Anna then rose from the table after she had eaten and drunk at Shiloh, from which it is evident that, for the consolation and encouragement of her husband, she took only a small amount of food and drink. She rose, moreover, in order to go to the doors of the tabernacle to pray. And Eli was sitting upon a seat, that is, upon a fitting chair, before the posts of the house of God, so that he might be easily found by those seeking counsel. Now Anna was of a bitter spirit, that is, she was established in great sadness on account of the reasons mentioned above. Thus bitterness is not taken here as a vice, but as a praiseworthy bitterness of compunction or contrition, or of sorrow, because perhaps on account of her own sins she thought herself deprived of the fruit of the womb. Of this bitterness Hezekiah speaks: “Behold, in peace my bitterness was most bitter.” And of this it is also said in Proverbs: “The heart that knows the bitterness of its own soul, a stranger shall not share in its joy.”
She prayed to the Lord, weeping abundantly, that is, copiously, from the abundance of her devotion; therefore her prayer was powerful and very worthy to be heard. And she made a vow, saying: “O Lord of hosts, if, looking upon, you will see the affliction of your handmaid,” that is, if by the gaze of your mercy you alleviate the sorrow of my heart by merciful assistance, “and if you remember me and do not forget your servant,” that is, if by a pious hearing you show yourself mindful of me, “and if you give to your servant a male offspring,” that is, a male child, “I will give him to you all the days of his life,” that is, I will give him to you so that for the whole time of his life he may be consecrated to you, “and a razor shall not come upon his head,” that is, he shall be a Nazarite, and according to the rite of the Nazarites the hair of his head shall never be shaved, as is prescribed concerning the Nazarites. Some Nazarites of God, that is, consecrated to God, were such for a time, as is indicated there; others were perpetual, as Samson also was, as is read in the book of Judges. Concerning the literal and spiritual causes of the rites or commands pertaining to this, much has been said above in Numbers and elsewhere.
Finally, the prayer of Anna, like other prayers, repeated the same meaning in different words; it was altogether fervent and effective, such prayers as the Psalmist frequently employs, as when he says: “Hear, O God, my prayer, and do not despise my supplication; attend to me and hear me.” It came to pass, moreover, when she multiplied prayers, that is, when she prolonged her prayer before the Lord—wherein lay the insistence of her prayer. This does not hinder, says the Savior: “When you pray, do not speak much,” for this is understood of useless and vain multiplication of words, not of the prolonged continuation of prayer, since it is written in Luke that Jesus spent the night in the prayer of God, and when the Passion was imminent, he prayed at greater length.
Eli observed her mouth, that is, he considered whether she was speaking anything. Now Anna was speaking in her heart, that is, with inward attention; within herself she brought forth the words of her affection, and only her lips were moving. By the movement of the lips the movement of the mind and of the teeth is not excluded, since their motion follows the motion of the lips; but only her lips are said to have moved, to indicate that she prayed so softly and quietly that her words could not be heard. Therefore it is added that her voice was not heard. She did, however, utter words with her mouth, but she was so attentive to inward things that the vocal instruments were restrained from forming outward sound. Perhaps she also prayed so quietly lest by the noise of her words she disturb someone else from attention to his own prayer.
Therefore Eli thought her drunk, that is, intoxicated with wine, and said to her: “How long will you be drunk?” For it belonged to him as judge of the people, by virtue of his office, to rebuke offenders. “Digest your wine a little by which you are soaked,” that is, go and sleep for a while, so that by resting the digestion of the drink may take place in you and the humors may not thus fill your mouth.
But Anna replied: “By no means, my lord, am I drunk, nor do I need the digestion of wine. For I am an exceedingly unhappy woman,” that is, very miserable—speaking of miseries of punishment, not of guilt, at least not of mortal guilt. That is, I am filled with adversities from sterility, pain, reproach, and the insults and mockeries of my rival Peninnah; therefore it does not please me to drink wine. Hence it is added: “Wine and whatever can intoxicate I have not drunk this day, nor at other times except rarely and soberly, but I have poured out my soul in the sight of the Lord,” that is, I have offered the affections of my heart to God, according to that saying: “Pour out your hearts before him.”
“Do not consider your handmaid as one of the daughters of Belial,” that is, do not count me among gluttonous and rebellious women who live without the yoke of the law and without the bridle of discipline and who sin, “for out of the abundance of my grief and sorrow have I spoken until now,” that is, up to this point I have prayed or spoken whatever else I have spoken out of vehement pain over my present sterility and the sorrow of persecution which I have long endured. Pain, properly speaking, concerns a present evil; sorrow or sadness concerns a past evil.
Then Eli, having compassion on the woman established in such afflictions, said to her: “Go in peace,” that is, have tranquility of heart and outward quiet from those who trouble you as you go, “and may the God of Israel grant you your petition which you have asked of him.” The Hebrew text has: “He will grant you.” Eli said this from good confidence, because he saw Anna praying so ardently and insistently, and because he knew God to be inclined to hear those who are established in grave affliction and adversity, as the Psalmist says: “I am with him in tribulation.” And perhaps by a sudden impulse of the Holy Spirit Eli said this for the consolation of the woman. For prelates are moved in various ways by the Holy Spirit to speak and act for the benefit or utility of their subjects.
Now Anna received that word as though spoken from the mouth of God and believed that it would come to pass. For God himself caused that word to sound thus in the ears of her body and heart, that is, he moved her to receive that word in such a way. And she said: “May your handmaid find grace in your eyes,” that is, I desire that you would deign to be gracious to me by praying for me. And the woman went on her way, returning from the place of prayer to her husband, and she ate, and her countenance was no longer changed in different ways, that is, the appearance or disposition of her face thereafter remained uniform and well-composed, because her heart had been made tranquil and firmly consoled by the certain hope of her being heard.
For from the varied disposition of the heart, the face—especially the eyes—is variously altered and colored, as Scripture says: “The heart of a man changes his countenance, whether for good or for evil.” Hence in Ecclesiasticus it is written: “A man is known by his look, and a prudent man by the meeting of his face.” Some, however, cunning and crafty, know how to hide their interior malice by a feigned disposition of the face. But it belongs to the virtuous to restrain, curb, and even forestall the movements of the passions, lest they appear in the face or look. It belongs to the perfect and the wise to persevere in uniformity of heart and disposition, as is reported of the blessed Martin, that no one ever saw him angry, sad, laughing immoderately, troubled, or dissolute, but that he always bore in his face, as it were, an angelic composure.
Someone explaining these words says: “The passions of anger and sadness, which had drawn her face into different colors, departed from Anna through the outward consolation of Eli’s words and the inward consolation of God.” Concerning this it seems one must say that this virtuous woman, even before these things, was gentle and patient, not given to anger or sadness, since she neither answered her rival harshly nor resisted her, nor does she appear to have complained to her husband against her. Moreover, Peter Comestor, explaining these matters briefly, says: “The woman, secure from the priestly promise, and her countenance was no longer changed in different ways,” that is, her mind was no longer distracted into the varieties of doubt.
"He supernaturally gave her the power to conceive. And it came to pass after a cycle of days that Anna conceived, namely in the days of her return from her husband. Or it is said she conceived after certain days as regards the animation of the fetus in the womb, which happened when the matter was sufficiently prepared and organized for this, for which a certain number of days is required. And she bore a son and called his name Samuel, which is interpreted as 'petition of God' or 'asked of God.' Therefore the reason for this naming is added, because she had petitioned the Lord for him, that is, God for this child to be supernaturally given to her."
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