In Genesis 2:23, Adam beholds the woman and declares:
“This is now bone of my bones,
and flesh of my flesh:
she shall be called Woman,
because she was taken out of Man.”
This woman is symbolic of the dedicated, receptive aspect of consciousness. Man represents the conceiver — the “I AM.” Woman is the womb that receives, carries, and brings forth what has been assumed. The story does not remain in Eden; it reappears in Israel’s history, fulfilled in Hannah.
Elkanah and the Rival Wife
Hannah was married to Elkanah, who also had another rival wife, Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah was barren. This rivalry portrays the divided soul — outward appearances fruitful, but inwardly the true womb of consciousness awaiting conception of what has been assumed.
Eli and His Sons
At Shiloh, the priest Eli presided, but his sons Hophni and Phinehas were corrupt. They represent aspects of self attempting to produce results from an undisciplined imagination — forms of worship that hold office without true dedication. The Lord declares that Eli’s house would fall, for it was not truly surrendered.
Hannah’s Prayer and Vow
In the bitterness of her soul, Hannah prayed to the Lord and vowed that if a son were given to her, he would be dedicated all his days. She would not claim the fruit as her own, but return it wholly to God. Her name, Hannah, signifies favour or grace, and in her we see the woman of Genesis 2:23 fulfilled — the soul receptive, dedicated, and yielding its offspring to the Source. Every true manifestation begins in favour, is received in faith, and is dedicated back to the Source.
"So I have given him to the Lord; for all his life he is the Lord's. Then he gave the Lord worship there." — 1 Samuel 1:28
The Birth of Samuel
Her prayer was answered. She bore Samuel, whose name means “heard of God.” True to her vow, she brought him to Eli at Shiloh, where he was raised in the service of the Lord. Where Eli’s sons corrupted the priesthood, Hannah’s son renewed it. What is born of grace and dedication endures, for it is not claimed as self’s possession but recognised as God’s.
The Fulfilment of the Archetype
- In Genesis, woman is taken out of man — the archetype of receptivity.
- In Eli’s house, the failure of dedication brings corruption.
- In Hannah, grace and surrender unite to bring forth a prophet.
The Bible thus reveals its secret: the receptive self, prepared, devoted, and assuming favour — as Hannah demonstrates — is necessary for manifestation. Your "I AM" is the starting point. Hannah embodies the soul that not only receives but returns, completing the cycle of divine exchange and revealing the power of faith, favour, and dedication in the manifestation process.