1 Samuel 2:5Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread. Those who were hungry have ceased to hunger. Yes, the barren has borne seven. She who has many children languishes.
The setting
Shiloh, Israel, ~1100 BC. Hannah reaches the peak of her song, celebrating the divine reversal she's personally experienced...
The emotion here: overwhelmed by the irony of her own transformation
The original word
aqqarah (עֲקָרָה) — barren woman, considered cursed and worthless in ancient culture
Why it matters
The 'seven children' refers to Hannah eventually having five more children after Samuel
Read with care
What most readers miss in 1 Samuel 2:5
This is autobiographical — Hannah is singing about her own story while dedicating Samuel
Common misconceptionPeople think this guarantees everyone gets what they want eventually. Hannah is celebrating God's sovereignty to reverse any situation — but His timing and methods are His choice, not ours.
The thread continues
Verses that echo 1 Samuel 2:5
Bible Genome reading
1 Samuel 2:5 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
1 Samuel 2:5 comes from the book of 1 Samuel, written during the judges period. The setting is the Temple. These words are attributed to Hannah. The dominant emotion in this verse is worship, with a comfort power of 80% and a tone that is prophetic. It belongs to the prophecy genre of biblical literature. Key themes include reversal, provision. Notable phrases: full have hired themselves out; hungry have ceased to hunger. This verse is a prayer. This verse contains prophecy.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same worship
“Hear, Israel: Yahweh is our God; Yahweh is one:”
— Deuteronomy 6:4
“and you shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.”
— Deuteronomy 6:5
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:”
— Ecclesiastes 3:1
“Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.”
— John 14:6
“Jesus said to them, "Most certainly, I tell you, before Abraham came into existence, I AM."”
— John 8:58
Your reflection
What does 1 Samuel 2:5 mean to you, today?
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