Thinking on Hannah
The attentive reader of Holy Scripture, when he arrives at the beginning of First Samuel, may recognize certain similarities to an earlier story in Genesis. Specifically, Hannah, the chief figure in that chapter, should remind the reader of ancient Sarah.
Christian readers have long commented on the similarities between the two women. In the early ninth century, for example, Rhabanus Maurus elaborated these similarities in some detail. First, he observed, each woman is introduced as barren. Second, both of them have “rivals” within their marriages: Hagar in the case of Sarah, Peninnah in the case of Hannah. Third, both Sarah and Hannah are portrayed as the “senior” wives in their respective marriages. Fourth, each barren woman is treated contemptuously by her rival (Gen. 16:4–5; 1 Sam. 1:6–7). Fifth, both of them—Sarah and Hannah—at last conceive and bear sons through the fulfillment of a divine promise.
Other Christian writers extended the parallel even further, comparing Elkanah’s two wives not only to the two wives of Abraham, but also to Leah and Rachel, the two wives of Jacob. In each of these three cases, the barren wife, who conceived later in life and by divine intervention, was contrasted with the more fruitful wife who was less loved.
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Patrick Henry Reardon is pastor emeritus of All Saints Antiochian Orthodox Church in Chicago, Illinois, and the author of numerous books, including, most recently, Out of Step with God: Orthodox Christian Reflections on the Book of Numbers (Ancient Faith Publishing, 2019).
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