1 SAMUEL 1:11 — KING JAMES VERSION 0 0
“And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.”
And she made a vow, saying, O LORD of hosts, if you will indeed look upon the affliction of your handmaid and remember me and not forget your handmaid, but will give your handmaid a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life—Hannah's vow (*neder*) is conditional and reciprocal: divine gift for divine service. Her self-designation as *amah* (maidservant, handmaid) echoes later covenant language (cf. Mary's *doule* in Luke 1:38). The phrase *kol yeme hayay* (all the days of his life) establishes perpetual Nazirite dedication—a foreclosure of personal autonomy in exchange for divine mercy.
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