hanged the next day. (Es 9:7-10, 13, 14) The others hanged were evidently treated in the same manner, their dead bodies being exposed on high before the public because their crimes were offenses against the king. (Es 2:21-23; 7:9, 10) The same Hebrew word is used for the hanging of Pharaoh’s chief baker.​—Ge 40:22; 41:13.

The nations surrounding Israel were generally more cruel than the Israelites in their methods of inflicting punishment and of heaping reproach on those executed. When the armies of Babylon captured Jerusalem, they inflicted cruel punishments on the nobles, hanging some of the princes by “just their hand.”​—La 5:12.

Jesus Christ was hanged alive, nailed to a stake, on order of the Roman government in Palestine. (Joh 20:25, 27) The apostle Paul explains that the manner of Jesus’ death was highly important to the Jews, for “Christ by purchase released us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse instead of us, because it is written: ‘Accursed is every man hanged upon a stake.’”​—Ga 3:13; see IMPALEMENT.

In two cases of suicide recorded in the Bible, strangulation by hanging was employed. Ahithophel, David’s traitorous counselor, strangled himself (“hanged himself,” LXX). (2Sa 17:23) Ahithophel’s action was prophetic of that of one of Jesus’ apostles who proved to be traitorous, Judas Iscariot. (Ps 41:9; Joh 13:18) Judas hanged himself also. (Mt 27:5) Apparently the rope, or perhaps a branch of the tree on which Judas hanged himself, broke, “and pitching head foremost he noisily burst in his midst and all his intestines were poured out.”​—Ac 1:18.

(Hanʹnah) [Favor, Grace].

Mother of the prophet Samuel. Hannah lived with her Levite husband Elkanah and his other wife Peninnah in Ramathaim-zophim in the mountainous region of Ephraim. In spite of Hannah’s long barrenness, contrasted with Peninnah’s bearing several children, Hannah was still Elkanah’s more beloved wife. Peninnah taunted Hannah because of her barrenness, notably when Elkanah took his family for their yearly appearance at the tabernacle in Shiloh.​—1Sa 1:1-8.

On one visit to Shiloh, Hannah vowed to Jehovah that if she could bear a son, she would give him to Jehovah, for His service. Seeing her lips move as she prayed inaudibly, High Priest Eli at first suspected that she had overindulged in wine and was drunk. But on learning of her sober fervor and sincerity, he expressed the wish that Jehovah God would grant her petition. Indeed, she soon became pregnant. After giving birth to Samuel, she did not go to Shiloh again until Samuel was weaned. Then she presented him to Jehovah as she had promised, bringing an offering consisting of a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a large jar of wine. (1Sa 1:9-28) Each year thereafter, when she came to Shiloh, Hannah brought along a new sleeveless coat for her son. Eli again blessed her, and Jehovah again opened her womb so that in time she gave birth to three sons and two daughters.​—1Sa 2:18-21.

Several desirable qualities are observed in Hannah. She was prayerful and humble, and she had a desire to please her husband. Each year she accompanied him to sacrifice at the tabernacle. She made a great sacrifice of her own, giving up the companionship of her son, to keep her word and show appreciation for Jehovah’s kindness. She retained her motherly affection, as shown by her making a new coat for Samuel each year. The thoughts expressed in her song of thankfulness, when she and Elkanah presented Samuel for temple service, are quite similar to the sentiments voiced by Mary shortly after learning she was to mother the Messiah.​—Lu 1:46-55.

(Hanʹna·thon) [possibly from a root meaning “show favor; be gracious”].

A boundary city of Zebulun. (Jos 19:10, 14) Most scholars tentatively identify Hannathon with Tell el-Bedeiwiyeh (Tel Hannaton), about 10 km (6 mi) NNW of Nazareth. Hannathon appears in the records of Assyrian King Tiglath-pileser III and also in the Amarna Tablets.

(Hanʹni·el) [God Has Shown Favor; God Has Been Gracious; or, Favor (Grace) of God].

1. A chieftain selected by Jehovah to represent the tribe of Manasseh in dividing the land W of the Jordan among the nine and a half Israelite tribes settling there. Hanniel was a son of Ephod and a descendant of Joseph.​—Nu 34:13, 17, 23.

2. Head of an Asherite house; son of Ulla.​—1Ch 7:30, 39, 40.

(Haʹnoch) [One Trained Up; Inaugurated [that is, dedicated, initiated]].

1. A son of Midian the fourth-named son of Abraham by Keturah.​—Ge 25:1, 2, 4; 1Ch 1:33.

2. A son of Jacob’s firstborn Reuben and the forefather of the Hanochites.​—Ge 46:8, 9; Ex 6:14; Nu 26:4, 5; 1Ch 5:3.