One of the two wives of Elkanah.  She was her husband's favourite, and was in consequence subjected to petty annoyances by the rival wife.  She vowed that if she gave birth to a man-child, she would devote him to the service of Jehovah.  Her wish was gratified; she became the mother of the prophet Samuel, and carried out her vow (1 Sam. i. 1-28).  Her song of triumph is highly poetic, and was, perhaps, in the mind of the Virgin Mary when she expressed her gratitude in similar poetic strains on learning that she was to give birth to "the Son of god" (ii. 1-10; Luke i. 26-55). (The Sunday School Teacher's Bible Manual, Hunter, 1894)