Now Hannah, she spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.
The record of Eli’s observations of and dialogue with Hannah (1 Samuel 1:12-17) confirms the sincerity and appropriateness of her petition. Eli did not rebuke Hannah but commended her. [Note: This is the only Old Testament passage that shows a priest blessing an individual worshipper.] However, Eli’s response to Hannah reveals his instability. He misunderstood Hannah because he did not perceive her correctly. This weakness surfaces again later and accounts in part for his demise.