Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.
Parallel translations
- WEB Now Hannah spoke in her heart. Only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk.
- BSB Hannah was praying in her heart, and though her lips were moving, her voice could not be heard. So Eli thought she was drunk
- NKJV Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk.
- NASB As for Hannah, she was speaking in her heart, only her lips were quivering, but her voice was not heard. So Eli thought that she was drunk.
- NLT Seeing her lips moving but hearing no sound, he thought she had been drinking.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Hannah prayed silently from the heart, her lips moving without sound, so Eli mistook her for drunk. Her inward prayer shows intimacy with God that the priest failed to perceive.
Overview
This is one of Scripture's clearest pictures of silent, heartfelt prayer, where the heart speaks though the voice is unheard. God hears such inward cries even when men misunderstand them. Eli's wrong assumption highlights the spiritual decline at Shiloh, where even the priest could not discern sincere worship.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Rom 8:26Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
- Gen 24:42–45And I came this day unto the well, and said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, if now thou do prosper my way which I go:
- Acts 2:13Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.
- Ps 25:1Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul.
- Zech 9:15The LORD of hosts shall defend them; and they shall devour, and subdue with sling stones; and they shall drink, and make a noise as through wine; and they shall be filled like bowls, and as the corners of the altar.
- Neh 2:4Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.
- 1 Cor 13:7Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The rise of the anointed king after Israel's failed first choice points to the true Anointed One (Messiah means 'anointed'), the shepherd-king after God's own heart from Bethlehem.
How 1 Samuel 1:13 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.