Top 10 Rivalries Honorable Mentions:
Not surprisingly, some of the most painful rivalries in the Bible come between Old Testament wives who shared husbands – especially when those wives were competing for the love of their husband and the ability to have children. In fact, we think they are so noteworthy they deserve a special place on our list of the Top Ten Rivalries In The Bible.
Sarah And Hagar (Genesis 16:1-16)
Chapter 16
1 Now Sarai, Abram's wife, bore him no children. She had a handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.
2 Sarai said to Abram," See now, Yahweh has restrained me from bearing. Please go in to my handmaid. It may be that I will obtain children by her." Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.
3 Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her handmaid, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to Abram her husband to be his wife.
4 He went in to Hagar, and she conceived. When she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.
5 Sarai said to Abram, "This wrong is your fault. I gave my handmaid into your bosom, and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes. Yahweh judge between me and you."
6 But Abram said to Sarai, "Behold, your maid is in your hand. Do to her whatever is good in your eyes." Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her face.
7 The angel of Yahweh found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.
8 He said, "Hagar, Sarai's handmaid, where did you come from? Where are you going?" She said, "I am fleeing from the face of my mistress Sarai."
9 The angel of Yahweh said to her, "Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hands."
10 The angel of Yahweh said to her, "I will greatly multiply your seed, that they will not be numbered for multitude."
11 The angel of Yahweh said to her, "Behold, you are with child, and will bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because Yahweh has heard your affliction.
12 He will be like a wild donkey among men. His hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him. He will live opposite all of his brothers."
13 She called the name of Yahweh who spoke to her, "You are a God who sees," for she said, "Have I even stayed alive after seeing him?"
14 Therefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi. Behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.
15 Hagar bore a son for Abram. Abram called the name of his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.
16 Abram was eighty-six years old, when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.
Translation: World English Bible
Hannah And Peninnah (1 Samuel 1:1-20)
Chapter 1
1 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:
2 and he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
3 This man went up out of his city from year to year to worship and to sacrifice to Yahweh of Hosts in Shiloh. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, priests to Yahweh, were there.
4 When the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions:
5 but to Hannah he gave a double portion; for he loved Hannah, but Yahweh had shut up her womb.
6 Her rival provoked her sore, to make her fret, because Yahweh had shut up her womb.
7 [as] he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of Yahweh, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat.
8 Elkanah her husband said to her, Hannah, why weep you? and why don't you eat? and why is your heart grieved? am I not better to you than ten sons?
9 So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his seat by the door-post of the temple of Yahweh.
10 She was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to Yahweh, and wept sore.
11 She vowed a vow, and said, Yahweh of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your handmaid, and remember me, and not forget your handmaid, but will give to your handmaid a man-child, then I will give him to Yahweh all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come on his head.
12 It happened, as she continued praying before Yahweh, that Eli marked her mouth.
13 Now Hannah, she spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.
14 Eli said to her, How long will you be drunken? put away your wine from you.
15 Hannah answered, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I poured out my soul before Yahweh.
16 Don't count your handmaid for a wicked woman; for out of the abundance of my complaint and my provocation have I spoken hitherto.
17 Then Eli answered, Go in peace; and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of him.
18 She said, Let your handmaid find favor in your sight. So the woman went her way, and ate; and her facial expression wasn't sad any more.
19 They rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before Yahweh, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and Yahweh remembered her.
20 It happened, when the time was come about, that Hannah conceived, and bore a son; and she named him Samuel, [saying], Because I have asked him of Yahweh.
Translation: World English Bible
Rachel And Leah (Genesis 29:31-30:24)
Chapter 29
31 Yahweh saw that Leah was hated, and he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.
32 Leah conceived, and bore a son, and she named him Reuben. For she said, "Because Yahweh has looked at my affliction. For now my husband will love me."
33 She conceived again, and bare a son, and said, "Because Yahweh has heard that I am hated, he has therefore given me this son also." She named him Simeon.
34 She conceived again, and bare a son. Said, "Now this time will my husband be joined to me, because I have borne him three sons." Therefore was his name called Levi.
35 She conceived again, and bare a son. She said, "This time will I praise Yahweh." Therefore she named him Judah. Then she stopped bearing.
Translation: World English Bible
Chapter 30
1 When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister. She said to Jacob, "Give me children, or else I will die."
2 Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel, and he said, "Am I in God's place, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?"
3 She said, "Behold, my maid Bilhah. Go in to her, that she may bear on my knees, and I also may obtain children by her."
4 She gave him Bilhah her handmaid as wife, and Jacob went in to her.
5 Bilhah conceived, and bore Jacob a son.
6 Rachel said, "God has judged me, and has also heard my voice, and has given me a son." Therefore called she his name Dan.
7 Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid, conceived again, and bore Jacob a second son.
8 Rachel said, "With mighty wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and have prevailed." She named him Naphtali.
9 When Leah saw that she had finished bearing, she took Zilpah, her handmaid, and gave her to Jacob as a wife.
10 Zilpah, Leah's handmaid, bore Jacob a son.
11 Leah said, "How fortunate!" She named him Gad.
12 Zilpah, Leah's handmaid, bore Jacob a second son.
13 Leah said, "Happy am I, for the daughters will call me happy." She named him Asher.
14 Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother, Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, "Please give me some of your son's mandrakes."
15 She said to her, "Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take away my son's mandrakes, also?" Rachel said, "Therefore he will lie with you tonight for your son's mandrakes."
16 Jacob came from the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, "You must come in to me; for I have surely hired you with my son's mandrakes." He lay with her that night.
17 God listened to Leah, and she conceived, and bore Jacob a fifth son.
18 Leah said, "God has given me my hire, because I gave my handmaid to my husband." She named him Issachar.
19 Leah conceived again, and bore a sixth son to Jacob.
20 Leah said, "God has endowed me with a good dowry. Now my husband will live with me, because I have borne him six sons." She named him Zebulun.
21 Afterwards, she bore a daughter, and named her Dinah.
22 God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her, and opened her womb.
23 She conceived, bore a son, and said, "God has taken away my reproach.
24 She named him Joseph, saying, "May Yahweh add another son to me."
Translation: World English Bible