1 Samuel 1:2
New International Version
He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.

New Living Translation
Elkanah had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah did not.

English Standard Version
He had two wives. The name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other, Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

Berean Standard Bible
He had two wives, one named Hannah and the other Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.

King James Bible
And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

New King James Version
And he had two wives: the name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

New American Standard Bible
And 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.

NASB 1995
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.

NASB 1977
And 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.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now 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.

Amplified Bible
He had two wives, one named Hannah and the other named Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.

Christian Standard Bible
He had two wives, the first named Hannah and the second Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah was childless.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He had two wives, the first named Hannah and the second Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah was childless.

American Standard Version
and he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

Contemporary English Version
Elkanah had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah. Although Peninnah had children, Hannah did not have any.

English Revised Version
and he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Elkanah had two wives, one named Hannah, the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.

Good News Translation
Elkanah had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah did not.

International Standard Version
He had two wives; the name of one was Hannah and the name of the other was Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

Majority Standard Bible
He had two wives, one named Hannah and the other Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.

NET Bible
He had two wives; the name of the first was Hannah and the name of the second was Peninnah. Now Peninnah had children, but Hannah was childless.

New Heart English Bible
And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other, Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

World English Bible
He had two wives. The name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and he has two wives, the name of the first [is] Hannah, and the name of the second Peninnah, and Peninnah has children, and Hannah has no children.

Young's Literal Translation
and he hath two wives, the name of the one is Hannah, and the name of the second Peninnah, and Peninnah hath children, and Hannah hath no children.

Smith's Literal Translation
And to him two wives; the name of the one Hannah, and the name of the second Peninnah: and there will be to Peninnah children, and to Hannah no children.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he had two wives, the name of one was Anna, and the name of the other Phenenna. Phenenna had children: but Anna had no children.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And he had two wives: the name of one was Hannah, and the name of the second was Peninnah. And Peninnah had sons. But Hannah did not have children.

New American Bible
He had two wives, one named Hannah, the other Peninnah; Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

New Revised Standard Version
He had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Pannah; and Pannah had children, but Hannah had no children.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And he had two wives; the name of one, Khanna, and the name of the other, Pannana, and Pannana had children and Khanna had no children
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And he had two wives: the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah; and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he had two wives; the name of the one was Anna, and the name of the second Phennana. And Phennana had children, but Anna had no child.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Elkanah and His Wives
1Now there was a man named Elkanah who was from Ramathaim-zophim in the hill country of Ephraim. He was the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 2He had two wives, one named Hannah and the other Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none. 3Year after year Elkanah would go up from his city to worship and sacrifice to the LORD of Hosts at Shiloh, where Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests to the LORD.…

Cross References
Genesis 29:31
When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.

Genesis 30:1-2
When Rachel saw that she was not bearing any children for Jacob, she envied her sister. “Give me children, or I will die!” she said to Jacob. / Jacob became angry with Rachel and said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld children from you?”

Genesis 16:1-2
Now Abram’s wife Sarai had borne him no children, but she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar. / So Sarai said to Abram, “Look now, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Please go to my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.

Genesis 25:21
Later, Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. And the LORD heard his prayer, and his wife Rebekah conceived.

Judges 13:2-3
Now there was a man from Zorah named Manoah, from the clan of the Danites, whose wife was barren and had no children. / The angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, “It is true that you are barren and have no children; but you will conceive and give birth to a son.

Luke 1:7
But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well along in years.

Luke 1:13
But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.

Luke 1:36
Look, even Elizabeth your relative has conceived a son in her old age, and she who was called barren is in her sixth month.

Genesis 30:22-23
Then God remembered Rachel. He listened to her and opened her womb, / and she conceived and gave birth to a son. “God has taken away my shame,” she said.

Psalm 113:9
He settles the barren woman in her home as a joyful mother to her children. Hallelujah!

Isaiah 54:1
“Shout for joy, O barren woman, who bears no children; break forth in song and cry aloud, you who have never travailed; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband,” says the LORD.

Galatians 4:27
For it is written: “Rejoice, O barren woman, who bears no children; break forth and cry aloud, you who have never travailed; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband.”

Genesis 21:1-2
Now the LORD attended to Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what He had promised. / So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised.

Genesis 11:30
But Sarai was barren; she had no children.

Judges 11:1-2
Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor; he was the son of a prostitute, and Gilead was his father. / And Gilead’s wife bore him sons who grew up, drove Jephthah out, and said to him, “You shall have no inheritance in our father’s house, because you are the son of another woman.”


Treasury of Scripture

And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

two

Genesis 4:19,23
And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah…

Genesis 29:23-29
And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her…

Judges 8:30
And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten: for he had many wives.

but

Genesis 16:1,2
Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar…

Genesis 25:21
And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.

Genesis 29:31
And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.

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Children Hannah Mother Peninnah Penin'nah Second Wives
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1 Samuel 1
1. Elkanah, a Levite, having two wives, worships yearly at Shiloh
4. He cherishes Hannah, though barren, and provoked by Peninnah
9. Hannah in grief prays for a child
12. Eli first rebuking her, afterwards blesses her
19. Hannah, having born Samuel, stays at home till he is weaned
24. She presents him, according to her vow, to the Lord














He had two wives
In the ancient Near Eastern context, polygamy was a common practice, especially among those who were wealthy or of high status. The Hebrew word for "wives" is "נָשִׁים" (nashim), which is the plural form of "אִשָּׁה" (ishah), meaning "woman" or "wife." This practice, while not God's original design for marriage as seen in Genesis 2:24, was tolerated in certain periods of Israel's history. The presence of two wives sets the stage for the familial tension and personal struggles that will unfold in the narrative.

one named Hannah
The name "Hannah" (חַנָּה) means "grace" or "favor" in Hebrew. This name is significant as it reflects the grace that God will eventually bestow upon her. Hannah's account is one of deep personal anguish and fervent prayer, and her name foreshadows the divine favor she will receive. Her character is a model of faith and perseverance, embodying the grace that her name signifies.

and the other Peninnah
Peninnah's name (פְּנִנָּה) is derived from a word meaning "pearl" or "coral," suggesting something of value or beauty. However, in the narrative, Peninnah's role is more complex, as she becomes a source of provocation and distress for Hannah. Her presence in the account highlights the cultural and personal challenges of polygamous relationships, where rivalry and jealousy often arose.

And Peninnah had children
The ability to bear children was highly valued in ancient Israelite society, as children were seen as a blessing from God and a means of continuing the family lineage. Peninnah's fertility is contrasted with Hannah's barrenness, setting up a dynamic of tension and competition. The Hebrew word for "children" is "יְלָדִים" (yeladim), emphasizing the blessing and social status that Peninnah enjoyed.

but Hannah had none
Hannah's barrenness is a central theme in this narrative. In the cultural context, a woman's worth was often measured by her ability to bear children, and barrenness was seen as a source of shame and social stigma. The Hebrew word for "none" is "אֵין" (ein), indicating the absence or lack of something. Hannah's childlessness is not just a personal sorrow but a societal burden, which she bears with grace and faith. Her account is a powerful testament to the transformative power of prayer and God's ability to bring life and hope out of barrenness.

(2) And he had two wives.--The primeval Divine ordination, we know, gave its sanction alone to monogamy. The first who seems to have violated God's original ordinance appears to have been Lamech, of the family of Cain (Genesis 4:19). The practice apparently had become general throughout the East when the Mosaic Law was formulated. In this Divine code it is noticeable that while polygamy is accepted as a custom everywhere prevailing, it is never approved. The laws of Moses--as in the case of another universally accepted practice, slavery--simply seek to restrict and limit it by wise and humane regulations. The inspired writer in this narrative of the home life of Elkanah of "Ramah of the Watchers" quietly shows up the curse which almost invariably attended this miserable violation of the relations of the home life to which in the old Eden days the eternal law had given its sanction and blessing. The Old Testament Book contains many of these gently-worded but fire-tipped rebukes of sin and frailty--sins condoned and even approved by the voice of mankind.

Peninnah.--Hannah signifies grace or favour, and has ever been a favourite name among the women of the East. It was the name of the Punic Queen Dido's sister, Anna. The traditional mother of the Virgin Mary was named Anna. (See Luke 2:36.) Peninnah is translated by some scholars "coral;" according to others it signifies "pearl." We have adopted the same name under the modem "Margaret."

Verse 2. - As a wealthy man, Elkanah had two wives, Hannah - the Anna of Virgil, who very properly gives this name to the sister of the Phoenician Dido, the language of Phoenicia being identical with Hebrew - and Peninnah. The word Hannah signifies gracefulness, while Peulnnah is the red pearl, translated coral in Job 28:18, but ruby in Proverbs 3:15, etc. Its ruddy colour is vouched for in Lamentations 4:7. The Hebrew names for women generally bear witness to the affection and respect felt for them; while those for men are usually religious. Though polygamy was a licence permitted to the Jews, it does not seem to have been generally indulged in, except by the kings. Here, as elsewhere, it was the ruin of family life. In Christianity it was marked for final extinction by the rule that no polygamist should be admitted even to the diaconate, and much less to higher office (1 Timothy 3:2, 12).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
He had
וְלוֹ֙ (wə·lōw)
Conjunctive waw | Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew

two
שְׁתֵּ֣י (šə·tê)
Number - fdc
Strong's 8147: Two (a cardinal number)

wives,
נָשִׁ֔ים (nā·šîm)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 802: Woman, wife, female

one
אַחַת֙ (’a·ḥaṯ)
Number - feminine singular
Strong's 259: United, one, first

named
שֵׁ֤ם (šêm)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 8034: A name

Hannah
חַנָּ֔ה (ḥan·nāh)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 2584: Hannah -- mother of Samuel

and the other
הַשֵּׁנִ֖ית (haš·šê·nîṯ)
Article | Number - ordinal feminine singular
Strong's 8145: Second (an ordinal number)

Peninnah.
פְּנִנָּ֑ה (pə·nin·nāh)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 6444: Peninnah -- wife of Elkanah

And Peninnah
לִפְנִנָּה֙ (lip̄·nin·nāh)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 6444: Peninnah -- wife of Elkanah

had
וַיְהִ֤י (way·hî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

children,
יְלָדִ֔ים (yə·lā·ḏîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3206: Something born, a lad, offspring

but Hannah
וּלְחַנָּ֖ה (ū·lə·ḥan·nāh)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 2584: Hannah -- mother of Samuel

had none.
אֵ֥ין (’ên)
Adverb
Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle


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OT History: 1 Samuel 1:2 And he had two wives (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)
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