I am a scripture loving, book writing, baby snuggling, garden growing, faith-centered disciple, wife, mother, daughter, and sister. Elkanah's family (1:1-8) Elkanah came from a prestigious Levite family in Ramah (verse 1) in the land of Zuph (cf. And it is in this appearance of the heavenly leader of the people of God to the earthly leader of the hosts of Israel, as the prince of the angelic hosts, not only promising him the conquest of Jericho, but through the miraculous overthrow of the walls of this strong bulwark of the Canaanitish power, actually giving him at the same time a practical proof that the prince of the angelic hosts was fighting for Israel, that we have the material basis upon which the divine epithet "Jehovah God of hosts" was founded, even though it was not introduced immediately, but only at a later period, when the Lord began to form His people Israel into a kingdom, by which all the kingdoms of the heathen were to be overcome. Peninnah is shown irritating Hannah, although some midrashim argue that Peninnahs actions were a result of her feeling like the least favorite wife. Hannah. 15But Hannah answered, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his seat beside the doorpost of the temple (tabernacle) of the Lord. Peninnahs children are mentioned only briefly in the Book of Samuel(I Sam. That's hard for me when I see their young kids in primary misbehaving for attention. Have we intentionally or unintentionally said things to make another woman fret or weep in bitterness of soul because we dont really understand what she is going through? She would grieve Hannah by means of ordinary everyday activities, taking pains to remind her, at all hours of the day, of the difference between them. Elkanah - Wikiwand I was never much of a "judger" but childbearing was always a weakness of mine until several years ago when we we had an abnormal number of close friends who struggled with infertility, and I realized their hurt and their desire to have children. s. v.) maintains, since there is not the slightest trace of any such notion in the whole of the Old Testament. [1] Who was Elkanah (1) "A Levite of Mount Ephraim, was a man of wealth and influence, and one who loved and feared the Lord. How to vet a potential financial advisor to avoid being scammed? I have been guilty too many times of thinking others are not doing for their children what is best, etc. Beth-lehem, and the expression "of Ramathaim-zophim" must, therefore, be understood as Ramah in the land of Zuph in the hill country of Ephratha. Why does Isildur claim to have defeated Sauron when Gil-galad and Elendil did it? Episode 96: Can We Talk? The frequent recurrence of the mention of barrenness in those women who were afterward famous through their progeny (as Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel) coupled with the prophetic language of Hannah's song in 1 Samuel 2, justifies us in seeking a mystical sense. ; possibly "coral"), second wife of *Elkanah (i Sam. Then they would go to their own home. Hannah ( / hn /; [1] Hebrew: ann "favor, grace") is one of the wives of Elkanah mentioned in the First Book of Samuel. Still, Hannah was Elkanah's favorite. Great post Heather. Shenica Graham is a minister, author, recording artist, songwriter, publisher, and entrepreneur. 22But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, I will not go up until the child is [k]weaned; and then I will bring him, so that he may appear before the Lord and remain there as long as he lives. 23Elkanah her husband said to her, Do what seems best to you. Have we made ourselves miserable worrying about what other people think of us when, in reality, they really dont care as much as we think they do? Verse 3 says Elkanah went to Shiloh to worship the Lord every year. When Peninnah had children, tension and rivalry arose between the two women, with Hannah being . It is sometimes claimed that Samuel was from the tribe of Ephraim (rather than the tribe of Levi) and so was not eligible to serve as a priest. 19The family got up early the next morning, worshiped before the Lord, and returned to their home in Ramah. And his vow By which it appears, though it was not expressed before, that he heard and consented to her vow; and that he added a vow of his own; probably when he saw his wife was with child; or before, when she told him what hope she had that her prayers would be heard; and when he worshipped God, as . This city had the addition of Zophim attached to it, because it was founded by Zuph, "an Ephrathite," that is a native of Ephratha. Very likely Hannah was his first wife, and having no children by her, Elkanah had two wives, Peninnah and Hannah. Peninnah - Women In The Scriptures Second, it is interesting to note that in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament that was used by the church in Christs time, it doesnt mention anything about Peninnah provoking Hannah sore. This proclivity to judge is not something that that is unique to modern women and Peninnah and Hannahs story can teach us two important lessons about how we can become more understanding of each others situations and support and love one another whether we have children or not. Codification of basic Jewish Oral Law; edited and arranged by R. Judah ha-Nasi c. 200 C.E. Beautifully written, and I love the insights! The issue of childbearing is a hard one for me because I have been blessed with great fertility, and yet my husband and I have been married for six years and "only" have two children. Often asked: Who Was Samuel's Mother In The Bible? Pride comes in because we think we can control these situations, and fear comes in because we are afraid of experiencing the situation that mother is in. It is certainly not without significance that this title is given to God for the first time in these books, which contain an account of the founding of the kingdom, and (as Auberlen has observed) that it was by Samuel's mother, the pious Hannah, when dedicating her son to the Lord, and prophesying of the king and anointed of the Lord in her song of praise (1 Samuel 2:10), that this name was employed for the first time, and that God was addressed in prayer as "Jehovah of hosts" (1 Samuel 1:11). Take the Challenge Even though we think we may understand another womans situation we cant look on her heart like the Lord can. That is, her story, like those of Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Samson's mother, employs the motif of a woman who is barren for a long while and then gives birth to a child of special destiny. Hannah is one of Elkanah's two wives. Hannah and Elkanah Elkanah was a righteous and important Israelite. 1:6]by your life, there is no thunder [reamim] that is not followed by rain. Hebrew Women in Egypt: Midrash and Aggadah, Matriarchs: A Liturgical and Theological Category, The Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women, Copyright 19982023, Jewish Women's Archive. This illustration depicts Elkanah and his two wives, Peninnah and Hannah, returning to Ramah. The barren wife is compared to arid soil and her being blessed with child is portrayed as the rain that falls and sates the earth, causing it to be fertile. As long as Hannah was reacting in a negative way to Peninnah's provocation, taunt and mockery, she was not yet mature in God's sight to receive or handle her blessing. To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. Jewish law provided for the right and requirement of a husband to take a second wife if a ten-year union had produced no offspring [2]. Thank you for sharing so much history. cit.). I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I was pouring out my soul before the Lord. The remark introduced in 1 Samuel 1:3, "and there were the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, priests of the Lord," i.e., performing the duties of the priesthood, serves as a preparation for what follows. 13Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved but her voice was not heard. All we can really do is support her whether she has 13 children or no children and let her know she is loved. He also ministered to the LORD while Elis sons Hophni and Phineas did evil in the sight of the LORD. Great food for thought, I too have been far too judgmental about others choices in regards to children. 21And the Lord visited Hannah, so that she bore three sons and two daughters. (1 Chronicles 9: 16); A Levite, son of the rebellious Korah and brother of Abiasaph. And in reverse, what can women without children do to show their love and support for women who have children. 1There was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim, of the [a]hill country of Ephraim, named Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an [b]Ephraimite. A World Changer at GSyndicates WorldWide. Which would agree with Hannah being named first. The Talmud lists him as a prophet, along with his wife and son. [1][2] Her name may derive from (pnin), meaning "pearl. It is simply applied to Jehovah as the God of the universe, who governs all the powers of heaven, both visible and invisible, as He rules in heaven and on earth. Peninnah must have used this mode to soothe her own ego, to lessen her own distress at the fact that Hannah was unequivocally more loved by their husband Elkanah whose preference for Hannah was displayed every time the family traveled to Shiloh to make the yearly sacrifice to God, where Elkanah gave Hannah a double portion of the meat whilst Peninnah and her sons and daughters each had one portion. Hirsch, Emil G., Bacher, Wilhelm and Lauterbach, Jacob Zallel. How many deaths are caused by flu each year. Different midrashic traditions tell different stories of how Peninnah treated Hannah and the nature of their relationship, and most portray Peninnah as the antagonist. I have always assumed that Elkanah took Peninnah because his first wife (Hannah) was barren. The names of Elkanah's other children apart from Samuel are not given. And they worshiped the Lord there. I beg you, pray for me, so that my two remaining sons will live.. She cannot give Elkanah the sons that would solidify a family heritage. Samuel would live and work and grow at the temple and be visited each year by his family at the yearly sacrifice, when Hannah would also bring him a new robe that she made for him [6]. Want the Verse of the Day sent to your inbox? [1], [3], [4] Kadari, Tamar. Setting constant values in constraints depending on actual values of variables, Preserving backwards compatibility when adding new keywords, Chord change timing in lead sheet with two chords in a bar. According to this midrashic account, Peninnah would grieve Hannah by means of ordinary everyday activities, taking pains to remind her, at all hours of the day, of the difference between them. Another tradition has the initiative to marry Peninnah coming from Hannah. But I keep it to myself and repent. He is mainly involved in weightlifting. The different midrashim highlight the difficulty Peninnah faced living in the shadow of another woman. Regardless of what she can give him or not give him. In effect, she was an emotional bully. Peninnah: Midrash and Aggadah., [2] Jewish Womens Archive. Resilience: 4 Keys to Building a Fear-Resistant Marriage polygamy in ancient Israel was relatively rare among the common folk, except for the very wealthy and the kings, among the common folk, second marriages were usually made only out of some necessity rather than anything else, Hannah is listed first, ie, before Peniniah. Elkanah (name) - Wikipedia The midrash explains that Elkanah was compelled to marry Peninnah because of Hannah's barrenness, which explains his preference for Hannah, his first wife. I had somehow upset my wife to the point where she locked herself in the bedroom while I left the house and drove away. 21And Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and pay his vow. (See Luke 2:36.) The name possibly means The Name [i.e. How many of us have behaved like a Hannah at some point in our lives? 20And Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, May the Lord give you children by this woman for the gift she asked for and gave to the Lord. Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. But we forget that we receive PERSONAL revelation only. She represents a woman who accepts social paradigms without examining them, thus acting out the type of jealousy between co-wives known from the matriarchal texts of Genesis. Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Donkeys are versatile animals and can have many uses including for children to ride, for driving and showing, light draught work, a companion animal or simply as pets. He was solemnly entering as a humble King of peace.