1 Samuel 2:20
And Eli blessed Elkanah, and his wife, and said, The Lord giue thee seed of this woman, for the loane which is lent to the Lord. And they went vnto their owne home. 1 Samuel 2:20 (KJV)
The story of Hannah, a devout woman who had been barren and longed for a child, is found in 1 Samuel. She made a vow to the Lord that if He granted her a son, she would dedicate him to His service. The Lord heard Hannah’s prayer and blessed her with a son named Samuel. In 1 Samuel 1:17 Eli, the high priest at Shiloh, blessed Hannah by saying, “Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.” Later, when Hannah brought Samuel to the temple to fulfill her vow, she told Eli, “For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him: Therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD.” After receiving Eli’s blessing, Elkanah and Hannah returned to their home, where Hannah conceived and bore Samuel.
It is important to note that there is no biblical verse in the KJV or other standard translations where Eli says, “The LORD give thee seed of this woman for the loan which is lent to the LORD.” The Book of 1 Samuel recounts Hannah’s barrenness, her vow, and the birth of Samuel, but it does not record Eli pronouncing a formal blessing with those exact words. Blessings in Scripture generally express God’s favor, protection, and provision, yet the specific wording cited here is not part of any recorded blessing by Eli. The phrase “The Lord give thee seed of this woman” would refer to Hannah’s desire for children, acknowledging her past barrenness and God’s answer to her prayer, but it is not found in the biblical record. Likewise, the idea of a “loan which is lent to the Lord” reflects Hannah’s dedication of Samuel, yet the biblical text does not describe this as a loan in the terms presented. After the events surrounding Samuel’s birth, Elkanah and Hannah returned to their home and continued their lives, with Hannah remaining committed to fulfilling her vow to dedicate Samuel to the Lord’s service when he was old enough.
