A common misinterpretation views this verse as portraying Elkanah as neglectful or unfairly favoring Peninnah's family over Hannah, ignoring the immediate context of verse 5 where he gives Hannah a double portion out of love; others mistakenly read it as endorsing polygamy without recognizing its descriptive rather than prescriptive nature in a culture permitting it, or divorce it from the sacrificial worship context to apply it as a model for modern family favoritism during meals.
I Samuel 1:4
King James Version (1769)
4 And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions:
This verse depicts the annual family pilgrimage to Shiloh for sacrifice, where Elkanah faithfully distributes portions of the offering to his wife Peninnah and her children, reflecting the communal sharing central to Israelite worship and family life, while setting the stage for highlighting Hannah's childlessness and the emotional contrasts within the household that lead to her prayer for a son.