1 Samuel 1:24 Meaning: Hannah’s Three Bulls
When she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bulls, and one ephah of meal, and a container of wine, and brought him to Yahweh’s house in Shiloh. The child was young.
And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the Lord in Shiloh: and the child was young.
And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of meal, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of Jehovah in Shiloh: and the child was young.
and she causeth him to go up with her when she hath weaned him, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and she bringeth him into the house of Jehovah at Shiloh, and the youth is but a youth.
And she took him up with her when she had weaned him, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a flask of wine, and brought him to the house of Jehovah to Shiloh; and the boy was young.
Meaning in one sentence
Hannah brought three bulls to Shiloh but only one was sacrificed. Why? And what does her offering teach us about keeping our promises to God?
Context
Hannah had longed for a child. In her grief she made a promise: if God gave her a son, she would give him back to the Lord for his whole life. God answered, and Samuel was born. Now the time has come to keep that promise. After weaning him (which in that culture could take two or three years), Hannah packs a generous offering: three bulls, a large container of flour, and a skin of wine. She brings the boy to the tabernacle at Shiloh, where the ark of the covenant rested in those days. The verse records the moment with quiet simplicity: the child was young. But behind that short sentence is a mother’s profound act of trust.
Key Words
The Hebrew word for weaning, gamal, carries a deeper meaning than just stopping nursing. It also means “to deal fully with” or “to recompense.” Hannah had dealt fully with Samuel in love during his early years, and now she repays God with the same completeness. The word for bullock (par) refers to a young bull, a costly animal for a family. The number three likely points to the completeness of her offering: a burnt offering, a sin offering, and a peace offering, as Wesley and other commentators suggest. The ephah of flour (about half a bushel) and the skin of wine match the prescribed grain and drink offerings for multiple bulls (Numbers 15:9, 10). Finally, na’ar (lad) is a broad term, not a baby, but a child old enough to leave his mother. This word does not give us an exact age. It leaves room for that trusting, quiet step every parent takes when they release a child into God’s hands.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians have puzzled over the three bulls because verse 25 mentions only one being slain. Some, like the translators of the Septuagint and many Protestant commentators, read the Hebrew as “a bullock of three years old”, a single mature animal, fitting the law for a vow. Others, including Keil and Matthew Henry, keep the number three, seeing one for a burnt offering, one for a sin offering, and one for a peace offering, or perhaps the other two served as food for the family’s festival. Both readings honor Hannah’s costly devotion. Across traditions, the point remains: she gave generously, not grudgingly, to the Lord.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers picture Samuel as a tiny infant being handed over, and they imagine Hannah hard-hearted for leaving him. In fact, the word na’ar can describe a child old enough to serve in the tabernacle, possibly three to five years old. Weaning in ancient Israel often lasted until age two or three. Hannah had nursed and nurtured him fully before letting go. She was not abandoning a baby. She was keeping a promise she had made in prayer, and she did it with joy and a generous offering.
Living This Out
Hannah gave what she treasured most. Maybe you are holding something you promised to God long ago: a talent, a career, a relationship, or a child. This week, look at what you have been given and ask yourself: Is there anything I am still clutching that I vowed to release? You do not have to travel to Shiloh or bring three bulls. But you might write a note that releases a grudge, make a phone call that hands over control, or set aside time to honor a commitment you made to God in a hard season. Keep the promise. The cost is real, but the peace that follows is deeper.
Main takeaway: Hannah gave back to God what she had asked from him, not with the minimum, but with a generous, costly offering.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Hannah loved her little boy Samuel so much. She had promised God she would let him live at the special tent where people prayed. When he was old enough to eat big food, she took him there with a big present for God: three cows, lots of flour, and wine. It was hard to say goodbye, but she trusted God to take care of him.
For ages 9, 12
Hannah had prayed for a son and promised to give him to God. After Samuel was weaned (probably around age two or three), she brought him to the tabernacle at Shiloh. She also brought three bulls as offerings, which was a huge gift for her family. It showed she was keeping her promise with her whole heart. Even though it must have been hard to leave him, she trusted that serving God was the best life for Samuel.
Questions People Ask
Why did Hannah bring three bulls when only one was sacrificed?
The Hebrew text says “three bullocks,” but the ancient Greek translation (Septuagint) reads “a bullock of three years old.” Many commentators think it was one three-year-old bull, which would fit the law for a vow. Others believe she brought three: one for a burnt offering, one for a sin offering, and one for a peace offering, while the other two may have been used for the family’s festival meal. Either way, her offering was generous.
How old was Samuel when Hannah brought him to Shiloh?
The verse says “the child was young,” using the Hebrew word na’ar, which can mean anything from a toddler to a youth. Weaning in ancient Israel typically happened around age two or three. So Samuel was probably a preschooler, not an infant. That is why the Bible emphasizes that he was still very young when she left him.
What did the flour and wine represent in her offering?
According to the Law of Moses (Numbers 15:9, 10), when a bull was offered as a burnt offering, it had to be accompanied by a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah of flour mixed with oil, plus a drink offering of half a hin of wine. One ephah of flour would cover three bulls. So Hannah was following God’s instructions precisely, bringing exactly what the law required for the sacrifices she planned.
Was Hannah wrong to leave her young child at the tabernacle?
Hannah made a vow to God before Samuel was born: if God gave her a son, she would give him back to the Lord for his whole life (1 Samuel 1:11). Keeping that vow was an act of deep faith and gratitude, not neglect. She had poured love into Samuel during his early years, and she entrusted him to Eli the priest, who would raise him in service to God. Scripture honors her faithfulness.
Why is this story important for Christians today?
Hannah’s willingness to give back what she treasured most reflects the heart of faithful stewardship: everything we have comes from God, and we are called to hold it loosely. Her example encourages us to keep our promises to God, even when they cost us. It also shows that God hears the prayers of the desperate and rewards trust.
For pastors & researchers
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