1 Samuel 1:27–28
Hannah gives back to God the son she asked for
Study it word by word27For this boy I prayed, and YHWH has given me my petition that I asked of him.
28And I also have given him over to YHWH; all the days that he lives he is given over to YHWH.” And he bowed down there to YHWH.
In its context
25And they slaughtered the bull and brought the boy to Eli.
26And she said, “Pardon me, my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood here with you to pray to YHWH.
…
Its words in the original
- נַּעַרnaar· young man, servant
Boy, young man; also a servant or attendant.
- הִתְפַּלָּלְתִּיhitpalalti· pray
Pray, intercede: speak with God, often asking on behalf of another; also judge.
- יִּתֵּןyiten· give, put, set
Give, in a very wide sense: hand over, put, place, grant, allow, make something be.
- יְהוָהyehva· YHWH
The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.
- שְׁאֵלָתִsheelati· request
Request: what one asks of another.
- שָׁאַלְתִּיshaalti· ask
Ask, inquire; request.
- יָּמִיםyamim· day
Day: the hours of light, or a whole day from one evening to the next. Also an indefinite time or age ("in the day that...", "in those days").
- הָיָהhaya· be, become, happen
Be, exist; also "become" or "happen". It is the verb of "there was", "it was" and "it came to pass".
- יִּשְׁתַּחוּyishtachu· bow down, worship
Bow down: bend down to the ground. It was the gesture of respect before someone greater (a king, a visitor) and also the gesture of worshiping God.