Elkanah loved Hannah the most. Jewish tradition
has it that he married Hannah first and that Peninnah came along some years
later. At any rate, Peninnah, who was deeply jealous of Hannah, found many ways
to make her rival suffer. Peninnah’s great advantage over Hannah had to do with
fertility. Peninnah produced one offspring after another, and her
self-importance grew with each new child. Instead of feeling sorry for Hannah
and comforting her in her disappointment, Peninnah played on that sensitive
point. The Bible says that Peninnah vexed Hannah sorely “for the sake of making
her feel disconcerted.” (1 Sam. 1:6) Peninnah’s
actions were deliberate. She wanted to hurt Hannah, and she succeeded.
Once,
at the house of the Lord in Shiloh, Hannah was praying so intently that her lips moved
silently with the words she spoke to God in her heart. Eli the priest saw her
and accused her of being drunk. She answered that she was praying, pouring out
her soul to the Lord. Touched by her pain,
Eli answered, "Go in
peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him." (1 Samuel1:17, NIV)
After Hannah and her husband
Elkanah returned from Shiloh to their home at Ramah, they slept together.
Scripture says, "...and the Lord
remembered her." (1
Samuel 1:19, NIV). She became
pregnant, had a son, and named him Samuel, which
means "God hears."
But Hannah had made a promise to God that if she bore a son, she
would give him back for God's service. Hannah followed through on that promise.
She handed her young child Samuel over to Eli for training as a priest.
God blessed Hannah further
for honoring her pledge to him. She bore three more sons and two daughters.
Samuel grew up to become the last of Israel's judges, its first prophet, and
counselor to its first two kings, Saul and David.
Refrences: 1 Samuel : 1 -28
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