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but he would give a double portion to Hannah, for he loved her although the Lord had left her barren. Her rival[a] provoked her and made her miserable because the Lord had left her barren. This went on year after year. Whenever she went up to the house of the Lord, she provoked her. This made her weep, and she refused to eat.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 1:6 Her rival: Hannah, because of her inability to have a child, was considered a failure in Old Testament thinking. It was also permissible for Elkanah to divorce his wife who was barren, but he remained faithful to her. Peninnah filled the role of a second or co-wife, in Hebrew, sara.

But to Hannah he gave a double portion(A) because he loved her, and the Lord had closed her womb.(B) Because the Lord had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her.(C) This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat.(D)

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