Her rival provoked her severely, to irritate her, because Yahweh had shut up her womb. So year by year, when she went up to Yahweh’s house, her rival provoked her. Therefore she wept, and didn’t eat.
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1 Samuel 1:6-7 sits inside this longer paragraph.
Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim Zophim, of the hill country of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. He had two wives. The name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. This man went up out of his city from year to year to worship and to sacrifice to Yahweh of Armies in Shiloh. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, priests to Yahweh, were there. When the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions; but to Hannah he gave a double portion, for he loved Hannah, but Yahweh had shut up her womb. Her rival provoked her severely, to irritate her, because Yahweh had shut up her womb. So year by year, when she went up to Yahweh’s house, her rival provoked her. Therefore she wept, and didn’t eat. Elkanah her husband said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? Why don’t you eat? Why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”
Parallel Translations
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Her rival provoked her severely, to irritate her, because Yahweh had shut up her womb.
So year by year, when she went up to Yahweh’s house, her rival provoked her. Therefore she wept, and didn’t eat.
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And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb.
And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat.
Show all 3 translations
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And her rival vexed her sore, to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb.
And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, so she vexed her; therefore she wept, and would not eat.
Cross-references (4)
- Job 6:14 (v6) “To him who is ready to faint, kindness should be shown from his friend; even to him who forsakes the fear of the Almighty.
- Job 24:21 (v6) He devours the barren who don’t bear. He shows no kindness to the widow.
- Leviticus 18:18 (v6) “ ‘You shall not take a wife in addition to her sister, to be a rival, to uncover her nakedness, while her sister is still alive.
- 1 Samuel 2:19 (v7) Moreover his mother made him a little robe, and brought it to him from year to year when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly…
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this passage (16 sources)
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John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv6–7 1Sa 1:6 And her adversary also provoked her sore,…
1Sa 1:6 And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb.
Ver. 6. And her adversary also provoked her sore.] Aemula eius: num ita vocantur uxores digamorum {Lev 18:18} Peninnah, her corival, an insolent spiteful creature, vexatious, as the Hebrew word signifieth, and violent. {a}
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For to make her fret.] Or, To make her to thunder, and cause a rattle in the house, by chiding and chafing. Peninnah provoked her on purpose, and for that purpose: this was an aggravation of her sin, as it is likewise of theirs that put a word out on purpose to enrage, vex, disgrace, or discountenance another. Piscator rendereth it, Propterea quid intonabat, because she, that is, Peninnah, thundered, that is, impetuously railed, and reproached her with her barrenness. This was to add affliction to the afflicted; which is greatest inhumanity.
{a} Angens.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv6–7 Her adversary, or, her troubler, or vexer, or enemy;…
Her adversary, or, her troubler, or vexer, or enemy; for so her envy or jealousy made her, though so nearly related. Compare Gen 29:30; Lev 18:18.
To make her fret, against her husband, or against God, or within herself.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv6–7 And her adversary also provoked her sore,.... That is,…
And her adversary also provoked her sore,.... That is, Peninnah, the other wife of Elkanah; for when a man had more wives, two or more, they were usually at enmity to one another, as the two wives of Socrates were, being always jealous lest one should have more love and respect than the other from the husband; and this woman provoked Hannah one time after another, and continually, by upbraiding her with her barrenness; and this was another reason why Elkanah did all he could to comfort her, not only because the Lord had restrained her from bearing children, but because also she that envied and emulated her sadly provoked her:
for to make her fret; and be uneasy, and murmur at and complain of her unhappy circumstances: some render it, "because she thundered" (l) against her; that is, Peninnah was exceeding loud and clamorous with her reproaches and scoffs, which were grievously provoking to Hannah. So said Socrates, when Xantippe first scolded at him, and then poured foul water on him: did not I say, says he, that Xantippe first thunders, and then rains (m)?
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because the Lord had shut up her womb; it was this Peninnah upbraided her with, and at which Hannah fretted and grieved.
(l) "propterea quod intonabat contra eam", Piscator. (m) Laert. in Vit. Socrat. p. 112.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv6–7 Her adversary - Peninnah: so her envy or jealousy…
Her adversary - Peninnah: so her envy or jealousy made her though so nearly related.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv6–7 Verse 6. And her adversary] That is, Peninnah.
Verse 6. And her adversary] That is, Peninnah.
Provoked her sore] Was constantly striving to irritate and vex her, to make her fret - to make her discontented with her lot, because the Lord had denied her children.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On v7 1Sa 1:7. As he did so year by year…
1Sa 1:7. As he did so year by year when she went, &c. — This circumstance is noted as the occasion of the contention, because at such times they were forced to more society with one another, by the way, and in their lodgings; whereas, at home they had distinct apartments, where they might be asunder, and then her husband’s extraordinary love and kindness were showed to Hannah, whereby Peninnah was the more exasperated; then also Hannah prayed earnestly for a child, which hitherto she had done in vain; and this possibly she reproached her with. So she provoked her — She constantly took this occasion to upbraid her with her barrenness when Elkanah expressed such extraordinary kindness to her. Therefore she wept, and did not eat — Being overwhelmed with grief, she had no inclination to eat on this festival occasion, nor did she consider herself as fit to partake of the sacred food, which they were forbid to eat in their mourning.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On v7 And as he did so ... - It should…
And as he did so ... - It should rather be “And so she did year by year, as often as she went up to the House of the Lord, so she provoked her.” Though the verb is masculine, Peninnah must be the subject, because as often as SHE went up follows. The Vulgate has “they went up.”
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv6–7 Insomuch. Hebrew, "to make her fret, or rage; because…
Insomuch. Hebrew, "to make her fret, or rage; because the Lord," &c. (Calmet)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On v6 her adversary also provoked her sore--The conduct of Peninnah…
her adversary also provoked her sore--The conduct of Peninnah was most unbecoming. But domestic broils in the houses of polygamists are of frequent occurrence, and the most fruitful cause of them has always been jealousy of the husband's superior affection, as in this case of Hannah.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv6–7 6. Her adversary — Peninnah, who was jealous of…
6. Her adversary — Peninnah, who was jealous of Hannah because of the peculiar favours shown her.
Provoked her sore, to make her fret — Tantalized her by parading sons and daughters before her eyes, and reminding her that she was barren.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv6–7 6. her adversary] Peninnah. The cognate verb is used…
6. her adversary] Peninnah. The cognate verb is used in Lev_18:18, “Thou shalt not take a wife to her sister to vex her.”
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv6–7 (6) And her adversary also provoked her sore.—Jealousy, grief,…
(6) And her adversary also provoked her sore.—Jealousy, grief, anger, malice, the many bitter fruits of this way of living, so different to God’s original appointment, here show themselves. The one sin of polygamy poisons the whole home life of the family, in all other respects apparently a quiet, Godfearing, orderly household.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On v6 Vers. 6, 7, 8. Her adversary also provoked her…
Vers. 6, 7, 8. Her adversary also provoked her sore. The pleasure of this domestic festival was spoiled by the discord of the wives. Peninnah, triumphant in her fruitfulness, is yet Hannah"s adversary, because, in spite of her barrenness, she has the larger portion of the husband"s love; while Hannah is so sorely vexed at the taunts of her rival, that she weeps from sheer vexation. In vain Elkanah tries to give her comfort. The husband really is not "better than ten sons," for the joy of motherhood is quite distinct from that of conjugal affection, and especially to a Hebrew woman, who had special hopes from which she was cut off by barrenness. In ver. 7 there is a strange confusion of subject, owing to the first verb having been read as an active instead of a passive. It should be, "And so it happened year by year: when she (Hannah) went up to the house of Jehovah she (Peninnah) thus provoked her, and she wept and did not eat." It must be remembered that the Hebrews had no written vowels, but only consonants; the vowels were added in Christian times, many centuries after the coming of our Lord, and represent the traditional manner of reading of one great Jewish school. They are to be treated with the greatest respect, because as a rule they give us a sense confirmed by the best authorities; but they are human, and form no part of Holy Scripture. The ancient versions, the Septuagint, the Syriac, and the Vulgate, which are all three older than the Masoretic vowels, translate, "And so she (Peninnah) did year by year;" but this requires a slight change of the consonants.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain On v7 And as he did so year by year, when…
1Sa_1:7
And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the House of the Lord, so she provoked her.
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The House of God
You must remember, that at the time when Elkanah was living, there was but one temple or church for all the worshippers of the true God; and those who lived at a great distance from this temple could not have the privilege of worshipping there, at most, above three times a year. Have you ever considered the mercy of being born in a country where there are so many places of public worship? places which have that honourable and blessed name of the house of God? When you draw near to a town, you see several of these precious buildings, higher than all the houses prepared for man to live in, beside many other smaller places of public worship: and you can scarcely find a village without some building in it where the people of God may assemble together. Now, you observe, that pious Elkanah and his family have to take a long journey once a year for the privilege of the public worship of God. What does all this say to you who have Gods house standing open for you within a very, very little distance, perhaps within a few steps, and yet you think it too much trouble to get there! You would not treat a nobleman so, if he invited you to his house; particularly, if you were very dependent upon him; and if you saw him standing at the door of his house, watching to see who accepted his invitation, and who slighted it. I have heard many people say, I can read my book at home, and I dont know but I get as much good as by going to church or meeting. But let me tell you, I do know that you cannot. If, indeed, you are confined at home by sickness, and your heart is right with God, He can and will be a little sanctuary to you, and will enable you to say, The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want: but when you idly stay at home, from the idea that you can get as much good there so in a place of public worship, you trample upon Gods express command, and expect that which He has not promised. (Helen Plumptre.)
Hannah
To know persons completely, it is necessary to view them in various situations and conditions. Character is not only displayed by trials, but it very much results from them. Both prosperity and adversity are states of acknowledged temptation; and few can equally encounter such opposite dangers. Hannah first comes before us in circumstances of disappointment and mortification. Her affliction was aggravated by reproach, for her adversary provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the Lord had shut up her womb But who was this adversary? She was one of her own household, for Elkanah, her husband, had two wives. And in the case before us was the conduct of Elkanah justified by the result? Let us read and see. In the days of Malachi this evil practice abounded; and observe how the prophet speaks of it. The Lord hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet she is thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant. And did not he make one? Yet, had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Here we find that marriage was originally confined to a single pair: end we see the reason. It was not from want of power or kindness in God. He could have made more than one Eve for Adam, and would have done it had his welfare required it. But it was because of the advantage derivable from individual union, especially with regard to the children who should arise from it, and be trained up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Hannahs adversary seems peculiarly unprincipled and ill-disposed. A noble mind is always generous and sympathising if it possesses any exclusive advantages, it will not be forward to display and boast of them; and if it sees a fellow creature in a humbler situation, it will not labour to increase his sense of deficiencies, but rather to diminish and soften it. The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy. But we may observe, that though envy loves to expose the defects of another, it springs from his excellencies or advantages, end feeds upon some real or imaginary privilege. Accordingly, we are born informed of the occasion of this womans present malevolence. At this season Elkanah treated Hannah with peculiar attention and distinction. And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions; but unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion. There is a considerable difference between the feeling and the expression of partiality; the one is much more in our power than the other. The display of it is commonly prejudicial to the object. Who does not remember the coat of many colours? The blame we attach to a man is not always so much for acting wrong, as for bringing himself into circumstances and conditions which will hardly allow of his acting right. Piety says, In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths; and Prudence says, Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Elkanah forgets this, and his folly fixes him in a state that leaves him not the possibility of escaping evil and reproach. What could Peninnah think of approaching the altar of the God of peace and love with a temper full of envy and malice, and a tongue set on fire of hell? How much better is omission than perversion, and neglect than inconsistency? Shall blessing and cursing proceed out of the same mouth? Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil Therefore, if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Year after year Hannah had been accustomed to bear ell this provocation, and till now she seems to have endured it patiently But where is the mind that always continues in one frame? (W. Jay.)
Womanly endurance
Patience is of two kinds. There is an active, and there is a passive endurance. The former is a masculine, the latter, for the most part, a feminine virtue. Female patience is exhibited chiefly in fortitude; in bearing pain and sorrow meekly without complaining. In the old Hebrew life female endurance shines almost as brightly as in any life which Christianity itself can mould. Hannah under the provocations and taunts of her rival, answering not again her husbands rebuke, humbly replying to Elis unjust blame, is true to the type of womanly endurance. For the type of mans endurance you may look to the patience of the early Christians under persecution. They came away from the Sanhedrim to endure and bear; but it was to bear as conquerors rushing on to victory, preaching the truth with all boldness, and defying the power of the united world to silence them. These two divers qualities are joined in One, and only One of woman born, in perfection. One there was in whom human nature was exhibited in all its elements symmetrically complete. (F. W. Robertson.)
Provocations in domestic life
A garden has a great many flowers in it. Some of them are weeds, some of them are purslane, and some of them are nettles, which are not very desirable for bouquets. In the garden, however, we can take our choice; but in the family we cannot. There we have to take all. If there is a complaining one, we have to take that one; if there is a weak and dull-eyed one, we have to take that one; if there is a moody and morose one, we have to take that one; and it takes but one bitter lemon to spoil the whole of your lemonade. If of half-a-dozen lemons five are perfectly good, and the other is bad, the whole mixture is bad; for the nature of this one bad lemon enters into it. So one person may spoil the pleasure of twenty. A mother may keep a cloud resting on the whole household from morning till night; thank God she sleeps at nights. A father may fret and worry the whole household; and therefore Paul says, Fathers, provoke not your children. They are apt to make the children cross, or to create in them an unrestful, unquiet disposition. It does not take more than one smoky chimney in a room to make it intolerable. (H. W. Beecher.)
A religious use of annoyance
The remarkable thing is: A religious use of a daily provocation. Peninnah persecuted Hannah daily; laughed at her, mocked her. It was a religious use. She prayed unto the Lord; she rose up and went forward that she might pray mightily before God; she spake in her heart and she poured out her soul before God. That was conquest,--that was victory! There is a possibility of having a daily annoyance, and yet turning that daily annoyance into an occasion of nearer and nearer approach to God. Let us then endeavour to turn all our household griefs, family torments into occasions of profound worship and loving homage to God. It was in human nature to avenge the insult; to cry out angrily against the woman who delighted in sneering and in provoking. But there is something higher than human nature, something better. (J. Parker, D. D.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v7 her rival
her rival
This is Peninnah, the other wife of Elkanah. A rival is someone who competes against another person. In this case Peninnah was competing against Hannah to try to get Elkanah to love her best.
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Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? Why is your heart sad? Am I not better to you than ten sons?
These rhetorical questions can be translated as statements, if necessary. AT: "Hannah, you should not weep. You should eat, and your heart should be glad because I am better to you than ten sons!" or "You have little reason for sadness. I favor you and that should be enough." (See: Rhetorical Question)
than ten sons
Elkanah is exaggerating to emphasize how important Hannah is to him. AT: "than any son could be" (See: Hyperbole and Generalization)
translationWords
house of God
heart
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v7 1:7 the Tabernacle: Also called “the Temple of the…
1:7 the Tabernacle: Also called “the Temple of the Lord” in 1:9. These designations reflect that the Tabernacle, a portable structure, served as the central sanctuary at Shiloh.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.