This verse highlights how God, through the humble and barren Hannah, would eventually establish Samuel to become a great leader and prophet in Israel.
He had two wives: the name of one was Hannah and the name of the other Peninnah; and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. (1 Samuel 1:2) In this verse, the man referred to is Elkanah, who lived around the 11th century BC during the waning days of the judges in Israel. This was a time of transition before the establishment of the monarchy, when figures like Samuel, Saul, and eventually David would rise to significant leadership among God’s people. Elkanah’s hometown was Ramah, located in the hill country of Ephraim, a place later known to be the prophet Samuel’s base of operations and the hometown of Samuel’s parents, Elkanah and Hannah. The verse underscores Elkanah’s family situation: he had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah, marking a complicated family dynamic that would soon play a pivotal role in Israel’s history.
The text points out that while “Peninnah had children,” Hannah remained childless. Childlessness in ancient Israel was an especially painful social stigma, and it set the stage for Hannah’s humble plea to the LORD, which would usher in the birth of the prophet Samuel. Through Hannah’s faithful petitions, we see reflections of God’s sovereignty in choosing instruments for His purposes, a theme echoed many times throughout Scripture, such as when God selected David—another seemingly unlikely candidate—to be king. In this sense, Hannah’s initial barrenness mirrors the hopeful biblical pattern of God using ordinary or disadvantaged people to fulfill extraordinary roles (Luke 1:46-48).
Ultimately, Hannah’s story becomes an illustration of deviating cultural expectations through her earnest faith in the LORD. Her experiences foreshadow the miraculous births of the New Testament, making a bridge to Jesus’ lineage, where God continued to demonstrate that He values a sincere heart above worldly status (Matthew 1:1-16). Just as Hannah’s faith led to the rise of Samuel, a major figure in God’s plan for Israel, so too do we see throughout Scripture that earnest devotion often heralds significant works of redemption accomplished by God.
Set to dark mode
1 Samuel 1:2 meaning
He had two wives: the name of one was Hannah and the name of the other Peninnah; and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. (1 Samuel 1:2) In this verse, the man referred to is Elkanah, who lived around the 11th century BC during the waning days of the judges in Israel. This was a time of transition before the establishment of the monarchy, when figures like Samuel, Saul, and eventually David would rise to significant leadership among God’s people. Elkanah’s hometown was Ramah, located in the hill country of Ephraim, a place later known to be the prophet Samuel’s base of operations and the hometown of Samuel’s parents, Elkanah and Hannah. The verse underscores Elkanah’s family situation: he had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah, marking a complicated family dynamic that would soon play a pivotal role in Israel’s history.
The text points out that while “Peninnah had children,” Hannah remained childless. Childlessness in ancient Israel was an especially painful social stigma, and it set the stage for Hannah’s humble plea to the LORD, which would usher in the birth of the prophet Samuel. Through Hannah’s faithful petitions, we see reflections of God’s sovereignty in choosing instruments for His purposes, a theme echoed many times throughout Scripture, such as when God selected David—another seemingly unlikely candidate—to be king. In this sense, Hannah’s initial barrenness mirrors the hopeful biblical pattern of God using ordinary or disadvantaged people to fulfill extraordinary roles (Luke 1:46-48).
Ultimately, Hannah’s story becomes an illustration of deviating cultural expectations through her earnest faith in the LORD. Her experiences foreshadow the miraculous births of the New Testament, making a bridge to Jesus’ lineage, where God continued to demonstrate that He values a sincere heart above worldly status (Matthew 1:1-16). Just as Hannah’s faith led to the rise of Samuel, a major figure in God’s plan for Israel, so too do we see throughout Scripture that earnest devotion often heralds significant works of redemption accomplished by God.