“Am I not better to you than ten sons.” Elkanah was trying to be helpful, but his question almost certainly did not help. So much of a woman’s social life was just among other women, and between feeling cursed by God and scorned by other women, Elkanah was not better than having sons. Elkanah’s ignorance of Hannah’s situation shows up in the fact that he does not even seem to be aware that Peninnah was cruel to Hannah.