Hannah, the mother of the prophet Samuel, is one of several women in the Bible who were barren and conceived because of a miraculous blessing from God.
In her story, told in the book of 1 Samuel (1 Kingdoms LXX), Hannah offers a prayer of praise that begins,
My heart rejoices in the Lord; my horn is exalted in the Lord.
I smile at my enemies, because I rejoice in Your salvation.
There is none holy like the Lord, for there is none besides You,
nor is there any rock like our God.
(1 Sam. 2:1-2)
These words and paraphrases of them are constant refrains in Orthodox hymns. We will hear these words echoed in another very famous canticle below.
Get the collection in a handy booklet A Guide to the Wall of Hymnographers and Poets, by Tracey Edson, available from the parish or from Amazon.com.
King David, the ‘Sweet Singer of Israel’