Hannah also prayed and said: Revised Standard Version gives a literal translation, except that the word also is an attempt to reflect the initial “And” of the Hebrew text. For reasons of English style New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, like Good News Translation, does not translate the redundant second verb and said. And in addition to this the word also is dropped. If the Hebrew conjunction is to be translated at all, it should probably be understood as a temporal connector, “Then…” (Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, American Translation [An American Translation], Bible en français courant).

In the Hebrew Hannah first addresses God in the third person (in the LORD) and then changes to the second person (thy salvation). Good News Translation has consistently used the third person throughout. Contemporary English Version, on the other hand, uses second person pronouns throughout Hannah’s prayer. See also verse 2 below. Translators will have to determine which system of pronoun reference is most natural in this context in their own language.

The words heart, strength (literally “horn”) and mouth are figures of speech where these parts of Hannah represent the whole person. The heart is the seat of the emotion of joy expressed by the mouth. The “horn” represents her vitality or strength. Languages vary considerably as to whether this kind of figure may be used naturally. So translators should ensure that they are rendered in a way that will not be considered abnormal.

My heart exults in the LORD: the Hebrew verb always occurs in the Old Testament in the context of victory, and it means “to rejoice” or “to gloat.” A related verb in Akkadian means “to swell,” or “to rejoice.” Fox translates these words as “My heart swells because of YHWH.” The wording of the Hebrew may require restructuring in languages where it may not be normal to make the heart the subject of the sentence. For example, some may prefer to say “I rejoice profoundly in the LORD” or “I can be glad” (Contemporary English Version). On the word heart see the comments on 1.8.

In the LORD … in the LORD: Hebrew has the name “Yahweh” twice. Some translations follow the Septuagint, which has “Lord” and “God” (New Revised Standard Version, New American Bible, Nueva Biblia Española, Osty-Trinquet), but there seems to be no good reason to abandon the Hebrew text here, unless there are stylistic requirements for the variation in the receptor language.

My strength is exalted in the LORD: my strength is literally “my horn” (New American Bible, New International Version). Though the horn of an animal was a symbol of strength and dignity or pride for the original readers (see Psa 75.4-5), the symbolic meaning will not be clear to many readers today. For that reason it may not be possible to maintain the imagery of the horn and at the same time preserve the meaning. The Revised Standard Version translation my strength fails to capture the entire meaning of the symbol. Better is Revised English Bible: “in the LORD I now hold my head high” (so also Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Osty-Trinquet). New Living Translation) may be too general when it translates this expression “Oh, how the LORD has blessed me!” But New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh provides a good model for some languages: “I have triumphed through the LORD.”

My mouth derides my enemies is literally “my mouth is open wide over my enemies.” The image of a mouth open wide is an expression of contempt (see Psa 35.21; Isa 57.4). The use of the body part (mouth) performing the action as the subject of the sentence is quite normal in Hebrew, but it may be awkward if translated literally into other languages. As in my heart above, it is often much more natural to use the first person singular pronoun instead. Various expressions capture the meaning in English: “I gloat over my enemies” (Revised English Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh); “I can laugh at my enemies” (New Century Version).

The image of a mouth wide open may also express the idea of “swallowing up” (see Psa 69.15; Isa 5.14). New American Bible therefore says “I have swallowed up my enemies.” The New American Bible translation makes the first two lines of this verse parallel and the last two lines parallel:
My heart exults in the LORD,
my horn is exalted in my God.
I have swallowed up my enemies;
I rejoice in my victory.

It is doubtful, though, whether the New American Bible translation properly expresses the relationship between lines three and four.

Because translates a Hebrew word connecting lines three and four. Line four expresses the cause or the basis for the action referred to in line three. Because of what God has done, Hannah gloats over her enemies.

I rejoice in thy salvation: the pronoun of Revised Standard Version (thy) is no longer used in modern English and is rightly replaced by “your” in New Revised Standard Version and other modern versions. (See the comments at 1.11 on the use of former English pronouns in prayers to God.) The Hebrew word translated as salvation is often used of God delivering or saving his people. The Masoretic Text has the pronoun your, but a Qumran manuscript has the pronoun “my,” which is followed by both New Revised Standard Version (“because I rejoice in my victory”) and New American Bible. This textual problem is not mentioned in Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, but translators need not be overly concerned about this, since the solution lies in translating the meaning, which comes out the same regardless of which text is followed. The meaning is “I rejoice because you have saved me” (Revised English Bible).

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .