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וְהִ֖יא מָ֣רַת נָ֑פֶשׁ וַתִּתְפַּלֵּ֥ל עַל־יְהוָ֖ה וּבָכֹ֥ה תִבְכֶּֽה׃  11 וַתִּדֹּ֨ר נֶ֜דֶר וַתֹּאמַ֗ר יְהוָ֨ה צְבָאֹ֜ות אִם־רָאֹ֥ה תִרְאֶ֣ה ׀ בָּעֳנִ֣י אֲמָתֶ֗ךָ וּזְכַרְתַּ֙נִי֙ וְלֹֽא־תִשְׁכַּ֣ח אֶת־אֲמָתֶ֔ךָ וְנָתַתָּ֥ה לַאֲמָתְךָ֖ זֶ֣רַע אֲנָשִׁ֑ים וּנְתַתִּ֤יו לַֽיהוָה֙ כָּל־יְמֵ֣י חַיָּ֔יו וּמֹורָ֖ה לֹא־יַעֲלֶ֥ה עַל־רֹאשֹֽׁו׃  12 וְהָיָה֙ כִּ֣י הִרְבְּתָ֔ה לְהִתְפַּלֵּ֖ל לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וְעֵלִ֖י שֹׁמֵ֥ר אֶת־פִּֽיהָ׃  13 וְחַנָּ֗ה הִ֚יא מְדַבֶּ֣רֶת עַל־לִבָּ֔הּ רַ֚ק שְׂפָתֶ֣יהָ נָּעֹ֔ות וְקֹולָ֖הּ לֹ֣א יִשָּׁמֵ֑עַ וַיַּחְשְׁבֶ֥הָ עֵלִ֖י לְשִׁכֹּרָֽה׃

Vocabulary

Verse 10

מר  noun: “bitter” (BDB, 600)

פלל  verb (Hithpael imperfect 3fs): “pray, intercede”

בכה  verb: “weep” 

Verse 11

נדר  verb: “vow” (BDB, 623)

אמת  noun: “maidservant” (not to be confused with ‘emeth “truth”) 

שׁכח  verb: “forget”

מורה  noun: “razor” (BDB, 559)

Syntax & Miscellaneous

• The Hebrew construction that combines the infinitive absolute + finite verb of the same root is translated as “definitely” or “surely.”
• Another common Hebrew idiom is to combine together a noun and verb with similar roots: “She vowed a vow.”
• Vows/oaths usually start with אִם.
• As in English the verb, נתן “to give,” requires an object (זֶ֣רַע אֲנָשִׁ֑ים) and indirect object marked with “to” (לַאֲמָתְךָ֖).

Verse 12

שׁמר  verb: “watch” 

פי  noun: “mouth”

Verse 13

רק  adverb: “only”

שׂפתי  noun: “lips”

נוע  verb: “quiver” (BDB, 631)

חשׁב   verb: “think, reckon”

שׁכר   “drunken, drunkard” (BDB, 1016)

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 12

• This verse begins with the common narrative continuative, וְהָיָה֙ כִּ֣י  “And it happened that…”.

Verse 13

• The subject of the sentence, Hannah, is “fronted” and replaced by a pronoun.  Fronting is used to highlight someone or something in the clause.  In English one might say, “Bob, he is a swell guy” or “Sallie, I like her.”
• The sequencing of this verse does not follow the normal narrative sequence.  What might be the purpose or reason for this variance?

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