fasted and spent the night lying in sackcloth” for his dying son (2 Samuel 12:16). • Ezra “did not eat bread or drink water, because he continued to mourn” over Israel’s sin (Ezra 10:6). • Genuine fasting says, “Lord, You are more necessary than bread” (cf. Matthew 4:4). Why is your heart so grieved? Elkanah moves from visible tears to the hidden wound. • “Hope deferred makes the heart sick” (Proverbs 13:12). • Yet “The LORD is near to the brokenhearted” (Psalm 34:18). • Even Jesus asked the travelers to Emmaus, “What is this conversation you are holding… and why are you sad?” (Luke 24:17), inviting them to voice their pain so He could heal it. Am I not better to you than ten sons? Elkanah offers himself as consolation, revealing both love and a limit in understanding. • Naomi’s neighbors would later bless Ruth with a child who would be “better to you than seven sons” (Ruth 4:15), underscoring the cultural value placed on male offspring. • Elkanah’s question mirrors the human tendency to substitute earthly relationships for God’s specific gifts; yet only the Lord could satisfy Hannah’s calling to motherhood. • Good intentions can miss the mark: Jonathan’s friendship was “extraordinary, surpassing the love of women” (2 Samuel 1:26), but it could not replace God’s plan for David. summary Elkanah’s fourfold question exposes layers of grief—tears, loss of appetite, heartache, and unmet longing for children. Each layer meets a corresponding truth: God sees tears, honors fast-born desperation, draws near to crushed hearts, and alone fulfills deeply planted desires. The verse invites us to notice, comfort, and ultimately point one another to the Lord who answers barren places with life. |
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