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The divergence between the MT and LXX in Hannah's response to Eli's accusation of drunkenness (1 Sam 1:15) has long puzzled scholars. The Greek phrase, "I am a woman who has a hard day (σκληρα ημερα)", is an improbable rendering of the Hebrew ("hard of spirit"). This is commonly explained by way of a hypothetical Vorlage, (lit., "hard of day"), which consequently becomes the preferred reading over against the MT. The central argument is that would mean "obstinate" or "stubborn", which is not fitting for Hannah's speech. This brief study problematizes this prevailing view, arguing instead that the MT appropriately characterizes a misfortune perceived by Hannah to be the result of God's action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In De ebrietate 150, Philo quotes Hesiod's Works and Days (287,289-292) in his interpretation of Hannah's alleged drunkenness in 1 Samuel. These poetic verses contrast the difficulty of the road to virtue with the ease of acquiring wickedness. On Philo's reading, the misperception of Hannah's "hard day" by her accuser illustrates the moral lesson of Hesiod, namely, that fools consider virtue to be beyond attainment. In the context of recent interest in the ways in which Philo's literary methods converge with those of other ancient readers, especially Alexandrian scholars, this study situates Philo's application of Hesiod's didactic poetry within its wider history of interpretation. As early as Plato and continuing through Philo's time, Hesiod's "two roads" was frequently cited in philosophical discourse and debate. Moreover, analogously to Philo, Alexandrian critics employed this passage in explaining the morality of literary characters. Philo's use of Hesiod is consistent with this interpretive tradition. At the same time, his originality consists in his creation of a dialogue between Hesiod and biblical narrative in which both voices converge around the same ethical lesson. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]