1 Samuel 1:6

1Sa 1:6 And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb.

Ver. 6. And her adversary also provoked her sore.] Aemula eius: num ita vocantur uxores digamorum {Lev 18:18} Peninnah, her corival, an insolent spiteful creature, vexatious, as the Hebrew word signifieth, and violent. {a}

For to make her fret.] Or, To make her to thunder, and cause a rattle in the house, by chiding and chafing. Peninnah provoked her on purpose, and for that purpose: this was an aggravation of her sin, as it is likewise of theirs that put a word out on purpose to enrage, vex, disgrace, or discountenance another. Piscator rendereth it, Propterea quid intonabat, because she, that is, Peninnah, thundered, that is, impetuously railed, and reproached her with her barrenness. This was to add affliction to the afflicted; which is greatest inhumanity.

{a} Angens.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

her adversary also provoked her sore--The conduct of Peninnah was most unbecoming. But domestic broils in the houses of polygamists are of frequent occurrence, and the most fruitful cause of them has always been jealousy of the husband's superior affection, as in this case of Hannah.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 6. And her adversary] That is, Peninnah.

Provoked her sore] Was constantly striving to irritate and vex her, to make her fret - to make her discontented with her lot, because the Lord had denied her children.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(6) And her adversary also provoked her sore.—Jealousy, grief, anger, malice, the many bitter fruits of this way of living, so different to God’s original appointment, here show themselves. The one sin of polygamy poisons the whole home life of the family, in all other respects apparently a quiet, Godfearing, orderly household.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

6. her adversary] Peninnah. The cognate verb is used in Lev_18:18, “Thou shalt not take a wife to her sister to vex her.”

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And her adversary also provoked her sore,.... That is, Peninnah, the other wife of Elkanah; for when a man had more wives, two or more, they were usually at enmity to one another, as the two wives of Socrates were, being always jealous lest one should have more love and respect than the other from the husband; and this woman provoked Hannah one time after another, and continually, by upbraiding her with her barrenness; and this was another reason why Elkanah did all he could to comfort her, not only because the Lord had restrained her from bearing children, but because also she that envied and emulated her sadly provoked her:

for to make her fret; and be uneasy, and murmur at and complain of her unhappy circumstances: some render it, "because she thundered" (l) against her; that is, Peninnah was exceeding loud and clamorous with her reproaches and scoffs, which were grievously provoking to Hannah. So said Socrates, when Xantippe first scolded at him, and then poured foul water on him: did not I say, says he, that Xantippe first thunders, and then rains (m)?

because the Lord had shut up her womb; it was this Peninnah upbraided her with, and at which Hannah fretted and grieved.

(l) "propterea quod intonabat contra eam", Piscator. (m) Laert. in Vit. Socrat. p. 112.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Insomuch. Hebrew, "to make her fret, or rage; because the Lord," &c. (Calmet)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Her adversary, or, her troubler, or vexer, or enemy; for so her envy or jealousy made her, though so nearly related. Compare Gen 29:30; Lev 18:18.

To make her fret, against her husband, or against God, or within herself.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

6. Her adversary — Peninnah, who was jealous of Hannah because of the peculiar favours shown her.

Provoked her sore, to make her fret — Tantalized her by parading sons and daughters before her eyes, and reminding her that she was barren.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Vers. 6, 7, 8. Her adversary also provoked her sore. The pleasure of this domestic festival was spoiled by the discord of the wives. Peninnah, triumphant in her fruitfulness, is yet Hannah"s adversary, because, in spite of her barrenness, she has the larger portion of the husband"s love; while Hannah is so sorely vexed at the taunts of her rival, that she weeps from sheer vexation. In vain Elkanah tries to give her comfort. The husband really is not "better than ten sons," for the joy of motherhood is quite distinct from that of conjugal affection, and especially to a Hebrew woman, who had special hopes from which she was cut off by barrenness. In ver. 7 there is a strange confusion of subject, owing to the first verb having been read as an active instead of a passive. It should be, "And so it happened year by year: when she (Hannah) went up to the house of Jehovah she (Peninnah) thus provoked her, and she wept and did not eat." It must be remembered that the Hebrews had no written vowels, but only consonants; the vowels were added in Christian times, many centuries after the coming of our Lord, and represent the traditional manner of reading of one great Jewish school. They are to be treated with the greatest respect, because as a rule they give us a sense confirmed by the best authorities; but they are human, and form no part of Holy Scripture. The ancient versions, the Septuagint, the Syriac, and the Vulgate, which are all three older than the Masoretic vowels, translate, "And so she (Peninnah) did year by year;" but this requires a slight change of the consonants.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Her adversary - Peninnah: so her envy or jealousy made her though so nearly related.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

Her rival. Her husband's other wife, Penina.

Frequently anger. Anger after anger, i.e., always.' Therefore it is written 'also [גֵם] anger.' She would say to her, "Did you buy your older son a cloak today, or your younger son, a shirt?"

In order that she should complain. In order to make her complain. Our Rabbis explain, 'in order to make her storm,' that she pray. Penina had good intentions.

Her womb. Lit., opposite her womb, and so is every expression of the word. בְּעַד

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

Her rival (tzarah): Peninah, who was a tribulation (tzarah) to her. And likewise, all two wives [married] to the same man are called tribulations (tzarot), since they are generally each other's enemies. And likewise in the Mishnah (Yevamot 1), "exempt their tzarot."

Very much anger: One anger after another. She would say things [that cause] anger, since she did not have children. And in the homiletical teachings: She would anger [her] and anger [her] again. What would she say to her? "Did you buy your older son a cloak today, or your younger son, a shirt?"

So that she should harraeim: From [the same usage as] (Ezekiel 27:35), "raamu panim (contorted [their] faces)." And the [letter], reish, in harraeimah is accented, against the rules, to strengthen the reading - as with the kof in (Judges 20:13), "netakkenhu (we shall draw them) from the city," and others that are accented for the beauty of the reading. And Yonatan translated it [in the Targum] as, harraeimah, as "to make her jealous." Meaning to say, in order that she would be jealous, she would say things about childraising in front of her and that which is similar, so that she would be jealous and her heart would ache.

Before (be'ad) her womb: Upon her womb, like (Joel 2:8), "before they fell before (be'ad) the loopholes"; (Leviticus 16:6), "and atoned before (be'ad) him" (in both of these cases, be'ad means, upon).

Radak on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash” (CC BY 4.0); “Rabbi Mike Feuer, Jerusalem Anthology” (CC BY 4.0); and “R. David Kimhi on the first book of Psalms, Translated by R.G. Finch, London, 1919” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.