And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the LORD.
And she said, 'Oh my lord, as surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you, praying to the LORD.'
Hannah is identifying herself to Eli the priest as the woman he had seen praying desperately for a child years earlier.
📚 Historical Context
In the biblical narrative, Hannah was a devout woman from the tribe of Ephraim who desperately wanted a child, as barrenness was a source of great shame and sorrow in ancient Israelite culture. She made a heartfelt vow to God at the tabernacle in Shiloh, promising to dedicate her son to the Lord's service if He granted her one. This verse occurs when Hannah returns to the priest Eli years later, after her son Samuel is born, to remind him of her earlier prayer and fulfill her promise.
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