“For This Child I Prayed”
{ Hannah & Samuel }
Painted by Elspeth Young
« Previous Painting • Next Painting »
And [Hannah] vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life...
and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the Lord remembered her.
Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the Lord...
And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her...
and brought the child to Eli.
And she said, O my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the Lord. For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him: Therefore also I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord. And he worshipped the Lord there.
The story behind For This Child I Prayed
Grieved because she was childless, Hannah had gone to the Lord with her petition for a child, promising that she would give the child to the Lord to be His servant. This request is blessed by the High Priest, Eli, and Hannah brings forth a child a names him Samuel. Hannah only keeps young Samuel until the time he is weaned (according to one Biblical Commentary, likely, in this case, the age of three (Keil and Delitzsch, 26). In the few years between the infant's birth and his presentation at the Tabernacle, Hannah cares for him and plants seeds of faith and devotion through her nurturing influence. Her testimony of the Savior, as evidenced in her beautiful prayer recorded in 1 Samuel 2, shows her understanding of and trust in the "rock" of Israel (see 2 Samuel 2:2). Her care for Samuel, throughout his early years is apparent from the "little coat" she made him "from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice" (1 Samuel 2:19). When she prays to the Lord, Hannah declares, "My heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn is exalted in the Lord...because I rejoice in thy salvation..." The happiness seen in Hannah's expression is a reflection of the joy she feels because of the blessings of the Lord. Like Rachel, the "Lord remembered her" and she is blessed with the righteous desire of her heart for a child. In addition to granting Hannah's request, the Lord, through Eli, promises more children to Hannah and her husband, showing us that, indeed, the Lord "crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies..." (see Psalms 103:4).
Symbolism in For This Child I Prayed
The fabric directly behind Hannah on the left side of the painting recalls many artists' renderings of Old Testament prophets, who are commonly shown in striped clothing. It is meant, therefore, to symbolize Samuel's prophetic mission and the Priesthood power given to the tribe of Levi (see 1 Chronicles 23).
Samuel wears a white tunic trimmed in gold. This represents the "linen ephod" he would later wear while he "ministered before the Lord, being a child" (1 Samuel 2:18). The scriptural account also tells us that Hannah "made [Samuel] a little coat" (1 Samuel 2:19) as he grew year by year, also symbolized here. Whatever Samuel's clothing may have actually looked like, here the artist renders the details of a carefully and lovingly crafted garment symbolizing the central importance of purity in the life of both mother and child. This was a special child, requested of the Lord, and his clothing symbolizes what one Bible Dictionary refers to as his "faith, patience, integrity, and self-sacrifice" (BD Samuel)
Hannah also wears white, symbolic of her faith and purity. The brightly colored wrap she wears warmly enfolds herself, and visually touches the child as well, symbolizing the influence of a righteous mother in the life of her child.
Copyright and terms of use
© By Elspeth Young, All Rights Reserved. You may not print, copy, or reproduce this artwork or make derivative works from it without the prior written consent of the copyright holder. For permissions, please review our FAQ page.From the Newsroom
By Al R. Young
only high-end custom frames
We have framed our own artworks for more than 30 years, and during that time we have provided a variety of framing services to patrons upon request. For many reasons—including constant changes in the availability of moulding styles—we cannot offer off-the-shelf framing options or response times typically associated with such a service. Of necessity, all of our framing projects are aproached, priced, and billed as constuling projects... Read more »
Tags: Into The West, Spring Rain, North Country, The Grey Havens, Journey's End, Looking Back, Enchanted Stillness, Bedtime Story, In The High Valley, The Daydream, Before The Ball, Old Shannon, Pavane, Sweet Brier, Legend, Mountain Home, And I...
By Al R. Young This blank-book journal sells for $32 (plus shipping) direct from Al Young Studios. Printed in full color on heavy paper, the book is bound with black plastic spiral to rest flat when open.
At Home: A Personal Journal features 128 original artworks consisting of 51 original oil paintings from the Artists of Al Young Studios, 44 images from the Studios' Limited Editions Collection, nine pen and ink drawings and block prints by Ashton, seven of Al's exquisitely crafted pencil drawings, and one lithograph from his private portfolios... Read more »
Tags: North Shore, Nasturtium, Wald Kirche, Scabiosa, Foxglove, Narcissus on beige paper, July, Columbine, Maine, Final Draft, Unfurling, Back Shore, Summer's End, Gifts of Morn, Black-eyed Susan, Land's End, Solitude, The Limberlost, Perdita,
By Al R. Young The Divinity of Women by Heather Moore and Kent Brown, published by Covenant Communications, featured five paintings by Elspeth Young. The artworks are part of Al Young Studios' Women of the Bible Fine Art Collection as well as its Heroes of the Book of Mormon Fine Art Collection.... Read more »
Tags: Waiting For The Promise, The Substance Of Hope, Is Anything Too Hard For The Lord, The Promised Land, For This Child I Prayed, 3rd-party Publications, 2013, News
By Al R. Young This blank-book journal sells for $32 (plus shipping) direct from Al Young Studios. Printed in full color on heavy paper, the book is bound with black plastic spiral to rest flat when open.
Inspirations features 163 artworks along with 53 commentaries—written by the Artists of Al Young Studios especially for this journal—on such topics as their creative process, the creative environment of the Studios, technical approaches to their artwork, and inspiration from the works of other artists... Read more »
Tags: Untitled, In the Clearing, Anne Girl, Spring Rain, Journey's End, Enchanted Stillness, Bedtime Story, In The High Valley, Mountain Home, And I Will Not Deny The Christ, Sara Crewe, And My Soul Hungered, 3.00.0246.010, The Road To Melek, We...
By Elspeth C. Young One thing I've learned over recent years is that no painting is finished when it's done. The subject matter and the symbolism a painting contains never ceases, as long as there are real people looking at it. In fact, the essays accompanying our paintings don't even begin to really tell the "story in the painting," since that "story" adapts to meet the gaze of those who bring new perspectives, experiences, and insights to that image day by day... Read more »
Tags: For This Child I Prayed, 2011, Costume and props, Tools supplies and operations, Women of the Bible Art Collection
By Al R. Young The 2010 Calendar: Women of the Old Testament, published by Deseret Book, featured 13 original oil paintings by Elspeth Young. All of the paintings are part of Al Young Studios' Women of the Bible Fine Art Collection.
Commentaries (in the calendar) accompanying each painting provide a reference passage from the Bible, a summary of the character featured in the painting, and an artist's commentary concerning the painting itself. The calendar also features a biographical sketch about the artist and a list of research sources that figured in the artist's work... Read more »
Tags: The Protector, By The River's Brink, What Is To Be Done For Thee, Charity Never Faileth, A Lamp Unto My Feet, Is Anything Too Hard For The Lord, Treasure The Word, The Daughters Of Zelophehad, The Struggle Within, For Such A Time As This,
By Al R. Young Women of the Old Testament by Camille Fronk Olson is the companion volume to Women of the New Testament, published by Deseret Book in 2014.
The Old Testament volume features fifty six illustrations from the Artists of Al Young Studios, listed here under the Studios' fine art collections and portfolios to which they belong.
From the Women of the Bible Fine Art CollectionFull-color details (cropped images) from the following 17 paintings appeared in the book (in the order in which they appear here)... Read more »
Tags: The Mother Of All Living, The Joy Of Our Redemption, The Protector, Blessed, By The River's Brink, What Is To Be Done For Thee, Charity Never Faileth, A Lamp Unto My Feet, Is Anything Too Hard For The Lord, God Liveth And Seeth Me, Treasure...
By Al R. Young The September 2009 issue of the Liahona magazine, published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, featured two of Elspeth Young's original oil paintings from Al Young Studios' Women of the Bible Fine Art Collection. That Good Part appeared as the inside back cover.... Read more »
Tags: That Good Part, For This Child I Prayed, 3rd-party Publications, 2009, News
By Al R. Young The September 2009 issue of the Ensign Magazine, published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, featured two of Elspeth Young's original oil paintings from Al Young Studios' Women of the Bible Fine Art Collection. That Good Part appeared as the inside back cover.... Read more »
Tags: That Good Part, For This Child I Prayed, 3rd-party Publications, 2009, News
By Al R. Young
High-resolution digital copies are available from the Studios for use as illustrations. Use the serial number—appearing below the thumbnail—in requesting permission from the Studios (see links at the bottom of this page for detail).
The correct form of attribution when publishing an image is specified in the license agreement issued to the publisher by Al Young Studios.Guidelines for requests to copy or publish artworks created by the Artists of Al Young Studios
Guidelines for commissioning Al Young Studios to create illustrations
Return to this portfolio
Browse all portfolios
Browse Newsroom articles about Illustration
The original image is available for sale, please contact us for details... Read more »
Tags: For This Child I Prayed, 2008, People and Stories of the Bible
By Al R. Young For This Child I Prayed is the newest oil painting to be added to the line of original artworks from Al Young Studios.
Click here to see a larger image of the new painting, read the artist's commentary, and look at the selection of prints--if any are available.... Read more »
Tags: For This Child I Prayed, 2008, Elspeth C. Young, Legacy, News, Oil paintings and prints, Women of the Bible Art Collection