1 Samuel 1:15 Meaning and Explanation
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Hannah gently corrects Eli, explaining she is not drunk but a sorrowful woman pouring out her soul to the Lord.
What Does 1 Samuel 1:15 Mean?
Hannah answers the harsh accusation with remarkable gentleness. She is not drunk, she explains, but a woman of a sorrowful spirit who has poured out her soul before the LORD. With quiet dignity she names both her grief and her God, correcting the priest without bitterness.
Her phrase, pouring out her soul, is one of Scripture's most beautiful descriptions of prayer. To pray is to empty the whole heart before God, holding nothing back. Hannah models a faith that answers misunderstanding with humble truth rather than anger, and that takes every sorrow straight to the Lord. The psalmist invites us to pour out our hearts before Him, and Hannah shows us how. Here is prayer at its most honest: not pretending to be well, but laying the real burden down before God.
Frequently Asked Questions About 1 Samuel 1:15
What does 1 Samuel 1:15 mean?
Hannah gently corrects Eli, explaining she is not drunk but a sorrowful woman pouring out her soul to the Lord.