1 Samuel 1:1-2 begins by introducing Elkanah, a man from the hill country of Ephraim, and a descendant of that tribe. Elkanah had two wive: Hannah and Peninnah. Peninnah was able bear children, but Hannah had no children.
1 Samuel 1:1-2 introduces Elkanah, an Ephraimite from Ramathaim-zophim, and his two wives, Hannah and Peninnah, noting the painful contrast that Peninnah had children while Hannah had none.
Now there was a certain man from Ramathaim-zophim from 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 (v 1).
The book of 1 Samuel is a narrative, which means it must have a beginning. It begins with the word—Now. Without context, the word Now is an unspecific point of reference. But in the context of 1 Samuel and its placement in the Bible, Now refers to the time when God called up judges to lead the people of Israel. More specifically, because Samuel will be the last judge of Israel, and these verses discuss his parents, Now likely overlaps or nearly corresponds with the events described in the Book of Ruth.
After opening the book with the word—Now—as an indefinite description of when these events of the narrative began, 1 Samuel introduces a certain man, a generic term to refer to an individual. It is similar to "someone."
This certain man was from the town of Ramathaim-zophim which was located in the hill country of Ephraim.
Ramathaim-zophim, sometimes called "Ramah," was located in the central highlands of ancient Israel, just north of Jerusalem. Ramathaim-zophim is estimated to be 15 miles south of Shiloh. The surrounding terrain of Ramathaim-zophim is hilly which is why it is described as the hill country. This town is located within the tribal lands of Ephraim close to the border of the tribe of Benjamin. The shorter name, Ramah, is used for multiple other towns in different tribal territories (Joshua 18:25, 19:29, 36), so the identifier of Zophim helps specify which location is being referenced and is possibly derived from the name of Zophai (1 Chronicles 6:26).
Ephraim is a half tribe, along with Manasseh, originating from Joseph's two sons (Genesis 48:1). Ephraim's territory is located roughly in the middle of the territory of Israel.
The name of this certain man from Ramathaim-zophim was Elkanah. The name, Elkanah, is a combination of "El," meaning "God," and "qanah," the word for "create," "own," or "attain." Thus, Elkinah seems to mean "God attained." There is another man, a Levite in the line of Kohath, whose name is also Elkanah, who is mentioned in 1 Chronicles 6:27, 34. That Elkanah was of the clan responsible for music at the Tabernacle.
It is possible that 1 Chronicles 6 and1 Samuel 1 refer to the same Elkanah. It could be that Elkanah was from the tribe of Levi and was living in a Levite appointed city in the territory of Ephraim. Some people consider that because Eli allowed Samuel to work in the temple and Samuel went on to offer sacrifices and anoint kings (1 Samuel 7:9,1 Samuel 10:1), then Samuel would have been of Levitical descent.
The word "Ephraimite" is used in the Bible to describe both someone from the tribe of Ephraim (Judges 12:5) and someone from the area of Bethlehem—Ephrath (Genesis 35:19,1 Samuel 17:12). Those who consider Elkanah to be of Levitical descent see this reference to his ancestor as an Ephrathite to mean he was a Levite living in the area of Bethlehem. Since Levites had no territory of their own, they lived amongst the tribes, and it is a possibility that Elkanah's relatives moved around.
It seems more likely they are different figures because the Elkanah mentioned in 1 Chronicles is a listed as a son of Levi (1 Chronicles 6:16-26) and the Elkanah who is mentioned here in 1 Samuel was from the tribe of Ephraim and he was an Ephraimite.
The text gives Elkanah's lineage as: the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite (v 1).
Four ancestors are named before the lineage identifies Elkanah's great-great-grandfather, Zuph as an Ephraimite. Because Zuph and his male descendants were Ephraimites, so too was Elkanah and any of his male offspring likewise Ephraimites.
After identifying Elkanah's tribal lineage and hometown, the text goes on to describe his family:
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 (v 2).
Elkanah had two wives.
Across the broader culture of the ancient middle east, having multiple wives was not an uncommon practice for ensuring the continuation of one's family line. For instance, polygamy is mentioned in the famous Code of Hammurabi.
There are several occurrences in other biblical stories where a wife was unable to bear children, so a second wife or a servant would be used to ensure the family line continued. This is the case in Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar (Genesis 16) and Jacob, Leah, Rachael, Bilhah, and Zilpah (Genesis 29-30).
However, God created one man and one woman to establish the covenant of marriage in the perfection of Eden (Genesis 2:24). The LORD commanded that kings not to take multiple wives (Deuteronomy 17:17).
The first polygamous family is noted to be from the line of Cain, a line of men defiant towards God (Genesis 4:19-24). Though there are not any specific verses calling polygamy a sin, it is of note that the stories in Scripture that include polygamy are wrought with strife and sin. Polygamy brings painful friction within marriage and the family. Polygamy brought strife into Elkanah's marriage and family. His two wives were described as "rivals" (1 Samuel 1:6).
The covenant of marriage is always best when it is as God had intended: between one man and one woman.
The name of one of Elkanah's two wives was Hannah. The name of Elkanah's other wife wasPeninnah (v 2).
Hannah's name is derived from the Hebrew word for grace, "chana." Peninnah's name comes from the word "paniyn," meaning "round," "pearl," or other precious stones.
It is possible that Hannah had been Elkanah's first wife. Hannah is mentioned first and Peninnah is described as Elkanah's other wife, which seems to indicate that Hannah was the wife of Elkanah's youth and that he married Peninnah later. As the story demonstrates, Elkanah cares for Hannah deeply (1 Samuel 1:5, 1:8), which also might indicate that he loved her more or for a longer time than he had loved Peninnah.
Verse 2 ends with a painful comparison between Elkanah's two wives: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
In the Ancient Near East, children were considered one of the greatest blessings and not to bear children was seen as a curse. This is observable in numerous cultures throughout the Ancient world, including:
The Epic of King Keret, where the king is cursed by the death of his wife and children but then the gods bless the king with a new wife, and "she conceives and bears sons to him, she conceives and bears daughters to him."
The Babylonian epic of the flood, where the gods are bothered by the noise humans are making so the gods issue a curse that one third of women should not give birth successfully and babies be snatched from their mother's lap.
Egyptian, Assyrian, and Babylonian records contain numerous ways of divining if a woman will be able to conceive or not.
The Epic of Gilgamesh lists the increasing joys of more children: "Did you see there a man with two grown sons?" "I did indeed and he smiles all day long." "Did you see there a man with three of his own boys?" "I did, I did; and his heart's full of joys." "Did you there see a king with four full kids?" "I did see one whose pleasure is supreme." "Did you see there anyone with five children?" "Oh yes, they go about with laughs and shouts." "And could you find a man with six or seven boys?" "You could and they are treated as the gods."
These various sentiments are echoes of the Biblical truth expressed in the Psalms:
"Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one's youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them." (Psalm 127:3-5)
Having children and specifically an heir was of such importance that many Ancient Near Eastern writings are laws and contracts about adoption and for obtaining a second wife if the first wife was unable to bear children:
The Nuzi tablets from the Bronze Age record a marriage arrangement and stipulate that the husband shall not take a second wife unless his bride is unable to produce children, and then the first wife will acquire another wife for him to produce offspring.
The Code of Hammurabi (laws 144-147) give direction for acquiring a slave woman to produce offspring, and according to law 138 if a husband wanted to divorce a wife who could not bear him children, he had to give her dowry back and return her to her father’s house. Laws 185-193 of Hammurabi’s code deal with adopting a son.
From so many numerous sources it can be seen that conception, children, and heirs were a very important part of ancient life. Consequently, there was immense social responsibility on women to bear children and provide heirs for the family, one way or another. It is possible, if not likely, that because Hannah had no children, Elkanah may have taken another wife to have children. Although Hannah's situation was not uncommon, given the number of laws and contracts that discuss obtaining offspring through a second wife or slave, it certainly would have felt shameful that Hannah could not provide heirs for Elkanah's family, and that her husband's affection and attention was forever split between her and another woman, potentially even favoring the second fertile wife over her.
1 Samuel 1:1-2
Elkanah and His Wives
1 Now there was a certain man from Ramathaim-zophim from 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.
2 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.
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1 Samuel 1:1-2 meaning
1 Samuel 1:1-2 introduces Elkanah, an Ephraimite from Ramathaim-zophim, and his two wives, Hannah and Peninnah, noting the painful contrast that Peninnah had children while Hannah had none.
Now there was a certain man from Ramathaim-zophim from 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 (v 1).
The book of 1 Samuel is a narrative, which means it must have a beginning. It begins with the word—Now. Without context, the word Now is an unspecific point of reference. But in the context of 1 Samuel and its placement in the Bible, Now refers to the time when God called up judges to lead the people of Israel. More specifically, because Samuel will be the last judge of Israel, and these verses discuss his parents, Now likely overlaps or nearly corresponds with the events described in the Book of Ruth.
After opening the book with the word—Now—as an indefinite description of when these events of the narrative began, 1 Samuel introduces a certain man, a generic term to refer to an individual. It is similar to "someone."
This certain man was from the town of Ramathaim-zophim which was located in the hill country of Ephraim.
Ramathaim-zophim, sometimes called "Ramah," was located in the central highlands of ancient Israel, just north of Jerusalem. Ramathaim-zophim is estimated to be 15 miles south of Shiloh. The surrounding terrain of Ramathaim-zophim is hilly which is why it is described as the hill country. This town is located within the tribal lands of Ephraim close to the border of the tribe of Benjamin. The shorter name, Ramah, is used for multiple other towns in different tribal territories (Joshua 18:25, 19:29, 36), so the identifier of Zophim helps specify which location is being referenced and is possibly derived from the name of Zophai (1 Chronicles 6:26).
Ephraim is a half tribe, along with Manasseh, originating from Joseph's two sons (Genesis 48:1). Ephraim's territory is located roughly in the middle of the territory of Israel.
The name of this certain man from Ramathaim-zophim was Elkanah. The name, Elkanah, is a combination of "El," meaning "God," and "qanah," the word for "create," "own," or "attain." Thus, Elkinah seems to mean "God attained." There is another man, a Levite in the line of Kohath, whose name is also Elkanah, who is mentioned in 1 Chronicles 6:27, 34. That Elkanah was of the clan responsible for music at the Tabernacle.
It is possible that 1 Chronicles 6 and 1 Samuel 1 refer to the same Elkanah. It could be that Elkanah was from the tribe of Levi and was living in a Levite appointed city in the territory of Ephraim. Some people consider that because Eli allowed Samuel to work in the temple and Samuel went on to offer sacrifices and anoint kings (1 Samuel 7:9, 1 Samuel 10:1), then Samuel would have been of Levitical descent.
The word "Ephraimite" is used in the Bible to describe both someone from the tribe of Ephraim (Judges 12:5) and someone from the area of Bethlehem—Ephrath (Genesis 35:19, 1 Samuel 17:12). Those who consider Elkanah to be of Levitical descent see this reference to his ancestor as an Ephrathite to mean he was a Levite living in the area of Bethlehem. Since Levites had no territory of their own, they lived amongst the tribes, and it is a possibility that Elkanah's relatives moved around.
It seems more likely they are different figures because the Elkanah mentioned in 1 Chronicles is a listed as a son of Levi (1 Chronicles 6:16-26) and the Elkanah who is mentioned here in 1 Samuel was from the tribe of Ephraim and he was an Ephraimite.
The text gives Elkanah's lineage as: the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite (v 1).
Four ancestors are named before the lineage identifies Elkanah's great-great-grandfather, Zuph as an Ephraimite. Because Zuph and his male descendants were Ephraimites, so too was Elkanah and any of his male offspring likewise Ephraimites.
After identifying Elkanah's tribal lineage and hometown, the text goes on to describe his family:
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 (v 2).
Elkanah had two wives.
Across the broader culture of the ancient middle east, having multiple wives was not an uncommon practice for ensuring the continuation of one's family line. For instance, polygamy is mentioned in the famous Code of Hammurabi.
There are several occurrences in other biblical stories where a wife was unable to bear children, so a second wife or a servant would be used to ensure the family line continued. This is the case in Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar (Genesis 16) and Jacob, Leah, Rachael, Bilhah, and Zilpah (Genesis 29-30).
However, God created one man and one woman to establish the covenant of marriage in the perfection of Eden (Genesis 2:24). The LORD commanded that kings not to take multiple wives (Deuteronomy 17:17).
The first polygamous family is noted to be from the line of Cain, a line of men defiant towards God (Genesis 4:19-24). Though there are not any specific verses calling polygamy a sin, it is of note that the stories in Scripture that include polygamy are wrought with strife and sin. Polygamy brings painful friction within marriage and the family. Polygamy brought strife into Elkanah's marriage and family. His two wives were described as "rivals" (1 Samuel 1:6).
The covenant of marriage is always best when it is as God had intended: between one man and one woman.
The name of one of Elkanah's two wives was Hannah. The name of Elkanah's other wife was Peninnah (v 2).
Hannah's name is derived from the Hebrew word for grace, "chana." Peninnah's name comes from the word "paniyn," meaning "round," "pearl," or other precious stones.
It is possible that Hannah had been Elkanah's first wife. Hannah is mentioned first and Peninnah is described as Elkanah's other wife, which seems to indicate that Hannah was the wife of Elkanah's youth and that he married Peninnah later. As the story demonstrates, Elkanah cares for Hannah deeply (1 Samuel 1:5, 1:8), which also might indicate that he loved her more or for a longer time than he had loved Peninnah.
Verse 2 ends with a painful comparison between Elkanah's two wives: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
In the Ancient Near East, children were considered one of the greatest blessings and not to bear children was seen as a curse. This is observable in numerous cultures throughout the Ancient world, including:
The Epic of Gilgamesh lists the increasing joys of more children:
"Did you see there a man with two grown sons?"
"I did indeed and he smiles all day long."
"Did you see there a man with three of his own boys?"
"I did, I did; and his heart's full of joys."
"Did you there see a king with four full kids?"
"I did see one whose pleasure is supreme."
"Did you see there anyone with five children?"
"Oh yes, they go about with laughs and shouts."
"And could you find a man with six or seven boys?"
"You could and they are treated as the gods."
These various sentiments are echoes of the Biblical truth expressed in the Psalms:
"Behold, children are a gift of the LORD,
The fruit of the womb is a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
So are the children of one's youth.
How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them."
(Psalm 127:3-5)
Having children and specifically an heir was of such importance that many Ancient Near Eastern writings are laws and contracts about adoption and for obtaining a second wife if the first wife was unable to bear children:
From so many numerous sources it can be seen that conception, children, and heirs were a very important part of ancient life. Consequently, there was immense social responsibility on women to bear children and provide heirs for the family, one way or another. It is possible, if not likely, that because Hannah had no children, Elkanah may have taken another wife to have children. Although Hannah's situation was not uncommon, given the number of laws and contracts that discuss obtaining offspring through a second wife or slave, it certainly would have felt shameful that Hannah could not provide heirs for Elkanah's family, and that her husband's affection and attention was forever split between her and another woman, potentially even favoring the second fertile wife over her.