And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb.
Her rival wife constantly tormented her and made her deeply upset, trying to make her angry because the LORD had made her unable to have children.
This verse describes how Hannah's rival wife cruelly taunted her about being childless, which God had allowed to happen.
📚 Historical Context
In the time of the Judges in ancient Israel, Hannah was one of two wives of Elkanah, and she faced deep distress because she was unable to have children. Her rival, Peninnah, who had borne children, constantly provoked Hannah to upset her, as barrenness was often viewed in that culture as a sign of God's withholding blessing. This story reflects the patriarchal society of the Israelites, where family lineage and fertility were central to a woman's identity and social standing.
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