There was a man named Elkanah from the Zuph family who lived in Ramah in the hill country of Ephraim. Elkanah was the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, from the tribe of Ephraim.
Every year Elkanah left his town of Ramah and went up to Shiloh. He worshiped the Lord All-Powerful at Shiloh and offered sacrifices to the Lord there. Shiloh was where Eli's sons, Hophni and Phinehas, served as priests of the Lord.
Whenever Elkanah offered his sacrifices, he always gave one share of the food to his wife Peninnah and a share of the food to each of Peninnah's children.
Elkanah always gave an equal share of the food to Hannah. He did this even though the Lord had not let Hannah have any children. Elkanah did this because Hannah was the wife he really loved.
This happened every year when their family went to the Lord's house at Shiloh. Peninnah would upset Hannah so much that she would begin to cry and would not eat anything. One year when this happened,
her husband Elkanah said to her, "Hannah, why are you crying? Why won't you eat? Why are you so sad? You have me. I am your husband. Isn't that better than having ten sons."
After eating and drinking, Hannah quietly got up and went to pray to the Lord. Eli the priest was sitting on a chair near the door of the Lord's Holy Building.
She made a special promise to God and said, "Lord All- Powerful, you can see how sad I am. Remember me. Don't forget me. If you will give me a son, I will give him to you. He will be yours his whole life, and as a Nazirite, he will not drink wine or strong drink, and no one will ever cut his hair."
Early the next morning Elkanah's family got up. They worshiped the Lord and then went back home to Ramah. Elkanah had sexual relations with his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered Hannah.
By that time the following year, Hannah had become pregnant and had a son. She named him Samuel. She said, "His name is Samuel because I asked the Lord for him."
But Hannah did not go. She told Elkanah, "When the boy is old enough to eat solid food, I will take him to Shiloh. Then I will give him to the Lord. He will become a Nazirite. He will stay there at Shiloh."
Hannah's husband Elkanah said to her, "Do what you think is best. You may stay home until the boy is old enough to eat solid food. May the Lord do what you have said." So Hannah stayed at home to nurse her son until he was old enough to eat solid food.
When the boy was old enough to eat solid food, Hannah took him to the Lord's house at Shiloh. She also took a bull that was three years old, 20 pounds of flour, and a bottle of wine.