Hannah's prayer was granted; she received the gift for which she had so earnestly entreated. As she looked upon the child, she called him Samuel--"asked of God." As soon as the little one was old enough to be separated from his mother, she fulfilled her vow. She loved her child with all the devotion of a mother's heart; day by day, as she watched his expanding powers and listened to his childish prattle, her affections entwined about him 571 more closely. He was her only son, the special gift of Heaven; but she had received him as a treasure consecrated to God, and she would not withhold from the Giver His own.

Hanna drog nu atter med sin mand til Silo og skænkede præsten sin dyrebare gave i Guds navn med ordene: "Om denne dreng bad jeg, og Herren gav mig, hvad jeg bad ham om. Derfor vil jeg også overlade ham til Herren; hele sit liv skal han være overladt til Herren!" Denne israelitiske kvindes tro og gudsfrygt gjorde et dybt indtryk på Eli. Han havde selv givet sine børn en alt for slap opdragelse, og da han så det store offer, som denne moder bragte ved at skilles fra sit eneste barn for at lade det gøre tjeneste for Gud, fyldtes han af ærefrygt og ydmyghed. Han følte, at det var en irettesættelse til ham på grund af hans egenkærlighed, og bøjede sig ydmygt og ærbødigt for Herren og tilbad.