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.

1 SAMUEL 1:20KJV
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1 Samuel 1:20 (KJV)

What does 1 Samuel 1:20 mean?

1 Samuel 1:20 tells how, after a period of waiting, Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son, whom she named Samuel, because she had asked God for him. The verse highlights that Samuel’s birth was a direct answer to Hannah’s prayer to the LORD.

Hannah is the main figure in this part of the story, and she had been deeply distressed because she could not have children. Earlier in the chapter, she prayed earnestly at the temple, asking the LORD for a son and promising to dedicate him to God’s service. This verse marks the fulfillment of that prayer, showing both God’s response and Hannah’s gratitude by naming her son Samuel, which reflects her request to God.

The Hebrew behind 1 Samuel 1:20

  • שְׁמוּאֵל (Shĕmū’ēl, “Samuel”): This name is often understood as “heard by God” or “asked of God,” which ties directly to Hannah’s statement that she asked him of the LORD. The name itself is a reminder of Hannah’s prayer and God’s answer.
  • שָׁאַל (sha’al, “asked”): The word for “asked” is used by Hannah to explain why she chose the name Samuel. This word connects her personal experience of prayer with the child’s identity.
  • יְהוָה (YHWH, “the LORD”): Hannah specifically says she asked “of the LORD,” using God’s personal name, which emphasizes her direct relationship and trust in the God of Israel.

Why 1 Samuel 1:20 matters

  • This verse clarifies that Samuel’s birth is not just a happy event but a fulfillment of a specific prayer, highlighting the theme of God responding to heartfelt requests.
  • The naming of Samuel is significant; it is not just a family tradition but a testimony to God’s involvement in Hannah’s life, making the child’s very name a story in itself.
  • This moment sets up the rest of Samuel’s story, showing that his life and role as a prophet begin with God’s direct intervention and a mother’s faith.

Where else these words appear

“come” Hebrew H8622 · used in 4 verses

  • Exodus 34:22 And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year's end.
  • 2 Chronicles 24:23 And it came to pass at the end of the year, that the host of Syria came up against him: and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people, and sent all the spoil of them unto the king of Damascus.
  • Psalms 19:6 His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.

“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 1:19 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.

“conceived” Hebrew H2029 · used in 42 verses

  • Genesis 4:1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.
  • Genesis 30:17 And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob the fifth son.
  • 1 Chronicles 7:23 And when he went in to his wife, she conceived, and bare a son, and he called his name Beriah, because it went evil with his house.

“Samuel” Hebrew H8050 · used in 120 verses

  • Numbers 34:20 And of the tribe of the children of Simeon, Shemuel the son of Ammihud.
  • 1 Samuel 9:17 And when Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said unto him, Behold the man whom I spake to thee of! this same shall reign over my people.
  • 1 Samuel 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.