Hannah's Conflict with Peninnah 1:3-11 (pt. 2)

1:8

Why Do You Weep and Why Do You Not Eat and Why is Your Heart Sad? Am I Not Better to You Than Ten Sons?

Elkanah drops the good husband ball. He feels like the love they share is better than ten sons. Why can’t she just feel like him? He tries to fix the situation rather than understand and empathize with Hannah. If he was serious about fixing the situation he should’ve sat Peninnah down and said, “Listen, sweetie, I know this two-marriage thing isn’t what it’s cracked up to be but here we are. If we’re going to make this work you gotta stop being such a crabby hag.” He should’ve dealt with Peninnah’s cruelty but doesn’t. Elkanah means well. He’s  a man with a good heart who stumbles trying to get it right.

1:9

How will Hannah handle her barrenness, Peninnah’s cruelty, and Elkanah’s good hearted insensitivity? The women in the other biblical stories escalate the conflict. We should expect Hannah to lash out at Peninnah personally and offer Elkanah another wife in her place to have a child for her. It wouldn’t be right but it would fit the pattern

Then Hannah Rose after Eating and Drinking

Hannah has been fasting (v.7). The author means that she got up after the meal was over.

Now Eli the Priest was Sitting on the Seat by the Doorpost

This should be great news! There’s a family in crisis and a priest is nearby. Of course he can help! We’ll see, starting in verse twelve, if Eli is an effective priest or not.

1:10

She, Greatly Distressed, Prayed to the Lord

Hannah carries the heartbreak of barrenness, the cruelty of Peninnah, and the disappointment of a husband who isn’t there for her when she needs him. Her response breaks all our expectations. Remember, the author uses a character’s first words to shape our view of them. Hannah’s first words aren’t to Peninnah: “You crabby hag!” They’re not to Elkanah: “You idiot why don’t you do something about her?” Instead, she speaks to Lord.

And Wept Bitterly

This phrase describes how she prayed. Literally, the text says, “and to weep she wept.” In Hebrew, this is a way to make the verb emphatic. Imagine Hannah ugly crying while she pours her heart out to the Lord.

1:11

She Made a Vow and Said . . .

Hannah’s first words are words of honesty and faithfulness to the Lord. Remember, no one loves the Lord in the context of the story. Like Elkanah, Hannah stands out as a righteous woman in a wicked and idolatrous generation.

Your Maidservant

Hannah calls herself the Lord’s “maidservant” three times using just seven Hebrew words. She’s humble before God and submitted to his kingship and his will.

If You Will Indeed Look upon the Affliction of Your Maidservant

The Lord uses the phrase to “look upon affliction” when he calls Moses to lead Israel out of slavery in Egypt.

The Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings” (Exodus 3:7).

The phrase means God sees Israel’s trouble and cares for them. Hannah puts herself in the position of Israel in Egypt and asks the Lord to see and care for her as he did them.

She’s also very honest about her “affliction.” Life is painful and she doesn’t understand it or like it. But, as his maidservant, she’s submitted to God and trusts him.

Remember Me and Not Forget Your Maidservant

When God “remembers” his people in the story of the Old Testament, it doesn’t mean he “forgot” them. It means he is about to act for their deliverance. This phrase links us back to the story of Rachel and Leah.

Then God remembered Rachel, and God gave heed to her and opened her womb” (Genesis 30:22).

It also links us to the story of Israel in Egypt when God is about to deliver them.

So God heard their groaning; and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God saw the sons of Israel, and God took notice of them (Exodus 2:24–25).

Furthermore I have heard the groaning of the sons of Israel, because the Egyptians are holding them in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant. Say, therefore, to the sons of Israel, “I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage. I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments” (Exodus 6:5–6).

Give Your Maidservant a Son and I Will Give Him to the Lord All the Days of His Life and a Razor Shall Never Come on His Head

Hannah’s honest about what she wants. She asks God to “give” her a son and promises to “give” the son back to the Lord. Hannah makes a Nazarite vow regarding her child.

Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When a man or woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to dedicate himself to the Lord, he shall abstain from wine and strong drink; he shall drink no vinegar, whether made from wine or strong drink, nor shall he drink any grape juice nor eat fresh or dried grapes. ‘All the days of his separation he shall not eat anything that is produced by the grape vine, from the seeds even to the skin.‘All the days of his vow of separation no razor shall pass over his head. He shall be holy until the days are fulfilled for which he separated himself to the Lord; he shall let the locks of hair on his head grow long. ‘All the days of his separation to the Lord he shall not go near to a dead person. ‘He shall not make himself unclean for his father or for his mother, for his brother or for his sister, when they die, because his separation to God is on his head. ‘All the days of his separation he is holy to the Lord’” (Numbers 6:1–8).

Hannah’s child will be a Nazarite dedicated to the Lord like just like Samson was.

For behold, you shall conceive and give birth to a son, and no razor shall come upon his head, for the boy shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel from the hands of the Philistines (Judges 13:5).

Hannah finds herself in a brutally painful spot in life. But she doesn’t lash out at God or the people around her. She doesn’t try to solve her problem by giving Elkanah another wife. She takes her real pain and desire to the Lord and submits them to him, his plan, and his timing.

Hannah's Conflict with Peninnah 1:3-11 (pt. 1)

Hannah’s Conflict with Peninnah (1:3-11)

1:3

Now This Man Would Go Up . . . Yearly to Worship and Sacrifice to the Lord

As the story of Samuel begins, everyone was doing what was right in their own eyes (Judges 21:25). Everyone, except Elkanah who goes up to worship the Lord as God commanded (Exodus 23:14-17; Deuteronomy 12:5-7; 16:16). The author portrays Elkanah as one of the few faithful dudes who faithfully worships the Lord in a time of corruption, immorality, and idolatry (His yearly trip also reminds us of the faithful couple Joseph and Mary in Luke 2:41).

In the story’s first three verses, the author characterizes Elkanah as a man who is faithful to the Lord (worship and sacrifice) and, at the same time, really messed up (two wives). Elkanah is a lot like us.

Elkanah’s faithfulness makes Hannah’s barrenness all the more confusing. Why in the world does God let Hannah suffer like this? Just as important - how will Hannah respond to her suffering?

The Two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phineas, were Priests to the Lord there

Priests to the Lord? Perfect! They’ll definitely comfort Hannah, pray to God, and God will bless her with a child. These guys are exactly what this story needs. Right?

1:4-5

He Would Give Portions to Peninnah, His Wife, and to all Her Sons and Daughters

Elkanah and his family eat a sacrificial meal. This is what you do when you bring your offerings to the Lord. (Deuteronomy 12:5-7, 17-18).

BUT TO HANNAH HE WOULD GIVE A DOUBLE PORTION.

What’s with the extra food? Does Hannah just have a big appetite? Think back to the story of Joseph. He gave a portion five times larger to his brother Benjamin than all his other brothers (Genesis 43:34). He did it because Benjamin was his only brother through Rachel (Genesis 35:24). Benjamin was Joseph’s favorite brother. Elkanah gives Hannah a double portion to symbolize his special love for her. She is his favorite wife.

For He Loved Hannah and the Lord Had Closed Her Womb

The author tells us explicitly what we saw through Hannah's double portion. Elkanah has a special compassion for her because of her barrenness. But he also loves her more than Peninnah. It’s one thing to have a favorite. It’s another make it so obvious. Elkanah means well toward Hannah but is pretty clueless as to how Peninnah might feel. Can you imagine any problems just ahead here? Have we read about another dude with two wives who loved one more than the other? Yes. Yes we have.

“So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and indeed he loved Rachel more than Leah, and he served with Laban for another seven years” (Genesis 29:30).

Jacob’s love for Rachel set off a conflict between her and Leah and led to a nuclear arms race of childbearing. How will Peninnah respond to the pain and humiliation of being less loved? We should expect not well.

1:6-7

Her Rival, However, Would Provoke Her

Well that didn’t take long. The author piles up a ton of details about Peninnah’s response with just a few Hebrew words. Let’s break it down.

How did she provoke Hannah?

Literally, the text says, “she provoked her even (with) grief.” Both the NASB and ESV capture the sense by saying, “bitterly” and “grievously.” Peninnah was super harsh on Hannah.

What was her goal?

Our English Bibles typically translate the word here as to “irritate” her. The sense of the word is to bring her low or humiliate her. Hannah is already humiliated and low because of her barrenness. Peninnah kicks her while she’s down.

Why would she provoke Hannah?

Peninnah provokes Hannah because Hannah can’t have children. “I have kids and you don’t, loser!” Peninnah sticks the knife in an open wound and twists it.

How much would she provoke Hannah?

Year after year. Peninnah was relentless and would not let up. The author portrays Peninnah as a woman who is not messing around about being cruel. What do we call a woman like this? We call her a crabby hag (We might call her something else but this one we can actually say in church).

So here we have two women in pain. They’re in a multiple marriage that is not what God intends. That’s hard enough. On top of that, one is crushed because of her barrenness and the other because she is less loved. Imagine a scene where the women support each other. Peninnah would say to Hannah, “I can only imagine the pain you feel because you can’t have children. I’m here for you.” Hannah would say to Peninnah, “I can only imagine the pain and you feel because Elkanah is clueless and plays favorites between us. I’m here for you.” Peninnah is having none of that. She lashes out at Hannah out of her pain. How will Hannah respond?

So She Wept and Would Not Eat

Instead of mocking or humiliating Peninnah, Hannah fasts and mourns because of her barrenness and Peninnah’s cruelty. Good move on her part. Now let’s see if Elkanah can help comfort her.

A New Project in 2023

I started preaching through 1 Samuel at my church in April of 2022. In eight months we’ve made it through chapter 15. Whatever you think of that pace, my people dig it and are laying odds on when I’ll finish (like actually taking bets).

Along the way I’ve had people ask if they could get my sermon notes. The answer would be “yes” but my notes are hand written on yellow pads (It’s worked for me for 25 years). I could scan them and make a pdf but my sermon notes take the form of an outline with main ideas, Scripture references and key phrases I want to include. They make perfect sense to me but, unless you had already heard my sermon, they wouldn’t be super helpful.

So rather than try to recreate the sermon, I thought I would fill in the outline a little and write up my notes on the story of Samuel. They’re not exactly a commentary on Samuel. But kinda. I think of them like a verse by verse reading guide. I show the structure of the text, the author’s literary techniques, the questions I ask, and the observations I make about the text when I study. Essentially, they’re a real-time look at what I do when I study a biblical text.

If you’ve read my book There is a Redeemer on the story of Ruth you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. Below is a sample from the beginning of the story of Samuel. If you have comments or questions lay ‘em on me in the comments section. I’d love to hear from you!

The Birth of Samuel (1:1-21)

Samuel’s Parents 1:1-2

From the Hill Country of Ephraim

The setting of “the hill country of Ephraim” introduces a new narrative scene in the conclusion to the story of Judges (Judges 17:1; 19:1). This setting links the beginning of Samuel with the end of Judges. The author wants us to read the first scene of Samuel as the next scene in the story that continues from Judges.

As a reminder, the last scene in Judges ends like this:

In those days there was no king in Israel: everyone did what was right in his own eyes (Judges 21:25).

Israel carried idols into the wilderness and adopted even more from the nations living in the promised land. They are a sinful and rebellious nation. If only there were a king who could bring righteousness to God’s people.

There was a Certain Man

We’ll get his name later, but the author introduces the story’s first character a phrase from Judges 13:2 where we meet Manoah the father of Samson. Samson becomes a judge, or military leader, who delivers Israel from their enemies. With this phrase, the author of Samuel links this character to Manoah and sets us up with expectations for him. We should expect he’ll have a son like Manoah and his son will also judge Israel like Samson.

AND HIS NAME WAS ELKANAH

Elkanah is the first character in the story and the author gives us a lot of family background for him. You would expect him to be an important character in the story. But, like Elimelech in the story of Ruth (Ruth 1:1-2), he’ll quickly disappear from the narrative.

1:2

He Had Two Wives

Uh-oh. Having two wives always spells trouble in the story of the Bible. Part of the reason is theological. When God brought Eve to Adam, he made the first marriage. The author of Genesis describes God’s design for the relationship.

For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh (Genesis 2:24).

Notice the text says “wife” singular not “wives.” God’s design is for one man and one woman to commit themselves to each other in marriage. God was not talking about two wives when he created marriage.

Another reason having two wives causes so much trouble in the story of the Bible is practical: it always creates conflict in the family. No one ever marries two wives and lives happily ever after. We should expect trouble for Elkanah and conflict between his two wives just around the corner.

And Peninnah Had Children, But Hannah Had No Children

Well, that was quick! We’ve seen this situation before. Remember Abram in Genesis 16? He and his wife were old as dirt, but God promised they’d have more kids than they could count.

And He took him outside and said, “Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be” (Genesis 15:5).

One chapter later, Abram’s wife Sarai has no kids and trips out. God isn’t coming through on his promise. She tries to “help” God fulfill his promise by giving Abram a second wife. Sure enough, the second wife Hagar has a child and the fight between the two wives begins.

Later in Genesis, Jacob has the same problem. He has two wives, Rachel and Leah, but only loves one of them. No problem there right? What’s worse, Leah, the unloved, has kids but Rachel is barren. Rachel tries to solve her barrenness by offering Jacob a third wife to have a child in her place. When Leah sees this she offers Jacob a fourth wife and the childbearing battle is on!

In both stories, the situation causes serious conflict in the family. But that conflict also results in the birth of a child who will plays a significant role in the narrative that follows. Isaac, the child of the promise, comes from the conflict between Sarah and Hagar. Judah comes from the conflict between Rachel and Leah. His tribe will produce the king who comes in the last days (Genesis 49:8-12).

How will it go for Elkanah and his two wives? Given the pattern, we should expect a serious conflict between the women. We’ll see if Hannah offers Elkanah another wife to have a baby for her. We should expect that, eventually, Hannah will bear a child who will play a critical role in the narrative to come.