Bede, on 1Sam 1:2

“And he had two wives, the name of one was Anna, and the name of the other Phenenna. Phenenna had children: but Anna had no children.”

“And Phenenna had children, etc. The synagogue, ever since she was betrothed to the Lord, has never ceased to generate spiritual children for him through teaching. Gentilitas, however, although it never ceased to be subject to his grace in some, albeit few, could not generate for him children who live spiritually through preaching; because she neither deserved to receive his testament openly, nor the prophecies, nor the oracles of angels.”

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.