And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD.
Hannah replied, 'No, my lord, I am a woman with a broken heart. I haven't been drinking wine or any alcohol, but I have been pouring out my heart to the LORD.'
Hannah is defending herself to the priest, explaining that her emotional prayer wasn't from being drunk, but from deep heartache as she poured out her pain to God.
📚 Historical Context
Hannah was speaking to Eli the priest at the tabernacle in Shiloh, where she had been praying desperately for a child. Eli had mistakenly assumed she was drunk because of her intense, silent prayer and emotional distress. In ancient Israel, barrenness was considered a great shame, and Hannah's rival wife Peninnah constantly taunted her about having no children.
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