1:3
Elkanah and his family went up to Shiloh every year to offer sacrifices to the Lord, and to worship Him. During the time of the judges, Shiloh was the worship centre of Israel. We see that even in the godless times of the judges, there were some who still worshipped God. Eli’s two sons served as priests of the Lord.
1:4,5
Elkanah gave portions of the meat to Peninnah, his second wife, and his sons and daughters, but he gave a double portion to Hannah who was unable to have children. It is possible that Hannah was his first wife, and only after discovering that she was barren did he take a second wife, to ensure that the family line continued. Elkanah clearly cared very much for Hannah.
1:6-8
While Elkanah was devoted to Hannah, Peninnah had a very different attitude. She kept provoking Hannah because she was childless. This provoking got worse and worse and made Hannah’s life a misery. She wept and refused to eat. While Elkanah did care for Hannah, he did not fully understand her. He seemed to think that she should be satisfied that her husband truly loved her. If Peninnah had not been so horrible that might have been the case, or at least she could maybe have lived with her disappointment, but things were not like that and she found things intolerable.
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