Channah's Prayer/1/en
Channah's Prayer
Introduction
Mixture of Metaphors
Channah's prayer in Shemuel I 2:1-10 follows the birth and consecration to Hashem of her son and is ostensibly a song of praise and thanksgiving for Hashem's help in her personal life. Surprisingly, though, there is but a passing reference devoted to the birth of Shemuel. Instead, there is much more war-related imagery, including reference to enemies ("רָחַב פִּי עַל אוֹיְבַי"), salvation ("שָׂמַחְתִּי בִּישׁוּעָתֶךָ"), and battle ("קֶשֶׁת גִּבֹּרִים חַתִּים"), all of which seem to have little relevance to the events at hand. Who is the enemy about whom Channah speaks? From whom is she being rescued?
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 in history Israel has not yet instituted a monarchy. About which king is Channah praying? Moreover, why would she mention 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.
Additonal Questions
Several other aspects of the song raise questions as well:
- "אַל תַּרְבּוּ תְדַבְּרוּ גְּבֹהָה גְבֹהָה" – To whom are these words addressed? To what "high talk" is Channah referring and trying to counter?
- 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 these examples? Is she trying to comfort the despondent, rattle the overconfident, or both?
- "...י"י יֵחַתּוּ מְרִיבָיו עָלָיו בַּשָּׁמַיִם יַרְעֵם" – Is Hashem the object of this sentence or simply the address of the request? If the former, why is Channah praying for the defeat of Hashem's enemies? If the latter, about whose enemies is she speaking? Either way, how is this sentence connected to the rest of the prayer?
