What is the meaning of 1 Samuel 1:2?

He had two wives

“Now this man had two wives…” (1 Samuel 1:2a)

• The text states the fact without endorsing the practice. From creation God’s pattern was one man and one woman (Genesis 2:24), yet He permitted polygamy for a time (Deuteronomy 21:15).

• Scripture consistently shows that multiple marriages breed rivalry and sorrow—consider Lamech (Genesis 4:19), Jacob with Leah and Rachel (Genesis 29:30–31), and Solomon’s divided heart (1 Kings 11:3–4). Elkanah’s household will prove no exception (1 Samuel 1:6–7).

• God works amid human brokenness; the tension of two wives sets the stage for His gracious intervention.

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One named Hannah

• Hannah’s name is introduced first, hinting at her ultimate prominence. Like Ruth before her (Ruth 1:16–17) and Mary after her (Luke 1:46–55), she will model humble, persevering faith.

• Though childless, she faithfully makes the annual pilgrimage to worship (1 Samuel 1:3). Her spiritual sensitivity—seen later in her prayer (1 Samuel 1:10–11)—shows that God values heart devotion above outward status (1 Samuel 16:7).

• The Lord often begins His redemptive stories with an overlooked, faithful woman: Sarah (Genesis 11:30), Rebekah (Genesis 25:21), and Elizabeth (Luke 1:7) all foreshadow Hannah’s role.

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The other Peninnah

• “and the other Peninnah.” While little is told of her character, later verses reveal a spirit of provocation (1 Samuel 1:6).

• Peninnah embodies the fleshly tendency to boast in earthly advantage (Philippians 3:4–7). Like Hagar toward Sarah (Genesis 16:4–5), she uses her children to belittle Hannah, exposing envy and insecurity.

• Her presence highlights the contrast between outward blessing and inward godliness, reminding us that “man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

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Peninnah had children

• “And Peninnah had children…” (1 Samuel 1:2b). In ancient Israel, children signified favor and future security (Psalm 127:3–5).

• Fertility gave Peninnah social leverage, yet Scripture later shows her unnamed sons fade from the narrative, while Hannah’s single boy Samuel shapes the nation (1 Samuel 3:19–20).

• God often overturns human expectations: Leah’s unloved status produced Judah (Genesis 29:35), and obscure Bethlehem yielded Messiah (Micah 5:2; Luke 2:4–7).

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But Hannah had none

• “…but Hannah had none.” Barrenness carried deep pain and stigma (Genesis 30:1; Proverbs 30:16).

• Repeated biblical accounts of infertile women—Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Manoah’s wife (Judges 13:2), and Elizabeth—show that God delights to bring life where none is possible, underscoring His power and grace.

• Hannah’s emptiness prepares her to seek the Lord earnestly (1 Samuel 1:10–11). Her story teaches that unfulfilled desires can drive us to deeper dependence, echoing Paul’s “power perfected in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

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summary

1 Samuel 1:2 sets the emotional and spiritual landscape of the chapter. Elkanah’s polygamous household creates rivalry; Peninnah enjoys conventional blessing, while Hannah bears the ache of barrenness. God will use this very ache to draw Hannah into fervent prayer and to raise up Samuel, a prophet who will lead Israel into a new era. The verse reminds us that earthly advantage is not the same as divine favor, and that the Lord often begins His greatest works through those society deems empty or overlooked.