1 Samuel 1:1-8 Meaning: An Ephraimite's Family
1Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim Zophim, of 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.
2He had two wives. The name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
3This man went up out of his city from year to year to worship and to sacrifice to Yahweh of Armies in Shiloh. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, priests to Yahweh, were there.
4When the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he gave portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and her daughters;
5but he gave a double portion to Hannah, for he loved Hannah, but Yahweh had shut up her womb.
6Her rival provoked her severely, to irritate her, because Yahweh had shut up her womb.
7So year by year, when she went up to Yahweh’s house, her rival provoked her. Therefore she wept, and didn’t eat.
8Elkanah her husband said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? Why don’t you eat? Why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”
1Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim–zophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite:
2And 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.
3And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the Lord of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord, were there.
4And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions:
5But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the Lord had shut up her womb.
6And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the Lord had shut up her womb.
7And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat.
8Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons?
1Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim, of 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:
2and 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.
3And this man went up out of his city from year to year to worship and to sacrifice unto Jehovah of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, priests unto Jehovah, were there.
4And when the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions:
5but unto Hannah he gave a double portion; for he loved Hannah, but Jehovah had shut up her womb.
6And her rival provoked her sore, to make her fret, because Jehovah had shut up her womb.
7And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of Jehovah, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat.
8And Elkanah her husband said unto her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons?
1And there is a certain man of Ramathaim-Zophim, of the hill-country of Ephraim, and his name is Elkanah, son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, and Ephrathite,
2and 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.
3And that man hath gone up out of his city from time to time, to bow himself, and to sacrifice, before Jehovah of Hosts, in Shiloh, and there are two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, priests to Jehovah.
4And the day cometh, and Elkanah sacrificeth, and he hath given to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions,
5and to Hannah he giveth a certain portion--double, for he hath loved Hannah, and Jehovah hath shut her womb;
6and her adversity hath also provoked her greatly, so as to make her tremble, for Jehovah hath shut up her womb.
7And so he doth year by year, from the time of her going up into the house of Jehovah, so it provoketh her, and she weepeth, and doth not eat.
8And Elkanah her husband saith to her, `Hannah, why weepest thou? and why dost thou not eat? and why is thy heart afflicted? am I not better to thee than ten sons?'
1And there was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite.
2And 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.
3And this man went up out of his city from year to year to worship and to sacrifice to Jehovah of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of Jehovah, were there.
4And it came to pass on the day that Elkanah sacrificed, he gave to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and her daughters portions;
5but to Hannah he used to give a double portion, for he loved Hannah; but Jehovah had shut up her womb.
6And her adversary provoked her much also, to make her fret, because Jehovah had shut up her womb.
7And [as] he did so year by year, as often as she went up to the house of Jehovah, she provoked her thus; and she wept and did not eat.
8And Elkanah her husband said to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? Am not I better to thee than ten sons?
Meaning in one sentence
In 1 Samuel 1:1-8, meet Hannah, whose childlessness brings yearly pain. Why does the text call Elkanah an Ephraimite? This passage opens the story of Samuel.
Context
First Samuel opens in the hill country of Ephraim with Elkanah, a man who made an annual pilgrimage to worship at Shiloh. Though later genealogies show he was a Levite, the narrator calls him an Ephraimite, likely because his family had lived in that region for generations. His household was torn by an old pattern: Peninnah had children, Hannah had none. Each year the family journeyed to the sanctuary, and each year Peninnah taunted Hannah until she wept and refused to eat. Elkanah offered Hannah a double portion of the sacrifice and a tender question, but his words did not reach her grief. The stage is set for a story where sorrow deepens into prayer.
Key Words
The text calls Elkanah an Ephraimite, using the Hebrew word ephrati. Strictly, it describes someone from the tribe of Ephraim. But 1 Chronicles 6 traces his line back to Levi. So why the label? He lived in Ephraim's hill country. The narrator identifies him by his home, not his pedigree. That matters because the story unfolds in a real place, among ordinary people whose worship mattered more than their tribal card.
The verb for what God had done to Hannah's womb is sa.gar, the same word used for locking a gate or closing a door. The preposition be'ad strengthens it: shut behind, sealed. The narrator does not call it punishment. It simply says God had closed this door. For Hannah, that knowledge was both painful and, eventually, the ground of her prayer. She knew who held the key.
And Elkanah loved her. The word ahav is the ordinary word for love, but here it carries weight. He loved her enough to give a double portion, enough to speak tenderly even when his words missed the mark. His love did not fix her barrenness, but it was real. Sometimes the love we receive is not the love we need, but it is still a gift.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions notice the tension in Elkanah's identity. Many Protestant commentators point out that he was a Levite living in Ephraim's territory, as Levites were assigned cities in various tribes. Catholic tradition similarly notes Ramathaim as a Levitical city. Others focus on the polygamy: the law permitted it, but the narrative shows the conflict it created. Wesley and Clarke both remark on the domestic unhappiness that came from having two wives. All traditions agree that Hannah's barrenness sets the stage for God's miraculous intervention, and that her persistent pain becomes the occasion for extraordinary faith. The shared focus is on God's response to humble prayer, not on the details of tribal identity.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers assume that Elkanah's question, 'Am I not better to you than ten sons?' is a model of loving comfort. In fact, it reveals his failure to grasp her grief. He reduces her deep longing to a comparison of affections. Many well-meaning people today say similar things to the grieving, trying to redirect their focus. The text shows us that even genuine love can miss the mark. Hannah needed someone to sit with her in the pain, not to minimize it.
Living This Out
This passage asks you to notice the people in your life who carry a wound that comes around year after year, the same holiday, the same family gathering, the same conversation that stings. It asks you not to offer quick fixes like Elkanah did. Instead, maybe give a double portion of your presence: a listening ear, a small note, a space to weep. And if you are the one weeping, let this story give you permission to bring your bitterness to God, not to pretend it away.
Main takeaway: Hannah's story begins in tears, but the God who locked the womb has the key, and He draws near to the brokenhearted.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Hannah wanted a baby very much, but she didn't have one. Someone in her family made her feel sad about it. It made her cry. But the story shows that God cared about her tears.
For ages 9, 12
Hannah had to go to worship with her family every year, and every year the other wife teased her for not having children. Her husband loved her and gave her extra food, but that didn't stop the pain. Sometimes people try to cheer us up, but they don't understand what we really need. Hannah's story teaches us that it's okay to be sad and to tell God exactly how we feel, even when no one else gets it.
Questions People Ask
Why is Elkanah called an Ephraimite in verse 1 when 1 Chronicles 6 says he was a Levite?
Elkanah lived in the hill country of Ephraim, so the text identifies him by his region of residence. Levites were given cities in various tribal territories, so it was not contradictory. The label likely reflects his geographic and social identity, not his tribal lineage.
What does the phrase 'the Lord had shut up her womb' mean?
The Hebrew verb sa.gar means to close or lock, and the preposition be'ad emphasizes confinement behind a barrier. It was not necessarily a punishment but a statement of God's sovereignty over childbearing. In the ancient world, infertility was often seen as a divine action, whether for discipline or for a purpose yet to be revealed.
Did Elkanah do the right thing by having two wives?
The text does not commend polygamy; it simply reports it. Many later commentators note that it caused conflict. The law of Moses permitted it but regulated it. The narrative shows the painful consequences, especially for Hannah. Christians across traditions generally view monogamy as the biblical ideal from Genesis 2.
Was Peninnah sinning by provoking Hannah?
The text presents her actions as hostile. The word used for 'provoked' (ka'as) means to anger or vex. The narrator does not justify her. While the story does not explicitly condemn her, her behavior is portrayed as cruel and malicious, taking advantage of Hannah's weakness.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study