Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim Zophim, of the hill-country of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite:
"Now this man used to go up year by year from his city to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the Lord.  On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters; and although he loved Hannah, he would give Hannah only one portion, because the Lord had closed her womb.  And her rival used to provoke her sorely, to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb. So it went on year by year; as often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her.  Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, "Hannah, why do you weep?  And why do you not eat?  And why is your heart sad?  Am I not more to you than ten sons"?"