The second wife to Elkanah in the Hannah narrative, Peninnah is unloved—hence hated—but fertile. She represents a woman who accepts social paradigms without examining them, thus acting out the type of jealousy between co-wives known from the matriarchal texts of Genesis.

The narrative of Peninnah centers around her interactions with Hannah, as both women were married to Elkanah. Different midrashic traditions tell stories of how Peninnah treated Hannah, most portraying Peninnah as the antagonist. Peninnah is shown irritating Hannah, although some midrashim argue that Peninnah’s actions were a result of her feeling like the least favorite wife.

Hannah is depicted by the Rabbis as a righteous woman who was devout in her observance of the commandments and tested by God through her infertility. Her story is the basis for much of the rabbinic conception and rules of prayer.