The LORD kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up.
English Standard Version (ESV)
It's easy to read this as just a statement about life and death, but notice how it mirrors the cycle of humiliation and exaltation found in many ancient Near Eastern stories. God's power isn't just over existence itself, but over the very social structures and reputations that humans prize, capable of bringing the proudest down and lifting the most overlooked. This reveals a God who actively orchestrates not just physical life, but the shifting tides of human experience and status.
The LORD kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This powerful statement from Hannah's prayer comes right after she's declared God's justice against the wicked Eli, celebrating His lifting her from obscurity. She’s contrasting His sovereign power over life and death with the injustice she experienced, showing that ultimate authority belongs only to God. Hannah is essentially saying that God alone holds the power to humble the proud and exalt the lowly, as seen in her own situation and in the fate of Eli's corrupt sons.
Hannah's song bursts with powerful imagery about God's absolute authority. It's a reminder that life and death aren't random forces, but are held firmly in the Creator's hands.
The Ultimate Power
This verse is a bold declaration of God's sovereignty. Hannah isn't just saying God allows things to happen; she's saying He is the direct agent. He "kills" and "brings to life." He "brings down to Sheol" (the grave, the place of the dead) and "raises up."
This isn't about God being a distant observer, but the one who orchestrates the ultimate realities of existence. It’s a profound truth that can be both comforting and challenging.
Hannah's song speaks of being brought down to the very depths, only to be raised up. This isn't just about physical life and death, but also about spiritual and situational restoration.
The God of Restoration
The phrase "brings down to Sheol and raises up" points to more than just the end of physical life. It speaks to extreme low points – situations of utter despair, public shame, or profound spiritual barrenness.
Hannah herself had experienced this! She was considered barren, a source of deep sorrow, and her prayers were misunderstood. Yet, God brought her from that state of 'death' (inability to have children, social stigma) to life, by giving her Samuel and more children.
This concept assures us that even from the lowest possible state, God has the power to restore, to give hope, and to bring about new life.
Ask a follow-up
Understand the original words
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The personal name of the covenant God of Israel (YHWH), revealing His self-existence, eternal nature, and faithfulness to His people. It is the name by which He makes Himself known as the Redeemer.
Sheol · Hebrew Noun
The realm of the dead or the underworld in Old Testament thought; a place of silent existence or grave, representing the ultimate destination of physical death.
This passage echoes 1 Samuel 2:6 by affirming God's absolute power over life and death, stating 'I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal.'
Job 1:21Job's profound statement, 'The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD,' reflects the same sovereign power over life and circumstances that Hannah (and the LORD through her words) proclaims.
Psalm 135:6-7This psalm directly parallels Hannah's declaration, stating 'Whatever the LORD pleases he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all depths. He it is who makes the clouds Also, from the end of the earth, who makes lightning for the rain, who brings the wind from his storehouses.'
John 11:25-26Jesus' words to Martha about Him being the resurrection and the life show that this divine power over death, celebrated in the Old Testament, finds its ultimate fulfillment in Christ.
It's easy to read this as just a statement about life and death, but notice how it mirrors the cycle of humiliation and exaltation found in many ancient Near Eastern stories. God's power isn't just over existence itself, but over the very social structures and reputations that humans prize, capable of bringing the proudest down and lifting the most overlooked. This reveals a God who actively orchestrates not just physical life, but the shifting tides of human experience and status.
This powerful statement from Hannah's prayer comes right after she's declared God's justice against the wicked Eli, celebrating His lifting her from obscurity. She’s contrasting His sovereign power over life and death with the injustice she experienced, showing that ultimate authority belongs only to God. Hannah is essentially saying that God alone holds the power to humble the proud and exalt the lowly, as seen in her own situation and in the fate of Eli's corrupt sons.
This powerful statement from Hannah's prayer comes right after she's declared God's justice against the wicked Eli, celebrating His lifting her from obscurity. She’s contrasting His sovereign power over life and death with the injustice she experienced, showing that ultimate authority belongs only to God. Hannah is essentially saying that God alone holds the power to humble the proud and exalt the lowly, as seen in her own situation and in the fate of Eli's corrupt sons.
"The LORD kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up." — It's easy to read this as just a statement about life and death, but notice how it mirrors the cycle of humiliation and exaltation found in many ancient Near Eastern stories. God's power isn't just o…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026