Who was Hannah in the Bible?
Lived during the united monarchy
Hannah was the wife of Elkanah, an Ephraimite, and the mother of the prophet Samuel (1Sa.1.1-2). Hannah appears in 11 verses of the Bible.
What does the Bible say about Hannah?
Hannah was the wife of Elkanah, an Ephraimite, and the mother of the prophet Samuel (1Sa.1.1-2). She was one of Elkanah's two wives, the other being Peninnah. While Peninnah had children, Hannah was barren, which caused her great distress (1Sa.1.2, 6-7). During an annual visit to the tabernacle at Shiloh, Hannah prayed fervently to the Lord, asking for a son and vowing to dedicate him to the Lord's service (1Sa.1.9-11). Eli, the high priest, initially mistook her intense prayer for drunkenness but later blessed her when he understood her situation (1Sa.1.12-18). In due time, Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son, whom she named Samuel, meaning "heard by God" (1Sa.1.19-20). After weaning him, Hannah fulfilled her vow and brought Samuel to the tabernacle to serve under Eli (1Sa.1.24-28). Hannah's prayer of thanksgiving (1Sa.2.1-10) expresses her joy and gratitude for God's answer to her prayers and her recognition of God's sovereignty. The Bible also records that Hannah had three more sons and two daughters after dedicating Samuel to the Lord (1Sa.2.21). Hannah's story illustrates the power of prayer, faith, and dedication to God.
Definition text: STEPBible · Tyndale House Cambridge. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Lightly edited for length and formatting.
Compiled by Protos: the verse list on this page. Where one name belongs to more than one person or place, each of them gets a separate entry.
Where does Hannah appear in the Bible?
Hannah is referenced in 11 verses. Every passage below is about this one, not just every verse the word turns up in.
- 1 Samuel 1:2
- 1 Samuel 1:5
- 1 Samuel 1:8
- 1 Samuel 1:9
- 1 Samuel 1:13
- 1 Samuel 1:15
- 1 Samuel 1:19
- 1 Samuel 1:20
- 1 Samuel 1:22
- 1 Samuel 2:1
- 1 Samuel 2:21
What else appears in these passages?
These turn up in the same passages as Hannah.
Common questions
How many times does the Bible mention Hannah?
Hannah appears in 11 verses, all of them in 1 Samuel.
Which books of the Bible mention Hannah?
Just one: 1 Samuel.
Where can I read every verse about Hannah?
This page lists 11 of them. Protos carries all 11, and opens this entry on the verse you are reading rather than in a separate tab.


