Channah's Prayer/1/en
Channah's Prayer
Introduction
Mixed Metaphors?
Channah's prayer in Shemuel I 2 is ostensibly a song of praise and thanksgiving for the birth of her son. Surprisingly, though, there is but a passing reference, just one verse devoted to the birth. Instead the reader notes much war-related language and imagery, including reference to enemies (), salvation (), and battle () all of which seem to have little relevance to the events at hand. Who is the enemy that Channah speaks about? From whom is she being saved? The end of the song is even more troubling. Channah prays that Hashem give strength to His king and anointed one, yet, at this point Israel has still not instituted a monarchy. About what king can she be praying? And, why would she be speaking about a king in a personal prayer of thanksgiving? The mixture of images makes the reader wonder if perhaps more lies beneath the surface of Channah's words than originally assumed.
Several of other aspects of the song deserve attention:
- אַל תַּרְבּוּ תְדַבְּרוּ גְּבֹהָה גְבֹהָה – To whom are these words addressed? What "high talk" is Channah referring to?
- Life reversals – The heart of the song lists a series of changes in fortune, emphasizing how both the elite can fall and the downtrodden can rise. What is Channah's goal in bringing all the examples? Is she trying to comfort the despondent, or shake up the overconfident?
- "...י"י יֵחַתּוּ מְרִיבָיו עָלָיו בַּשָּׁמַיִם יַרְעֵם" – Is Hashem the address of the request, or the subject of the sentence/? If the latter, why is Channah praying for the defeat pf Hashem's enemies? If the former, what unknown enemies are referred to?
