1 Samuel 1:22, commentary and pictures

Hannah did not go up to the house of the Lord with her husband, but remained at home until the child was weaned, and then she would bring him to appear before the Lord and abide there for life in His service. Her waiting was faithful and self-denying care in preparing her child and dedicating him to God. It was patient and persevering faithfulness in holding to her purpose through those early years.

Her faithful care for Samuel stands set in contrast with Eli's failure to restrain his sons. Where Eli neglected to check wrongdoing in his own house, Hannah gave diligent, self-denying training to fit her son for lifelong service to God.

The verse shows Samuel receiving his early training from his faithful mother at home, as an example of the Hebrew plan in which home and school were one. In that plan loving father and mother taught their children God's requirements and His dealings with His people. They associated thoughts of God with all the events of daily life, recounted His mighty works of deliverance with eloquence and reverence, impressed the great truths of God's providence and the future life, and illustrated lessons by figures and symbols to fix them in memory and lead thought and feeling beyond the seen and transitory to the unseen and eternal.

Such training produced youth vigorous in body and mind, quick to perceive and strong to act, with the heart prepared like good ground for truth and the mind trained to see God in revelation and in nature. The same training was given to Moses in Goshen, to David at Bethlehem, to Daniel before the captivity, to Christ at Nazareth, and to Timothy by Eunice and Lois. Her example of patient, persevering fidelity illustrates the kind of faithfulness needed in the church, in the Sabbath school, and in society.