Hannah’s prayer for a male child: Interpreting 1 Samuel 1:11 in the Nigerian context

Solomon O Ademiluka

doi:10.4102/ids.v55i1.2719

Abstract

Studies have shown that a preference for male children is prevalent in many parts of the world, including Africa. In Nigeria, with its patriarchal family structure, a preference for sons has become an institutionalised way of life. Hence, the Hannah narrative in 1 Samuel 1 is of high relevance in Nigeria. The story of Hannah’s barrenness has often been employed to encourage childless Christians to have faith in God for children, but not many have paid attention to her request specifically for a male child in verse 11. To this end, Hannah’s prayer for a male child is examined in this article against the context of the strong desire for male children in Nigeria. The article employed the historical-critical and descriptive methods. Apart from the exegesis of 1 Samuel 1:11, using the descriptive approach, the author interacted with and utilised relevant material on preference for male children in Nigeria. The research found that Hannah’s request for a son is consistent with the pattern of the narratives of barren mothers in the Old Testament in which all asked for male children. Hannah’s specific request for a male child is therefore a reflection of the preference for sons in ancient Israel, which derived principally from the fact that, in that society, male children were greatly desired for the purpose of the perpetuation of the husband’s lineage, as well as for land inheritance. Understanding Hannah’s prayer for a son in this way, makes 1 Samuel 1:11 relevant in Nigeria where people prefer male children for similar reasons. In view of the fact that the preference for sons has a fatal effect on female children, as well as their mothers, it amounts to women abuse, which makes it an issue of pastoral significance in Nigeria. 1 Samuel 1:11 is thus relevant in the context of marital conflicts among Nigerian Christian couples arising from male child preference. To this end, teaching to illuminate this preference for sons should form an integral part of the marriage theology of the church in Nigeria.Contribution: The article is a contribution in the field of marriage theology, in that it identifies the preference for male children as a possible factor for marital disharmony among Nigerian Christian couples.

Highlights

The Hannah narrative in 1 Samuel 1 has been widely studied and preached in the context of infertility
As this study has indicated, in Nigeria, preference for male children often brings about marital disharmony, leading to the collapse of many marriages
In Nigeria, the Hannah narrative in 1 Samuel 1 has often been employed by both scholars and preachers to inspire hope in people who would like to have children, but not many have paid attention to Hannah’s request for a male child as indicated in verse 11

Summary

Introduction

The Hannah narrative in 1 Samuel 1 has been widely studied and preached in the context of infertility. It is usually employed to inspire hope in persons who desire to have children. It is in this manner that Hannah’s story has been written about by several Nigerian scholars Abasili 2015:581–605; Ademiluka 2019:1–10), but not many Nigerian Christians have paid attention to Hannah’s request for a male child. This article focuses on Hannah’s prayer for a male child in 1 Samuel 1:11 against the background of the strong preference for male children in Nigeria. The preference for male children has been prevalent in many parts of the world, notably in ‘an arc of countries from East Asia through south Asia to the Middle East’ and Africa (Ben-Nun 2016:9). As defined by Agbor (2016):

Objectives

Conclusion