Meaning of the Name Hannah
The Hebrew name Channah comes from the root 'chen', meaning 'grace, favor', and is explained as 'graced, favored'. The forms Hannah and Anne come from the same name.
Origin
The name Hannah is of Hebrew origin.
Who is Hannah in the Bible?
Hannah is the woman who prayed in tears at the sanctuary because she had no child, and whose prayer was heard; she dedicates her son Samuel to God's service. Her song is seen as a forerunner of Mary's song of praise. In Luke, an elderly prophetess of the same name also celebrates Jesus.
The story of Hannah in the Bible
We meet Hannah in tears, praying at the sanctuary in Shiloh. One of Elkanah's two wives, she has no children, and the other wife, Peninnah, bitterly reminds her of it. One day she pours out her heart before the LORD; her lips move without a sound, and the priest Eli at first takes her for drunk. Hannah explains her sorrow and makes a vow: if she is given a son, she will dedicate him to the LORD for life. Her prayer is heard, and she names the boy Samuel, saying she asked the LORD for him. She keeps her word — once the child is weaned, she brings him to Shiloh for God's service. Her song that day exalts the God who lifts the humble and brings down the mighty; centuries later, Mary's song of praise breathes the same spirit. Samuel grows into Israel's great prophet. Luke's Gospel adds another woman of the same name: the elderly prophetess Hannah, who never leaves the temple, thanks God upon seeing the infant Jesus and tells of him to all who await redemption.
Is Hannah mentioned in the Quran?
The name Hannah is not mentioned by name in the Quran, though Islamic tradition knows it as the name of Mary's mother. In the Bible, Hannah is the mother of Samuel, and in Luke's Gospel the name also belongs to the elderly prophetess who blessed the infant Jesus.
Verses where Hannah appears
- 1 Samuel 1:10-20 —
She was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to Yahweh, and wept bitterly. She vowed a vow, and said, “Yahweh of Armies, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your handmaid, and remember me, and not forget your…
- 1 Samuel 2:1 —
Hannah prayed, and said: “My heart exults in Yahweh! My horn is exalted in Yahweh. My mouth is enlarged over my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation.
- Luke 2:36-38 —
There was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher (she was of a great age, having lived with a husband seven years from her virginity, and she had been a widow for about eighty-four…