And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the LORD, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the LORD remembered her.

1 SAMUEL 1:19KJV
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1 Samuel 1:19 (KJV)

What does 1 Samuel 1:19 mean?

1 Samuel 1:19 describes how Elkanah and Hannah, after worshipping God early in the morning, returned home to Ramah. There, Elkanah had marital relations with Hannah, and the Lord remembered her, signaling that God was about to answer her prayer for a child.

This verse is set after Hannah’s heartfelt prayer at the tabernacle in Shiloh, where she asked God for a son. The verse marks the turning point in Hannah’s story: she and her husband resume their normal life, and the phrase “the LORD remembered her” means God took notice of her situation and was about to act on her behalf.

The Hebrew behind 1 Samuel 1:19

  • “Worshipped” (שָׁחָה, shachah): This word means to bow down or prostrate oneself in reverence. Here, it shows that Elkanah and Hannah’s worship was not just routine but involved deep respect and humility before God.
  • “Knew” (יָדַע, yada): In this context, “knew” is a common Hebrew way of describing sexual relations between husband and wife. It emphasizes the personal and intimate nature of their relationship.
  • “Remembered” (זָכַר, zakar): When the text says “the LORD remembered her,” it does not mean God had forgotten Hannah. Instead, it is a Hebrew way of saying God chose to act kindly toward her, responding to her prayer.

Why 1 Samuel 1:19 matters

  • This verse clarifies that Hannah’s prayer was not answered instantly but after she returned home and resumed her daily life, showing that God’s timing can be different from human expectations.
  • The phrase “the LORD remembered her” connects directly to Hannah’s earlier distress and prayer, highlighting God’s faithfulness to those who seek Him sincerely.
  • The verse sets up the birth of Samuel, a pivotal figure in Israel’s history, and shows how personal faithfulness and God’s intervention can shape larger events.

Where else these words appear

“Hannah” Hebrew H2584 · used in 11 verses

  • 1 Samuel 1:2 And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
  • 1 Samuel 1:9 So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD.
  • 1 Samuel 1:20 Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the LORD.

“Elkanah” Hebrew H511 · used in 20 verses

  • Exodus 6:24 And the sons of Korah; Assir, and Elkanah, and Abiasaph: these are the families of the Korhites.
  • 1 Samuel 2:11 And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister unto the LORD before Eli the priest.
  • 1 Chronicles 6:34 The son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah,

“Ramah” Hebrew H7414 · used in 35 verses

  • Joshua 18:25 Gibeon, and Ramah, and Beeroth,
  • 1 Samuel 19:18 So David fled, and escaped, and came to Samuel to Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and dwelt in Naioth.
  • 2 Kings 8:29 And king Joram went back to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. And Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.

“up” Hebrew H7925 · used in 64 verses

  • Genesis 19:2 And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night.
  • Judges 6:38 And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water.
  • 2 Chronicles 36:15 And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place: