but to Hannah he gave a double portion; for he loved Hannah, but Yahweh had shut up her womb.
God had promised to bless His people with many descendants if they obeyed Him (Deuteronomy 28:11). Consequently many Israelites saw a woman’s inability to bear children not just as a natural handicap but also as a curse from God. Peninnah (lit. pearl; her "rival," 1 Samuel 1:6) may have accused Hannah of some sin in her life that had apparently brought God’s curse on her (1 Samuel 1:6; cf. Hagar’s treatment of Sarai; Genesis 16:4). From the context we learn that Hannah was an unusually godly woman. Probably her barrenness was not a divine punishment for sin. It appears to have been a natural condition that God placed on her for His own purposes, some of which become clear as this story unfolds (cf. John 9:1-3).