“Hannah, why weepest thou?”
The full verse · 1 Samuel 1:8 · KJV
Then her to her, , why thou? and why thou not? and why is thy ? am not I to thee than ?
Asked by
Asked to
Hannah was Elkanah’s beloved but barren wife, whose childlessness caused her profound grief, especially under the provocation of her rival Peninnah.
Why It Was Asked
The purpose behind the questionElkanah asks rather than commands to express tender concern and draw Hannah into dialogue about her pain. The series of questions reveals his genuine desire to understand her distress and his attempt to offer himself as comfort, hoping his love might ease her sorrow over childlessness.
The Response
What Scripture recordsHannah gave no verbal response recorded in this verse. She remained silent in her grief, then rose after eating and drinking to pray at the temple, where she poured out her soul to the Lord in verse 10.
The Bigger Picture
Where this fits in God's storyElkanah’s fourfold question reveals both genuine compassion and the limits of human understanding. The Hebrew construction emphasizes intensity through repetition, each ‘why’ (lammah) pressing deeper into Hannah’s sorrow. He observes her weeping, her refusal to eat, and her troubled heart, demonstrating attentive care. Yet his final question, ‘Am I not more to you than ten sons?’, reveals a man who loves deeply but cannot fully grasp the depth of his wife’s anguish. The number ten represents completeness in Hebrew thought, so Elkanah offers himself as ultimate consolation. He asks rather than declares to invite her confidence, yet the question itself shows that even devoted human love cannot substitute for the answer only God can provide.
Sometimes love asks questions it cannot answer. When someone you care for carries deep pain, resist the urge to fix or minimize their suffering. Instead, follow Elkanah’s example: ask gentle questions, offer your presence, and acknowledge the reality of their hurt. Like Hannah, we may need to take our unanswered longings directly to God, who sees what even devoted human love cannot fully reach. In seasons of waiting and grief, remember that God’s ultimate answer often surpasses even the most well-meaning human comfort, as Hannah would discover when the Lord opened her womb and gave her Samuel (1 Samuel 1:19-20).
Built from the biblical text and checked against trusted commentaries and lexicons. References & Sources
Keep questioning
“How long wilt thou be drunken?”
“What is the thing that the LORD hath said unto thee?”
“Thus saith the LORD, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh's house?”
“And honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people?”