Hannahic Covenant

The Hannahic Covenant found in the Books of Samuel is a covenant Hannah made with God. Hannah makes a vow to God that, if God grants her a son, she would dedicate him exclusively to God. She reinforces her vow by saying that her son will be a Nazir and no razor shall touch his head, since a Nazir is not permitted to cut his hair. In Judaism, a parent does not have a right to impose a vow on a child, but, because God grants her wish, she had the authority to commit his life to God. Hannah asks God for a child, and intiates the covenant by addressing God by His divine Name—Hashem, Master of Legions. Eli the Prophet and Kohen Gadol of the Tabernacle at Shiloh stood as a witness, and, after Hannah finished making her vow, God sealed it by speaking through Eli's mouth. Eli says, "Go in peace. The God of Israel will grant the request you have made of Him." God answers Hannah through the mouth of Eli, as He answered Hagar through the mouth of an angel. The miracle is played out when Hannah returns to her home in Ramathaim-zophim, conceives, and gives birth to Samuel, who becomes a judge, and a national prophet and anoints the first two kings of the Kingdom of Israel: Saul and David. When Hannah returns Samuel to Eli, she utters a prophetic prayer, sharing her prophetic vision with the priests at Shiloh, in which she says, "may He give power to His king and raise the pride of His anointed one," after which Hannah's name was added to the list of Jewish female Prophets in the Talmud.
# Hannah is to have a child—Samuel whose devotion to God parallels Moses
# Samuel becomes a national prophet and judge.
# Samuel anoints the first king of Israel—Saul
# Samuel anoints the second king of Israel--David the progenitor of the Messiah as well as father of Solomon the builder of the First Temple.

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