“Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.”
My Notes
What Does 1 Samuel 1:17 Mean?
"Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him." Eli blesses Hannah after initially misreading her prayer as drunkenness (verse 13-14). The priest who first accused the praying woman now pronounces blessing over her prayer. The correction produces the benediction. The same mouth that condemned now consecrates.
The phrase "go in peace" (lekhi le-shalom) is a dismissal-blessing: go, and take peace with you. The peace isn't just a wish. It's a pronouncement from the priest in the sanctuary. The priestly blessing carries institutional weight: the authorized representative of God's house speaks peace over the petitioner.
The shift from accusation to blessing shows Eli's capacity for correction: he was wrong about Hannah (assumed she was drunk) and adjusted when she explained (verse 15-16). The priest who misjudged was willing to be corrected — and the corrected priest becomes the channel of blessing. The humility to accept correction produces the authority to pronounce blessing.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What blessing — spoken by an authority figure — could change your condition before the answer arrives?
- 2.What does Eli's shift from accusation to blessing teach about the willingness to be corrected?
- 3.How can a priestly pronouncement produce peace before the prayer is answered?
- 4.What 'go in peace' do you need to hear and receive today?
Devotional
Go in peace. The priest who just accused you of being drunk now blesses your prayer. The same Eli. The same mouth. Different words — because Eli listened when Hannah explained.
The shift from accusation to blessing is the most important detail: Eli was wrong about Hannah. He saw her lips moving without sound and assumed the worst — a drunken woman at the sanctuary. His first response was rebuke. His second response — after hearing her explanation — was blessing. The willingness to move from wrong assessment to right pronouncement is what makes Eli's blessing credible.
The priestly blessing carries institutional weight: 'the God of Israel grant thee thy petition' isn't just a nice wish. It's the priest of Shiloh's official pronouncement in the sanctuary. The blessing comes through the office, not just through the person. The prayer that was offered to God directly now receives priestly endorsement.
Hannah's response (verse 18) is transformation: 'the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.' The blessing changed her before the answer arrived. She didn't have Samuel yet. She had Eli's blessing. And the blessing was enough to change her face, her appetite, and her grief. The priestly pronouncement of peace produced internal peace before the external answer came.
What blessing do you need to receive that could change your countenance before the answer arrives?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Then Eli answered and said, go in peace,.... He found he was mistaken in her, and that her discourse was not only sober…
Grant thee thy petition - He was satisfied he had formed a wrong judgment, and by it had added to the distress of one…
Elkanah had gently reproved Hannah for her inordinate grief, and here we find the good effect of the reproof.
I. It…
Hannah's Prayer and its answer
9. So Hannah rose up Simply And. Hannah left the feast for which she had not heart, and…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture