Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.
Eli had first rebuked Hannah because he mistook her silent prayer, with moving lips and flowing tears, for drunkenness, but when she explained that it came from deep sorrow and not from wine he was convinced he had judged her wrongly. Having seen his error he withdrew the rebuke and replaced it with a blessing. In that blessing he sent her away with a wish for peace and asked the God of Israel to grant the petition she had made. That petition was for the son she had requested, and his words affirm that her request was made to God and express confidence that it would be answered. She had already found peace through prayer before she received his blessing, and her patient, prayerful, persevering fidelity stands as the kind of faithfulness needed in the church, the Sabbath school, and society.
Eli had first rebuked Hannah because he mistook her silent prayer, with moving lips and flowing tears, for drunkenness, but when she explained that it came from deep sorrow and not from wine he was convinced he had judged her wrongly. Having seen his error he withdrew the rebuke and replaced it with a blessing. In that blessing he sent her away with a wish for peace and asked the God of Israel to grant the petition she had made. That petition was for the son she had requested, and his words affirm that her request was made to God and express confidence that it would be answered. She had already found peace through prayer before she received his blessing, and her patient, prayerful, persevering fidelity stands as the kind of faithfulness needed in the church, the Sabbath school, and society.