And as he did so year by year
Elkanah went up every year to Shiloh, and offered sacrifices,
taking his family with him, and gave to Peninnah and her children
their portion, and to Hannah a double portion, or if but one yet
the best:
when she went up to the house of the Lord;
that is, Peninnah, along with her husband, with whom she went
every year to the tabernacle at Shiloh:
so she provoked her;
her rival Hannah, upbraiding her with her barrenness; to which
she was stirred up by seeing her husband on these festivals take
so much notice of her, and show so much love and respect for her,
as always to give her the best portion. Abarbinel thinks that
Peninnah and Hannah lived at two separate places, the one at
Ramah and the other at Ramatha, which both together are called
Ramathaim; and that they only met with and saw one another at
these festivals, and then it was that the one was so very
insulting and provoking to the other:
therefore she wept and did not eat;
that is, Hannah wept at the insults, reproaches, and scoffs, cast
at her by her antagonist; insomuch that she could not eat of the
peace offerings, though her husband always gave her the best part
and portion of them; but her grief took away her stomach and
appetite, that she could not eat; see ( Psalms 42:3 ) .