KJV ORIGINAL
Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
Don't think of me as a worthless or wicked woman. I have been speaking out of my deep sorrow and overwhelming grief.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
Hannah is pleading with Eli not to judge her harshly, explaining that her unusual behavior comes from her deep emotional pain and heartache.
📚 Historical Context
Hannah was praying silently at the tabernacle in Shiloh, moving her lips but making no sound, which led the priest Eli to assume she was drunk. In ancient Israel, a 'daughter of Belial' referred to a worthless or wicked person, and public drunkenness would have been especially scandalous for a woman at a holy place.
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