What does Anna promise if the Lord gives her a son?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

She vows to give him to the Lord all his life, with no razor touching his head. After Samuel is born and weaned, she brings him to Heli at Silo and declares him lent to the Lord for all his days.

Chapter breakdown

Elcana of Ramathaimsophim in mount Ephraim is son of Jeroham, son of Eliu, son of Thohu, son of Suph, and is called an Ephraimite. Challoner separately says he is of Levi’s tribe, referring to 1 Paralipomenon 6:34, and is called Ephraimite because he dwells in mount Ephraim. His wives are Anna and Phenenna; Phenenna has children and Anna none. On appointed days he goes from his city to adore and sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Silo, where Heli’s sons Ophni and Phinees are priests. He gives portions to Phenenna and all her sons and daughters, but one portion with sorrow to Anna because he loves her; the Lord has closed her womb. Her rival afflicts and troubles her greatly, reproaching this closed womb each year when they go to the Lord’s temple. Anna weeps and does not eat. Elcana asks why she weeps, does not eat and afflicts her heart, and whether he is better to her than ten children.

After eating and drinking at Silo, Anna rises while Heli the priest sits on a stool before the temple door. Full of grief she prays with many tears, vowing to the Lord of hosts that if he looks on her affliction, remembers and does not forget his handmaid and gives a male child, she will give him all his life and no razor will touch his head. As she multiplies prayers, Heli watches her mouth. She speaks in her heart, her lips move and her voice is unheard, so he thinks her drunk. He asks how long she will be drunk and tells her to digest the wine he thinks she has taken excessively. She answers that she is very unhappy, has drunk neither wine nor strong drink and has poured out her soul before the Lord. She asks not to be counted a daughter of Belial, since her abundant sorrow and grief explain her speech. Heli tells her to go in peace and asks the God of Israel to grant her petition. She wishes that his handmaid may find favor in his eyes, goes away and eats; her countenance is no more changed.

In the morning they worship and return to their house at Ramatha. Elcana knows Anna his wife, and the Lord remembers her. In time she conceives and bears Samuel, naming him because she asked him of the Lord. Challoner separately explains the name as asked of God. Elcana and all his household go to offer the solemn sacrifice and his vow. Anna does not go, telling him she will wait until the child is weaned and she can bring him to appear before the Lord and remain there always. Elcana tells her to do what seems good and stay until weaning, praying the Lord will fulfill his word. She stays home and nurses Samuel until he is weaned.

After weaning, Anna takes the still very young child to the Lord’s house in Silo with three calves, three bushels of flour and a bottle of wine. They sacrifice a calf and offer the child to Heli. Anna addresses him by his living soul, identifying herself as the woman who stood there praying before him. She says she prayed for this child and the Lord granted the petition she asked, and therefore she lends him to the Lord all his life. They adore the Lord there, and Anna begins her prayer.

The story inside

Elcana’s family and appointed sacrifice visits introduce Anna’s childlessness, portions and repeated provocation. Her tearful vow follows the meal at Silo. Heli’s observation of moving lips without sound leads to his mistaken drunkenness claim; her reply leads to his blessing and her departure to eat. The family returns, the Lord remembers her, and Samuel is born and named. Anna stays until weaning with Elcana’s consent, then brings the child and offerings to Silo. Her words to Heli connect the granted petition with the lifelong loan promised in her vow.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The vow contains a full condition and commitment. Anna asks to be remembered and not forgotten, requests a male child and promises all his days with no razor. The presentation later repeats the lifelong loan without adding a new list of Nazarite duties.
2
Heli’s first interpretation rests on an observation. He sees moving lips without an audible voice and thinks Anna drunk. Her denial, account of sorrow and request about Belial precede his blessing; no unrecorded reason for his change is needed.
3
The timing and offerings stay precise. Anna waits through nursing and weaning, brings three calves, flour and wine, and the account then says a calf is sacrificed. Keeping the distinction preserves both numbers rather than silently replacing one.

Test your recall

What provocation precedes Anna’s vow, why does Heli mistake her prayer, and how does she connect Samuel’s presentation with the granted petition?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 28132–28167
1 Kings Chapter 1 Anna the wife of Elcana being barren, by vow and prayer obtaineth a son: whom she calleth Samuel: and presenteth him to the service of God in Silo, according to her vow. 1:1. There was a man of Ramathaimsophim, of Mount Ephraim, and his name was Elcana, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliu, the son of Thohu, the son of Suph, an Ephraimite: An Ephraimite.... He was of the tribe of Levi, 1. Par. 6.34, but is called an Ephraimite from dwelling in mount Ephraim. 1:2. And he had two wives, the name of one was Anna, and the name of the other Phenenna. Phenenna had children: but Anna had no children. 1:3. And this man went up out of his city upon the appointed days, to adore and to offer sacrifice to the Lord of hosts in Silo. And the two sons of Heli, Ophni and Phinees, were there priests of the Lord. 1:4. Now the day came, and Elcana offered sacrifice, and gave to Phenenna, his wife, and to all her sons and daughters, portions: 1:5. But to Anna he gave one portion with sorrow, because he loved Anna. And the Lord had shut up her womb. 1:6. Her rival also afflicted her, and troubled her exceedingly, insomuch that she upbraided her, that the Lord had shut up her womb: 1:7. And thus she did every year, when the time returned, that they went up to the temple of the Lord: and thus she provoked her: but Anna wept, and did not eat. 1:8. Then Elcana, her husband, said to her: Anna, why weepest thou? and why dost thou not eat? and why dost thou afflict thy heart? Am not I better to thee than ten children?
Lines 28169–28202
1:9. So Anna arose after she had eaten and drunk in Silo: And Heli, the priest, sitting upon a stool before the door of the temple of the Lord; 1:10. As Anna had her heart full of grief, she prayed to the Lord, shedding many tears, 1:11. And she made a vow, saying: O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt look down on the affliction of thy servant, and wilt be mindful of me, and not forget thy handmaid, and wilt give to thy servant a manchild: I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head. 1:12. And it came to pass, as she multiplied prayers before the Lord, that Heli observed her mouth. 1:13. Now Anna spoke in her heart, and only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard at all. Heli therefore thought her to be drunk, 1:14. And said to her: How long wilt thou be drunk? digest a little the wine, of which thou hast taken too much. 1:15. Anna answering, said: Not so, my lord: for I am an exceeding unhappy woman, and have drunk neither wine nor any strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before the Lord. 1:16. Count not thy handmaid for one of the daughters of Belial: for out of the abundance of my sorrow and grief have I spoken till now. 1:17. Then Heli said to her: Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition, which thou hast asked of him. 1:18. And she said: Would to God thy handmaid may find grace in thy eyes. So the woman went on her way, and ate, and her countenance was no more changed.
Lines 28204–28224
1:19. And they rose in the morning, and worshipped before the Lord: and they returned, and came into their house at Ramatha. And Elcana knew Anna his wife: And the Lord remembered her. 1:20. And it came to pass when the time was come about, Anna conceived and bore a son, and called his name Samuel: because she had asked him of the Lord. Samuel.... This name imports, asked of God. 1:21. And Elcana, her husband, went up, and all his house, to offer to the Lord the solemn sacrifice, and his vow. 1:22. But Anna went not up: for she said to her husband: I will not go till the child be weaned, and till I may carry him, that he may appear before the Lord, and may abide always there. 1:23. And Elcana, her husband, said to her: Do what seemeth good to thee, and stay till thou wean him: and I pray that the Lord may fulfil his word. So the woman staid at home, and gave her son suck, till she weaned him.
Lines 28226–28243
1:24. And after she had weaned him, she carried him with her, with three calves, and three bushels of flour, and a bottle of wine, and she brought him to the house of the Lord in Silo. Now the child was as yet very young: 1:25. And they immolated a calf, and offered the child to Heli. 1:26. And Anna said: I beseech thee, my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord: I am that woman, who stood before thee here praying to the Lord. 1:27. For this child did I pray, and the Lord hath granted me my petition, which I asked of him. 1:28. Therefore I also have lent him to the Lord all the days of his life, he shall be lent to the Lord. And they adored the Lord there. And Anna prayed, and said: