1 Samuel 2:7
The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.
1 Samuel 2:7 (KJV)
Context
This verse belongs to Hannah’s prayer of thanksgiving after she dedicated her son Samuel to the Lord. Hannah had been barren for many years, and she cried out to God in deep sorrow. The Lord answered her prayer and gave her a son. In her song, she praises God’s sovereign power over every human situation, including wealth and poverty, honor and shame.
Meaning
The words “maketh poor” and “maketh rich” show that God alone controls a person’s material condition. He can reduce someone’s resources or increase them according to His will. The second pair, “bringeth low” and “lifteth up,” speaks of social position and honor. God can humble the proud and exalt the lowly. This is not a promise that every believer will become wealthy, but a declaration that God has the right to order each life as He sees fit.
Biblical connections
This truth appears throughout Scripture. Proverbs 22:2 reminds us that the Lord is the maker of both the rich and the poor, so the same God who raises one person also humbles another. The same God who raised Joseph from prison to power also allowed Job to lose everything, then restored him. Hannah’s song echoes the pattern of God reversing human expectations, a theme that continues in the New Testament when Jesus teaches that the first shall be last and the last first.
Application
Trust God’s sovereignty in every season. When you have little, remember He can provide; when you have much, remember He can take away.
Practice humility. Do not boast in wealth or status, because every blessing comes from God’s hand.
Avoid greed and pride. Let your focus be on glorifying God, not on accumulating possessions.
Encourage others. Just as God lifts up the lowly, use your words and actions to support those who are struggling.
Reflection
God’s ways are higher than ours. He sees the whole picture, and His purposes are always good. Whether He gives or takes away, He deserves our trust and praise. Contentment comes not from our circumstances, but from knowing that the Lord who makes poor and rich, who brings low and lifts up, is wise and faithful.
