Hannah's prayer in 1 Sam 2:1-10 was after she took Samuel to Shiloh but before other five children she would later have. And it is reasonable to understand that that Peninah is the subject that prayer in the same way David would reference Saul (Ps 18 & 59) and Ahithophel as the enemy even though they closely associated with him.
And so the Hannah’s boasting of over her enemies in 1 Sam 2:1was because through the birth of Samuel she was delivered from the provocations (1 Sam, 1:6) And Peninah’s boasting that she was the fertile one were no silenced by Samuel’s birth a birth considered a clear miracle. The bows of the warriors speak infer the hurtful words with which Peninah fired at Hannah. And it would appear that even though the two were married to the same man the economic situation in respective households were different. That as the Peninah’s children grew older they had to fend for themselves by finding work outside the home as Elkanah may not have been a very wealthy man. and this would explain why there Hannah had enough as she was alone and Peninah struggled to cater for her family as denoted by the contrasting of the poor and the wealthy.
Even though Elkanah assured Hannah that he was more valuable to her than ten sons, Hannah in her prayer invokes the blessings of Ruth in where she is praised in reference to Naomi as a
“daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth. (Ruth 4:15)” It may be Elkanah’s reference of ten sons may infer that Peninah had ten sons and daughters just like Leah who had ten sons and one daughter. In may be that Peninah saw herself as the very embodiment of Leah wife of Jacob as the latter had 10 sons and a daughter Dinah. I don’t think Peninah’s children needed to die for every child born to Hannah rather that the borth of Samuel was so significant to that houselhold that he may have been treated and favoured as Joseph was favoured by Jacob. Perhaps this is a better rendering than the Midrash..
The waxing feeble (1 Sam 2:5) if pointing to Peninah could be understood as struggling to keep her family fed as contrasted with the proverbs 31 woman who provides food for her family (Prov 31:15).
The second part of that sentence, “but she who has had many sons waxeth feeble” is echoed in Jeremiah 15:9 where it states The mother of seven will grow faint. The Hebrew word used in both verses is ‘amal’ And in reference it may be that Peninah after Samuek was born just was exhausted trying to make ends meet making enough to feed her very large family
Hannah's prayer in 1 Sam 2:1-10 was after she took Samuel to Shiloh but before other five children she would later have. And it is reasonable to understand that that Peninah is the subject that prayer in the same way David would reference Saul (Ps 18 & 59) and Ahithophel as the enemy even though they closely associated with him.
And so the Hannah’s boasting of over her enemies in 1 Sam 2:1was because through the birth of Samuel she was delivered from the provocations (1 Sam, 1:6) And Peninah’s boasting that she was the fertile one were no silenced by Samuel’s birth a birth considered a clear miracle. The bows of the warriors speak infer the hurtful words with which Peninah fired at Hannah. And it would appear that even though the two were married to the same man the economic situation in respective households were different. That as the Peninah’s children grew older they had to fend for themselves by finding work outside the home as Elkanah may not have been a very wealthy man. and this would explain why there Hannah had enough as she was alone and Peninah struggled to cater for her family as denoted by the contrasting of the poor and the wealthy.
Even though Elkanah assured Hannah that he was more valuable to her than ten sons, Hannah in her prayer invokes the blessings of Ruth in where she is praised in reference to Naomi as a
“daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth. (Ruth 4:15)” It may be Elkanah’s reference of ten sons may infer that Peninah had ten sons and daughters just like Leah who had ten sons and one daughter. In may be that Peninah saw herself as the very embodiment of Leah wife of Jacob as the latter had 10 sons and a daughter Dinah. I don’t think Peninah’s children needed to die for every child born to Hannah rather that the borth of Samuel was so significant to that houselhold that he may have been treated and favoured as Joseph was favoured by Jacob. Perhaps this is a better rendering than the Midrash..
The waxing feeble (1 Sam 2:5) if pointing to Peninah could be understood as struggling to keep her family fed as contrasted with the proverbs 31 woman who provides food for her family (Prov 31:15).
The second part of that sentence, “but she who has had many sons waxeth feeble” is echoed in Jeremiah 15:9 where it states The mother of seven will grow faint. The Hebrew word used in both verses is ‘amal’ And in reference it may be that Peninah after Samuek was born just was exhausted trying to make ends meet making enough to feed her very large family