1 Samuel 1:13 kjv

Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.

1 Samuel 1:13 nkjv

Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk.

1 Samuel 1:13 niv

Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk

1 Samuel 1:13 esv

Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman.

1 Samuel 1:13 nlt

Seeing her lips moving but hearing no sound, he thought she had been drinking.

1 Samuel 1 verses

1 Samuel 1 13 Meaning

Hannah, in her deep anguish and earnest prayer, communicated directly with God in her spirit, not verbally. While her lips moved, signaling intense internal struggle and communication, no sound emanated from her, making her fervent plea appear unusual to an observer. Consequently, Eli, the high priest, misconstrued her quiet intensity, wrongly assuming she was inebriated rather than devoutly supplicating the Almighty.

1 Samuel 1 13 Context

The book of 1 Samuel opens during a spiritually bleak period in Israel, after the time of the Judges and before the monarchy. The tabernacle was situated in Shiloh, serving as the central place of worship, where Eli functioned as the High Priest. The immediate context of chapter 1 is Hannah's deep personal suffering; she was barren, a source of great reproach in her society, and further afflicted by Peninnah, Elkanah's other wife, who provoked her intensely. Annually, Elkanah's family would journey to Shiloh to offer sacrifices. In her profound distress, Hannah separated herself during one of these pilgrimages to pray fervently before the Lord. Verse 13 directly describes the unconventional, deeply intimate, and silent nature of this desperate prayer, setting the stage for Eli's observation and his subsequent misunderstanding, which further highlights the spiritual blindness prevalent in the priesthood at that time.

1 Samuel 1 13 Word analysis

• "Now Hannah, she spake in her heart":

  • Hebrew: dibbera al-libbah (דברה על לבה). Dibbera (דברה) from the root dabar (דבר) means "to speak, utter, communicate." Al-libbah (על לבה) means "on/upon her heart."
  • Significance: This phrase emphasizes the internal, intimate nature of her prayer. It was a communication directly from her inner being, not meant for human ears. It indicates a sincere and deeply personal communion with God, driven by profound distress. This contrasts with formal or outward religious expressions.

• "only her lips moved":

  • Hebrew: raq siphateyha na'ot (רק שפתיה נעות). Raq (רק) means "only." Siphateyha (שפתיה) from saphah (שפה) means "lip." Na'ot (נעות) from nua` (נוע) means "to wave, sway, tremble, move."
  • Significance: This visual detail highlights Hannah's physical manifestation of her deep emotional and spiritual exertion. Despite the lack of audible sound, her body betrayed the intensity of her inner supplication. It was a sign of intense spiritual labor and anguish, almost a visible "groaning" that the Spirit enables (Rom 8:26).

• "but her voice was not heard":

  • Hebrew: u'qolah lo' yishma' (וקולה לא ישמע). Qolah (קולה) from qol (קול) means "voice, sound." Lo' (לא) means "not." Yishma' (ישמע) from shama` (שמע) means "to hear, listen."
  • Significance: This reinforces the private and internal nature of her prayer. Her prayer was exclusively directed towards God, bypassing human ears and potential judgment. It implies a prayer of absolute devotion, where the human audience is irrelevant.

• "therefore Eli thought she had been drunken":

  • Hebrew: wa'yahsh'veha `Eli leshikkorah (ויחשיבה עלי לשכורה). Wa'yahsh'veha (ויחשיבה) from hashav (חשב) means "to reckon, think, regard." `Eli (עלי) is Eli, the high priest. Leshikkorah (לשכורה) from shikor (שכור) means "drunkard, intoxicated."
  • Significance: This reveals Eli's spiritual discernment issue. He misinterpreted genuine spiritual fervor as common worldly excess. Public drunkenness, especially for a woman in the sacred precincts, was a serious offense and highly disgraceful. Eli's immediate leap to this conclusion speaks volumes about his own perception, potentially hardened by the wickedness of his own sons and the general spiritual decline around him, and underscores a broader theme of misunderstanding true godliness.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard": This describes the specific manner of Hannah's prayer—it was intensely personal, emotionally profound, and silent. It underscores a spiritual discipline where outward form is minimal but inward engagement is maximal. This highlights the genuine nature of her faith and desperation, appealing directly to God from her deepest being, unconcerned with external observation.
  • "therefore Eli thought she had been drunken": This phrase starkly contrasts Hannah's sincere devotion with Eli's lack of spiritual insight. Eli, as the high priest, was meant to discern spiritual states, yet he saw only worldly behavior. This foreshadows his inability to discern and judge the greater sins within his own family and in Israel, and the ultimate judgment that would befall his house. It points to a leadership crisis in Israel, where external ritual had superseded genuine spirituality.

1 Samuel 1 13 Bonus section

• The Model of Earnest Prayer: Hannah's prayer sets a high standard for earnestness. It emphasizes that the effectiveness of prayer lies not in its eloquence or volume, but in its sincerity, depth, and the heart's engagement with God. It serves as a reminder that God hears even unspoken prayers (Rom 8:26).
• Juxtaposition of Piety and Profanity: The scene presents a sharp contrast between Hannah's pure, desperate spiritual seeking and Eli's casual, possibly jaded, assumption of her profanity (drunkenness). This stark difference reflects the spiritual state of Israel at the time – genuine devotion existed, but was often overlooked or misunderstood by those in spiritual authority, who were themselves marred by moral compromise.
• Divine Revelation in Misunderstanding: It's ironic that Hannah's genuine spiritual experience is met with human misunderstanding, yet it leads to a critical dialogue where Hannah is able to articulate her pain and faith, ultimately resulting in Eli's blessing, which sets the stage for Samuel's birth. This shows God's ability to work through imperfect human interactions and misunderstandings to bring about His purposes.

1 Samuel 1 13 Commentary

1 Samuel 1:13 unveils the depth of Hannah's devotion and the contrasting superficiality of Eli's spiritual perception. Hannah's silent, heartfelt prayer, characterized by moving lips but no audible sound, illustrates a profound, desperate intimacy with God. This was not a ritualistic offering but a direct pouring out of her soul, indicative of intense anguish and unyielding faith in her covenant God. This form of prayer transcends mere words, tapping into groanings that cannot be uttered, known only to the Spirit and God. Eli's misinterpretation of her holy intensity as public inebriation underscores the spiritual decay prevalent in his priesthood. His inability to discern genuine piety hints at a broader lack of spiritual sensitivity and ultimately foreshadows the judgment against his house for its moral failings and lack of reverence for God. The passage highlights the chasm between external observation and internal spiritual reality, teaching us to value authentic, heartfelt prayer over mere outward displays and to exercise wisdom in judging others, recognizing that God alone sees the heart. We can draw the lesson that deep communion with God often defies conventional expressions and may even be misunderstood by those who rely solely on outward appearances.