1 Samuel 1:1-8
#305 Weekday Year II Context (Monday of the 1st Week in Ordinary Time)
There was a certain man from Ramathaim, Elkanah by name,
a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim.
He was the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu,
son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.
He had two wives, one named Hannah, the other Peninnah;
Peninnah had children, but Hannah was childless.
This man regularly went on pilgrimage from his city
to worship the LORD of hosts and to sacrifice to him at Shiloh,
where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas,
were ministering as priests of the LORD.
When the day came for Elkanah to offer sacrifice,
he used to give a portion each to his wife Peninnah
and to all her sons and daughters,
but a double portion to Hannah because he loved her,
though the LORD had made her barren.
Her rival, to upset her, turned it into a constant reproach to her
that the LORD had left her barren.
This went on year after year;
each time they made their pilgrimage to the sanctuary of the LORD,
Peninnah would approach her,
and Hannah would weep and refuse to eat.
Her husband Elkanah used to ask her:
“Hannah, why do you weep, and why do you refuse to eat?
Why do you grieve?
Am I not more to you than ten sons?”
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Commentary on 1 Sm 1:1-8
CCC: 1 Sm 1 489
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1 Samuel 1:9-20
#306 Weekday Year II Context (Tuesday of the 1st Week in Ordinary Time)
Hannah rose after a meal at Shiloh,
and presented herself before the LORD;
at the time, Eli the priest was sitting on a chair
near the doorpost of the LORD’s temple.
In her bitterness she prayed to the LORD, weeping copiously,
and she made a vow, promising: “O LORD of hosts,
if you look with pity on the misery of your handmaid,
if you remember me and do not forget me,
if you give your handmaid a male child,
I will give him to the LORD for as long as he lives;
neither wine nor liquor shall he drink,
and no razor shall ever touch his head.”
As she remained long at prayer before the LORD,
Eli watched her mouth, for Hannah was praying silently;
though her lips were moving, her voice could not be heard.
Eli, thinking her drunk, said to her,
“How long will you make a drunken show of yourself?
Sober up from your wine!”
“It isn’t that, my lord,” Hannah answered.
“I am an unhappy woman.
I have had neither wine nor liquor;
I was only pouring out my troubles to the LORD.
Do not think your handmaid a ne’er-do-well;
my prayer has been prompted by my deep sorrow and misery.”
Eli said, “Go in peace,
and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.”
She replied, “Think kindly of your maidservant,” and left.
She went to her quarters, ate and drank with her husband,
and no longer appeared downcast.
Early the next morning they worshiped before the LORD,
and then returned to their home in Ramah.
When Elkanah had relations with his wife Hannah,
the LORD remembered her.
She conceived, and at the end of her term bore a son
whom she called Samuel, since she had asked the LORD for him.
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Commentary on 1 Sm 1:9-20
Much of this passage is a prayer from Hannah to God. It takes the form of an offered covenant, if you (God) do this, I (Hannah) will do that. In this instance, Hannah offers a male child given in answer to her prayer as a nazir, one completely dedicated to God. (Nazirite, from the Hebrew word nazir, meaning: "set apart as sacred, dedicated, vowed." The nazirite vow could be either for a limited period or for life. Those bound by this vow had to abstain from all the products of the grapevine, from cutting or shaving their hair, and from contact with a corpse. They were regarded as men of God like the prophets; cf Amos 2:11-12 , see also Numbers 6:1-3.)
The priest Eli, after discovering that Hannah’s behavior was from grief not intoxication, offered her solace and a blessing. The prayer of Hannah is answered with the conception and birth of Samuel.
CCC 1 Sm 1 489; 1 Sm 1:9-18 2578
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1 Samuel 1:20-22, 24-28
#17C Solemnities A Context (The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph C)
In those days Hannah conceived, and at the end of her term bore a son
whom she called Samuel, since she had asked the LORD for him.
The next time her husband Elkanah was going up
with the rest of his household
to offer the customary sacrifice to the LORD and to fulfill his vows,
Hannah did not go, explaining to her husband,
“Once the child is weaned,
I will take him to appear before the LORD
and to remain there forever;
I will offer him as a perpetual nazirite.”
Once Samuel was weaned, Hannah brought him up with her,
along with a three-year-old bull,
an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine,
and presented him at the temple of the LORD in Shiloh.
After the boy’s father had sacrificed the young bull,
Hannah, his mother, approached Eli and said:
“Pardon, my lord!
As you live, my lord,
I am the woman who stood near you here, praying to the LORD.
I prayed for this child, and the LORD granted my request.
Now I, in turn, give him to the LORD;
as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the LORD.”
Hannah left Samuel there.
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Commentary on 1 Sm 1:20-22, 24-28
The story of the birth of Samuel to the previously barren Hannah is strikingly parallel to the conception and birth of St. John the Baptist. Both mothers, Hannah and Elizabeth, dedicated their sons to God. In the case of Samuel his mother, in these verses, offers him as a “nazirite": from the Hebrew word nazir, meaning, "set apart as sacred, dedicated, vowed." The nazirite vow could be either for a limited period or for life. Those bound by this vow had to abstain from all the products of the grapevine, from cutting or shaving their hair, and from contact with a corpse. They were regarded as men of God like the prophets, cf. Amos 2:11-12. Examples of lifelong nazirites were Samson (Judges 13:4-5; 7; 16:17), Samuel (1 Samuel 1:11), and John the Baptizer (Luke 1:15). At the time of Christ the practice of taking the nazirite vow for a limited period seems to have been quite common, even among the early Christians; cf. Acts 18:18; 21:23-24; 26.”[3]
In this case Hannah dedicates Samuel for life and she left him to be trained with the priests.
CCC 1 Sm 1 489
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1 Samuel 1:24-28
#198 Weekday I & II Context (December 22 of Advent)
In those days,
Hannah brought Samuel with her,
along with a three-year-old bull,
an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine,
and presented him at the temple of the LORD in Shiloh.
After the boy’s father had sacrificed the young bull,
Hannah, his mother, approached Eli and said:
“Pardon, my lord!
As you live, my lord,
I am the woman who stood near you here, praying to the LORD.
I prayed for this child, and the LORD granted my request.
Now I, in turn, give him to the LORD;
as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the LORD.”
She left Samuel there.
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Commentary on 1 Sm 1:24-28
In this passage from 1 Samuel, we see Samuel’s mother, Hannah, dedicating the boy to God. The reference she made to Eli: “I am the woman who stood near you here, praying to the Lord,” refers to her prayer that she would be allowed to bear a son for God (1 Samuel 1:9ff). Her prayer answered, she now dedicates him and leaves him to be trained in the faith. Hannah leaves the young Samuel at Shiloh. Shiloh at that time was a sanctuary for the people of Israel and a tabernacle for the Ark of the Covenant (Joshua 18:1; 22:9). It was served by priests and was central to Jewish worship prior to the building of the temple at Jerusalem.
CCC: 1 Sm 1 489
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1 Samuel 1:24-28; 2:1-2,4-8
#22O-I BVM Context ( Holy Mary, Handmaid of the Lord, Ordinary Time 22)
Hannah brought Samuel with her,
along with a three-year-old bull,
an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine,
and presented him at the temple of the LORD in Shiloh.
After the boy's father had sacrificed the young bull,
Hannah, his mother, approached Eli and said;
"Pardon, my lord!
As you live, my lord,
I am the woman who stood near you here, praying to the LORD.
I prayed for this child, and the LORD granted my request.
Now I, in turn, give him to the LORD;
as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the LORD."
Hannah left Samuel there;
and as she worshiped the Lord, she said:
"My heart exults in the Lord,
my horn is exalted in my God.
I have swallowed up my enemies;
I rejoice in my victory.
There is no Holy One like the Lord;
there is no Rock like our God.
"The bows of the mighty are broken,
while the tottering gird on strength.
The well-fed hire themselves out for bread,
while the hungry batten on spoil.
The barren wife bears seven sons,
while the mother of many languishes.
"The LORD puts to death and gives life;
he casts down to the netherworld;
he raises up again.
The LORD makes poor and makes rich,
he humbles, he also exalts.
He raises the needy from the dust;
from the ash heap he lifts up the poor,
to seat them with nobles
and make a glorious throne their heritage.
He gives to vowers their vows,
and blesses the sleep of the just.
"For the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S,
and he has set the world upon them."
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Commentary on 1 Sm 1:24-28; 2:1-2,4-8
In this passage from First Samuel, we see Samuel’s mother, Hannah, dedicating the boy to God. The reference she made to Eli: “I am the woman who stood near you here, praying to the Lord,” refers to her prayer that she would be allowed to bear a son for God (1 Samuel 1:9ff). Her prayer answered, she now dedicates him and leaves him to be trained in the faith. Hannah leaves the young Samuel at Shiloh. Shiloh at that time was a sanctuary for the people of Israel and a tabernacle for the Ark of the Covenant (Joshua 18:1; 22:9). It was served by priests and was central to Jewish worship prior to the building of the Temple at Jerusalem.
The selection continues with a hymn of praise to God. “A hymn attributed to Hannah, the mother of Samuel, as her thanksgiving to God because she has borne a son despite her previous sterility. She praises God as the helper of the weak (1 Samuel 2:1-2), who casts down the mighty and raises up the lowly (1 Samuel 2:3-5), and who alone is the source of true strength (1 Samuel 2:8-10); the hymn ends with a prayer for the king (1 Samuel 2:10). This canticle has several points of resemblance with Our Lady's Magnificat.”[1]
CCC: 1 Sm 1 489
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1 Samuel 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8abcd
#198 Weekday I & II Context (December 22 of Advent)
#306 Weekday II Context (Tuesday of the 1st Week in Ordinary Time)
#573 Proper of Saints Context (Immaculate Heart of Mary, Saturday Following the Second Sunday After Pentecost)
#709 Commons Context (Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
R. (see 1a) My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
“My heart exults in the LORD,
my horn is exalted in my God.
I have swallowed up my enemies;
I rejoice in my victory.”
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
“The bows of the mighty are broken,
while the tottering gird on strength.
The well-fed hire themselves out for bread,
while the hungry batten on spoil.
The barren wife bears seven sons,
while the mother of many languishes.”
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
“The LORD puts to death and gives life;
he casts down to the nether world;
he raises up again.
The LORD makes poor and makes rich,
he humbles, he also exalts.”
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
“He raises the needy from the dust;
from the dung heap he lifts up the poor,
To seat them with nobles
and make a glorious throne their heritage.”
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
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Commentary on 1 Sm 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8abcd
“A hymn attributed to Hannah, the mother of Samuel, as her thanksgiving to God because she has borne a son despite her previous sterility. She praises God as the helper of the weak (1 Samuel 2:1-2), who casts down the mighty and raises up the lowly (1 Samuel 2:3-5), and who alone is the source of true strength (1 Samuel 2:8-10); the hymn ends with a prayer for the king (1 Samuel 2:10). This canticle has several points of resemblance with Our Lady's Magnificat.”[1]
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1 Samuel 3:1-10, 19-20
#307 Weekday Year II Context (Wednesday of the 1st Week in Ordinary Time)
During the time young Samuel was minister to the LORD under Eli,
a revelation of the LORD was uncommon and vision infrequent.
One day Eli was asleep in his usual place.
His eyes had lately grown so weak that he could not see.
The lamp of God was not yet extinguished,
and Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the LORD
where the ark of God was.
The LORD called to Samuel, who answered, “Here I am.”
Samuel ran to Eli and said, “Here I am. You called me.”
“I did not call you,” Eli said. “Go back to sleep.”
So he went back to sleep.
Again the LORD called Samuel, who rose and went to Eli.
“Here I am,” he said. “You called me.”
But Eli answered, “I did not call you, my son. Go back to sleep.”
At that time Samuel was not familiar with the LORD,
because the LORD had not revealed anything to him as yet.
The LORD called Samuel again, for the third time.
Getting up and going to Eli, he said, “Here I am.
You called me.”
Then Eli understood that the LORD was calling the youth.
So Eli said to Samuel, “Go to sleep, and if you are called, reply,
‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’”
When Samuel went to sleep in his place,
the LORD came and revealed his presence,
calling out as before, “Samuel, Samuel!”
Samuel answered, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
Samuel grew up, and the LORD was with him,
not permitting any word of his to be without effect.
Thus all Israel from Dan to Beersheba
came to know that Samuel was an accredited prophet of the LORD.
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Commentary on 1 Sm 3:1-10, 19-20
This passage contains the story of the call of Samuel popularized by the song, “Here I Am Lord.” It is clear from the text that this historical period did not have regular contacts with those gifted with prophecy. (“It was rare for the Lord to speak in those days.”[2]) It is the priest Eli who recognizes that it is God calling to the young Samuel and tells the boy how to respond.
"God's revelation to Samuel, which elevates him to the rank of Prophet, contains a second message of calamity to the house of Eli. The narrative consists of five parts: an introduction, dialogues between Eli and Samuel, the revelation (in the center), again dialogue between Eli and Samuel, and conclusion." [5]
Although it is not contained in the selection, verses 11-18 provide the context of Samuel’s first oracle. It turns out to be a punishment upon the family of Eli, whose sons have blasphemed. Samuel's fame, we are told, spreads as his favored status as prophet becomes known.
CCC: 1 Sm 3:9-10 2578
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1 Samuel 3:3b-10
#811 Ritual Mass Context (VIII. For the Consecration of Virgins and Religious Profession, 2.)
#857 Mass for Various Needs Context (I. For the Holy Church, 8. For Vocations to Holy Orders or Religious Life, 3.)
During the time young Samuel was minister to the Lord under Eli,
a revelation of the Lord was uncommon and vision infrequent.
One day Eli was asleep in his usual place.
His eyes had lately grown so weak that he could not see.
The lamp of God was not yet extinguished,
and Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the LORD
where the ark of God was.
The LORD called to Samuel, who answered, “Here I am.”
Samuel ran to Eli and said, “Here I am. You called me.”
“I did not call you, “ Eli said. “Go back to sleep.”
So he went back to sleep.
Again the LORD called Samuel, who rose and went to Eli.
“Here I am, “ he said. “You called me.”
But Eli answered, “I did not call you, my son. Go back to sleep.”
At that time Samuel was not familiar with the LORD,
because the LORD had not revealed anything to him as yet.
The LORD called Samuel again, for the third time.
Getting up and going to Eli, he said, “Here I am. You called me.”
Then Eli understood that the LORD was calling the youth.
So he said to Samuel, “Go to sleep, and if you are called, reply,
Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.”
When Samuel went to sleep in his place,
the LORD came and revealed his presence,
calling out as before, “Samuel, Samuel!”
Samuel answered, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
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Commentary on 1 Sm 3:3b-10
This passage contains the story of the call of Samuel popularized by the song “Here I Am Lord.” It is clear from the text that this historical period did not have regular contacts with those gifted with prophecy (“It was rare for the Lord to speak in those days.”[2]). It is the priest Eli who recognizes that it is God calling to the young Samuel and tells the boy how to respond.
CCC: 1 Sm 3:9-10 2578
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1 Samuel 3:3b-10, 19
#65B Solemnities B Context (2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time B)
Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the LORD
where the ark of God was.
The LORD called to Samuel, who answered, "Here I am."
Samuel ran to Eli and said, "Here I am. You called me."
"I did not call you, " Eli said. "Go back to sleep."
So he went back to sleep.
Again the LORD called Samuel, who rose and went to Eli.
"Here I am, " he said. "You called me."
But Eli answered, "I did not call you, my son. Go back to sleep."
At that time Samuel was not familiar with the LORD,
because the LORD had not revealed anything to him as yet.
The LORD called Samuel again, for the third time.
Getting up and going to Eli, he said, "Here I am. You called me."
Then Eli understood that the LORD was calling the youth.
So he said to Samuel, "Go to sleep, and if you are called, reply,
Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening."
When Samuel went to sleep in his place,
the LORD came and revealed his presence,
calling out as before, "Samuel, Samuel!"
Samuel answered, "Speak, for your servant is listening."
Samuel grew up, and the LORD was with him,
not permitting any word of his to be without effect.
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Commentary on 1 Sm 3:3b-10, 19
This passage contains the story of the call of Samuel popularized by the song “Here I Am Lord.” It is clear from the text that this historical period did not have regular contacts with those gifted with prophecy (“It was rare for the Lord to speak in those days.”[2]). It is the priest Eli who recognizes that it is God calling to the young Samuel and tells the boy how to respond.
Although it is not contained in the selection, verses 11-18 provide the context of Samuel’s first oracle which is a punishment upon the family of Eli whose sons have blasphemed. Samuel’s fame, we are told, spreads as his favored status as prophet becomes known.
CCC: 1 Sm 3:9-10 2578
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1 Samuel 4:1-11
#308 Weekday Year II Context (Thursday of the 1st Week in Ordinary Time)
The Philistines gathered for an attack on Israel.
Israel went out to engage them in battle and camped at Ebenezer,
while the Philistines camped at Aphek.
The Philistines then drew up in battle formation against Israel.
After a fierce struggle Israel was defeated by the Philistines,
who slew about four thousand men on the battlefield.
When the troops retired to the camp, the elders of Israel said,
“Why has the LORD permitted us to be defeated today
by the Philistines?
Let us fetch the ark of the Lord from Shiloh
that it may go into battle among us
and save us from the grasp of our enemies.”
So the people sent to Shiloh and brought from there
the ark of the LORD of hosts, who is enthroned upon the cherubim.
The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were with the ark of God.
When the ark of the LORD arrived in the camp,
all Israel shouted so loudly that the earth resounded.
The Philistines, hearing the noise of shouting, asked,
“What can this loud shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean?”
On learning that the ark of the LORD had come into the camp,
the Philistines were frightened.
They said, “Gods have come to their camp.”
They said also, “Woe to us! This has never happened before. Woe to us!
Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods?
These are the gods that struck the Egyptians
with various plagues and with pestilence.
Take courage and be manly, Philistines;
otherwise you will become slaves to the Hebrews,
as they were your slaves.
So fight manfully!”
The Philistines fought and Israel was defeated;
every man fled to his own tent.
It was a disastrous defeat,
in which Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers.
The ark of God was captured,
and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were among the dead.
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Commentary on 1 Sm 4:1-11
The chronicle of Samuel continues with the story of the defeat of the Hebrews by the Philistines. The story, in addition to providing a historical reference, also fulfills the first prophecy of Samuel, that God would punish the blasphemy of the sons of Eli (see 1 Samuel 2:12ff and 1 Samuel 3:11-14). Their death in the battle in which the ark of the covenant was captured is the underlying lesson of this historical text, and may have been interpreted as the reason for the defeat of the army of Israel. We note the Philistines, when speaking of the arrival of the ark in the camp of the army of Israel, refer to the arrival of “gods.” This plural address reflects the polytheistic views of the Philistines who assumed Israel also worshiped many gods.
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1 Samuel 8:4-7, 10-22a
#309 Weekday Year II Context (Friday of the First Week in Ordinary Time)
All the elders of Israel came in a body to Samuel at Ramah
and said to him, “Now that you are old,
and your sons do not follow your example,
appoint a king over us, as other nations have, to judge us.”
Samuel was displeased when they asked for a king to judge them.
He prayed to the LORD, however, who said in answer:
“Grant the people’s every request.
It is not you they reject, they are rejecting me as their king.”
Samuel delivered the message of the LORD in full
to those who were asking him for a king.
He told them:
“The rights of the king who will rule you will be as follows:
He will take your sons and assign them to his chariots and horses,
and they will run before his chariot.
He will also appoint from among them his commanders of groups
of a thousand and of a hundred soldiers.
He will set them to do his plowing and his harvesting,
and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots.
He will use your daughters as ointment makers, as cooks, and as bakers.
He will take the best of your fields, vineyards, and olive groves,
and give them to his officials.
He will tithe your crops and your vineyards,
and give the revenue to his eunuchs and his slaves.
He will take your male and female servants,
as well as your best oxen and your asses,
and use them to do his work.
He will tithe your flocks and you yourselves will become his slaves.
When this takes place,
you will complain against the king whom you have chosen,
but on that day the LORD will not answer you.”
The people, however, refused to listen to Samuel’s warning and said,
“Not so! There must be a king over us.
We too must be like other nations,
with a king to rule us and to lead us in warfare
and fight our battles.”
When Samuel had listened to all the people had to say,
he repeated it to the LORD, who then said to him,
“Grant their request and appoint a king to rule them.”
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Commentary on 1 Sm 8:4-7, 10-22a
The story of Samuel’s life is concluded with a request from the people for him (Samuel) to appoint a king to “judge” them. Samuel’s sons, Joel and Abijah had been appointed as judges but were seen as corrupt, hence the statement “your sons do not follow your example.” Samuel is concerned over the people’s request because he believes that they should look to God as their only king but God tells Samuel to give them what they ask for. This he eventually does, but not without warning them first of the damage they will suffer as a consequence. They continue with their desire: “We too must be like other nations.” Ultimately Saul is appointed as king.
"Israel clamors for a king, and a new phase of biblical history begins. The transition from Judges to Kings is occasioned by a crisis of corrupt leadership (1 Samuel 2:12-17; 8:3) and a growing secular desire to be 'like all the nations' (8:5 [above])."[7]
"Their attitude towards kingship is not uniform - in chapters 8, 10:17-27, and 12 it is negative, in other chapters positive. This reflects the ancient controversy concerning the merits of kingship. In biblical scholarship the difference is usually explained by assuming different sources: the pro-monarch chapters 9:1, 10:16 and 11 are believed to belong to an older source, the anti-monarch chapters 8, 10:17-27, and 12 to a later one." [8]
CCC: 1 Sm 8:10-61 2580; 1 Sm 8:10-12 697
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1 Samuel 9:1-4, 17-19; 10:1
#310 Weekday Year II Context (Saturday of the 1st Week in Ordinary Time)
There was a stalwart man from Benjamin named Kish,
who was the son of Abiel, son of Zeror,
son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite.
He had a son named Saul, who was a handsome young man.
There was no other child of Israel more handsome than Saul;
he stood head and shoulders above the people.
Now the asses of Saul’s father, Kish, had wandered off.
Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants with you
and go out and hunt for the asses.”
Accordingly they went through the hill country of Ephraim,
and through the land of Shalishah.
Not finding them there,
they continued through the land of Shaalim without success.
They also went through the land of Benjamin,
but they failed to find the animals.
When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the LORD assured him,
“This is the man of whom I told you; he is to govern my people.”
Saul met Samuel in the gateway and said,
“Please tell me where the seer lives.”
Samuel answered Saul: “I am the seer.
Go up ahead of me to the high place and eat with me today.
In the morning, before dismissing you,
I will tell you whatever you wish.”
Then, from a flask he had with him, Samuel poured oil on Saul’s head;
he also kissed him, saying:
“The LORD anoints you commander over his heritage.
You are to govern the LORD’s people Israel,
and to save them from the grasp of their enemies roundabout.
“This will be the sign for you
that the LORD has anointed you commander over his heritage.”
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Commentary on 1 Sm 9:1-4, 17-19; 10:1
We are introduced to Saul in this passage. While on a journey of three days to try to recover livestock that went missing from his home, Saul encounters Samuel who is called seer as opposed to prophet at this point in history. Samuel is told by God that this is the person he is to appoint as King of Israel. He invites Saul to dine with him and the next day anoints his head with oil as a sign that he is commander over the heritage given to the Jewish people by God.
"Everything happens in a natural way, as elsewhere in the Bible (see especially the Joseph story in Genesis), God's directing the course of events manifested in the 'accidental' occurrences. Only thanks to his persevering servant - and against his own intention - does Saul happen to get to Samuel's town, and only thanks to the chance encounter with some girls does he enter the town at the precise moment when Samuel comes out, thus meeting the prophet who will anoint him." [9]
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1 Samuel 15:16-23
#311 Weekday Year II Context (Monday of the 2nd Week in Ordinary Time)-
Samuel said to Saul:
“Stop! Let me tell you what the LORD said to me last night.”
Saul replied, “Speak!”
Samuel then said: “Though little in your own esteem,
are you not leader of the tribes of Israel?
The LORD anointed you king of Israel and sent you on a mission, saying,
‘Go and put the sinful Amalekites under a ban of destruction.
Fight against them until you have exterminated them.’
Why then have you disobeyed the LORD?
You have pounced on the spoil, thus displeasing the LORD.”
Saul answered Samuel: “I did indeed obey the LORD
and fulfill the mission on which the LORD sent me.
I have brought back Agag, and I have destroyed Amalek under the ban.
But from the spoil the men took sheep and oxen,
the best of what had been banned,
to sacrifice to the LORD their God in Gilgal.”
But Samuel said:
“Does the LORD so delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as in obedience to the command of the LORD?
Obedience is better than sacrifice,
and submission than the fat of rams.
For a sin like divination is rebellion,
and presumption is the crime of idolatry.
Because you have rejected the command of the LORD,
he, too, has rejected you as ruler.”
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Commentary on 1 Sm 15:16-23
Saul had been sent by God through Samuel to destroy utterly the Amalekites. However, Saul did not do so; rather his forces did not wish to destroy the wealth and slaves they might take and so they despoiled the Amalekites and spared the life of King Agag. In doing this, Saul committed the sin of “divination” (predicting the will of God without authority).
An important distinction is made in this discourse regarding what God desires from his children. God desires an attitude of love and obedience rather than simply rituals of sacrifice. (See also Psalm 51:19-21.)
As a consequence of this disobedience (and in spite of Saul’s apparent repentance), God decrees that he is to be rejected as ruler and king of Israel. This opens the way for the appointment of King David and the messianic dynasty.
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1 Samuel 16:1-13
#312 Weekday Year II Context (Tuesday of the 2nd Week in Ordinary Time)
The LORD said to Samuel:
“How long will you grieve for Saul,
whom I have rejected as king of Israel?
Fill your horn with oil, and be on your way.
I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem,
for I have chosen my king from among his sons.”
But Samuel replied:
“How can I go?
Saul will hear of it and kill me.”
To this the LORD answered:
“Take a heifer along and say,
‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’
Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I myself will tell you what to do;
you are to anoint for me the one I point out to you.”
Samuel did as the LORD had commanded him.
When he entered Bethlehem,
the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and inquired,
“Is your visit peaceful, O seer?”
He replied:
“Yes! I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.
So cleanse yourselves and join me today for the banquet.”
He also had Jesse and his sons cleanse themselves
and invited them to the sacrifice.
As they came, he looked at Eliab and thought,
“Surely the LORD’s anointed is here before him.”
But the LORD said to Samuel:
“Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature,
because I have rejected him.
Not as man sees does God see,
because he sees the appearance
but the LORD looks into the heart.”
Then Jesse called Abinadab and presented him before Samuel,
who said, “The LORD has not chosen him.”
Next Jesse presented Shammah, but Samuel said,
“The LORD has not chosen this one either.”
In the same way Jesse presented seven sons before Samuel,
but Samuel said to Jesse,
“The LORD has not chosen any one of these.”
Then Samuel asked Jesse,
“Are these all the sons you have?”
Jesse replied,
“There is still the youngest, who is tending the sheep.”
Samuel said to Jesse,
“Send for him;
we will not begin the sacrificial banquet until he arrives here.”
Jesse sent and had the young man brought to them.
He was ruddy, a youth handsome to behold
and making a splendid appearance.
The LORD said,
“There–anoint him, for this is he!”
Then Samuel, with the horn of oil in hand,
anointed him in the midst of his brothers;
and from that day on, the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David.
When Samuel took his leave, he went to Ramah.
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Commentary on 1 Sm 16:1-13
As the story of Samuel the Seer continues (he is not yet called a prophet), we find him deeply troubled over God’s decision to remove Saul as King of Israel. God sends Samuel to the house of Jesse in Bethlehem to anoint the next king, whom God has now found.
After going through all of Jesse’s sons, the Lord finally instructs Samuel to anoint the youngest, David, who is not present but tending the sheep. Choosing the youngest over the eldest, which flies in the face of traditional rights of inheritance, is consistent with previous Old Testament acts (see Abel to Cain, Genesis 4:2-5; Isaac to Ishmael, Genesis 21:19-13; Jacob to Esau Genesis 27:28-40; Joseph to Rubin Genesis 37:3-11 and 49:3-4, 22-26) illustrating the Lord selecting individuals suitable to the task rather than the traditional seniority tradition. [10] This anointing is the first of three David will receive. The other two will come after the death of Saul.
The grace and strength of heaven rushes upon David and raises him up as king. The anointing of the Spirit is symbolized by pouring oil upon his head (Isaiah 61:1)(CCC 695). from that day: David enjoys an ongoing presence of the Spirit, unlike earlier figures whose possession of the Spirit was intermittent and temporary (e.g. Saul, 1 Samuel 10:6; 16:14 and Samson, Judges 14:6, 19, 15:14, 16:20).[11]
CCC: 1 Sm 16:1 436; 1 Sm 16:12-13 436; 1 Sm 16:13 695
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1 Samuel 16:1b, 6-13a
#719 Commons Context (Common of Pastors)
The LORD said to Samuel:
"Fill your horn with oil, and be on your way.
I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem,
for I have chosen my king from among his sons."
As Jesse and his sons came to the sacrifice,
Samuel looked at Eliab and thought,
"Surely the LORD'S anointed is here before him."
But the LORD said to Samuel:
"Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature,
because I have rejected him.
Not as man sees does God see,
because he sees the appearance
but the LORD looks into the heart."
Then Jesse called Abinadab and presented him before Samuel,
who said, "The LORD has not chosen him."
Next Jesse presented Shammah, but Samuel said,
"The LORD has not chosen this one either."
In the same way Jesse presented seven sons before Samuel,
but Samuel said to Jesse,
"The LORD has not chosen any one of these."
Then Samuel asked Jesse,
"Are these all the sons you have?" Jesse replied,
"There is still the youngest, who is tending the sheep."
Samuel said to Jesse,
"Send for him;
we will not begin the sacrificial banquet until he arrives here."
Jesse sent and had the young man brought to them.
He was ruddy, a youth handsome to behold
and making a splendid appearance.
The LORD said,
"There—anoint him, for this is he!"
Then Samuel, with the horn of oil in hand,
anointed him in the midst of his brothers;
and from that day on, the spirit of the LORD rushed upon David.
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Commentary on 1 Sam 16:1b, 6-13a
Samuel is deeply troubled over God’s decision to remove Saul as King of Israel. God sends him to the house of Jesse in Bethlehem to anoint the next king. After going through all of Jesse’s sons the Lord finally instructs Samuel to anoint the youngest, David, who is not present but tending the sheep. This anointing is the first of three David will receive. The other two will come after the death of Saul. Anointing in this context sets David apart for God and gives him a specific task to undertake for God.
CCC: 1 Sm 16:1 436; 1 Sm 16:12-13 436; 1 Sm 16:13 695
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1 Samuel 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a
#31A Sundays A Context (4th Sunday of Lent)
The Lord said to Samuel:
“Fill your horn with oil, and be on your way.
I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem,
for I have chosen my king from among his sons.”
As Jesse and his sons came to the sacrifice,
Samuel looked at Eliab and thought,
“Surely the Lord’s anointed is here before him.”
But the Lord said to Samuel:
“Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature,
because I have rejected him.
Not as man sees does God see,
because man sees the appearance
but the Lord looks into the heart.”
In the same way Jesse presented seven sons before Samuel,
but Samuel said to Jesse,
“The Lord has not chosen any one of these.”
Then Samuel asked Jesse,
“Are these all the sons you have?”
Jesse replied,
“There is still the youngest, who is tending the sheep.”
Samuel said to Jesse,
“Send for him;
we will not begin the sacrificial banquet until he arrives here.”
Jesse sent and had the young man brought to them.
He was ruddy, a youth handsome to behold
and making a splendid appearance.
The Lord said,
“There—anoint him, for this is the one!”
Then Samuel, with the horn of oil in hand,
anointed David in the presence of his brothers;
and from that day on, the spirit of the Lord rushed upon David.
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Commentary on 1 Sm 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a
"The grace and strength of heaven rushes upon David and raises him up as king. The anointing of the Spirit is symbolized by pouring oil upon his head (Isaiah 61:1) (CCC 695). From that day: David enjoys an ongoing presence of the Spirit, unlike earlier figures whose possession of the Spirit was intermittent and temporary (e.g., Saul, 1 Samuel 10:6; 16:14; and Samson, Judges 14:6, 19; 15:14; 16:20). • The Spirit descending and abiding with David anticipates the Spirit coming down and remaining on Jesus from the day of his anointing at the Jordan (John 1:32–33)."[4]
This anointing is the first of three David will receive. The other two will come after the death of Saul.
CCC: 1 Sm 16:1 436; 1 Sm 16:12-13 436; 1 Sm 16:13 695
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1 Samuel 17:32-33, 37, 40-51
#313 Weekday Year II Context (Wednesday of the 2nd Week in Ordinary Time)
David spoke to Saul:
“Let your majesty not lose courage.
I am at your service to go and fight this Philistine.”
But Saul answered David,
“You cannot go up against this Philistine and fight with him,
for you are only a youth, while he has been a warrior from his youth.”
David continued:
“The LORD, who delivered me from the claws of the lion and the bear,
will also keep me safe from the clutches of this Philistine.”
Saul answered David, “Go! the LORD will be with you.”
Then, staff in hand, David selected five smooth stones from the wadi
and put them in the pocket of his shepherd’s bag.
With his sling also ready to hand, he approached the Philistine.
With his shield bearer marching before him,
the Philistine also advanced closer and closer to David.
When he had sized David up,
and seen that he was youthful, and ruddy, and handsome in appearance,
the Philistine held David in contempt.
The Philistine said to David,
“Am I a dog that you come against me with a staff?”
Then the Philistine cursed David by his gods
and said to him, “Come here to me,
and I will leave your flesh for the birds of the air
and the beasts of the field.”
David answered him:
“You come against me with sword and spear and scimitar,
but I come against you in the name of the LORD of hosts,
the God of the armies of Israel that you have insulted.
Today the LORD shall deliver you into my hand;
I will strike you down and cut off your head.
This very day I will leave your corpse
and the corpses of the Philistine army for the birds of the air
and the beasts of the field;
thus the whole land shall learn that Israel has a God.
All this multitude, too,
shall learn that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves.
For the battle is the LORD’s and he shall deliver you into our hands.”
The Philistine then moved to meet David at close quarters,
while David ran quickly toward the battle line
in the direction of the Philistine.
David put his hand into the bag and took out a stone,
hurled it with the sling,
and struck the Philistine on the forehead.
The stone embedded itself in his brow,
and he fell prostrate on the ground.
Thus David overcame the Philistine with sling and stone;
he struck the Philistine mortally, and did it without a sword.
Then David ran and stood over him;
with the Philistine’s own sword which he drew from its sheath
he dispatched him and cut off his head.
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Commentary on 1 Sm 17:32-33, 37, 40-51
We are presented with one of the more famous bible stories from the Old Testament as Samuel relates the defeat of Goliath by David. In this somewhat condensed version, an alternative account of how David came to undertake the combat is omitted (1 Samuel 17:12-31). What is important for salvation history is that David had the support of God, which gave him strength and courage to conquer a foe against great odds. This event demonstrates how in preparation David is faith-filled, giving him courage. And in victory, he praises God. His motives were morally sound.
"Morally, the scene depicts two kinds of life squaring off against each other, teh old life and the new. The five stones are the five books of Moses [1 Samuel 17:40], and their laws are lifted from the stream of human weakness to the bag of divine grace. David relies on this grace, but Goliath relies on himself and his own strength. And because pride carries itself on the brow, he is brought down by a stone hurled at the forehead." [13]
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1 Samuel 18:6-9; 19:1-7
#314 Weekday Year II Context (Thursday of the 2nd Week in Ordinary Time)
When David and Saul approached
(on David’s return after slaying the Philistine),
women came out from each of the cities of Israel to meet King Saul,
singing and dancing, with tambourines, joyful songs, and sistrums.
The women played and sang:
“Saul has slain his thousands,
and David his ten thousands.”
Saul was very angry and resentful of the song, for he thought:
“They give David ten thousands, but only thousands to me.
All that remains for him is the kingship.”
And from that day on, Saul was jealous of David.
Saul discussed his intention of killing David
with his son Jonathan and with all his servants.
But Saul’s son Jonathan, who was very fond of David, told him:
“My father Saul is trying to kill you.
Therefore, please be on your guard tomorrow morning;
get out of sight and remain in hiding.
I, however, will go out and stand beside my father
in the countryside where you are, and will speak to him about you.
If I learn anything, I will let you know.”
Jonathan then spoke well of David to his father Saul, saying to him:
“Let not your majesty sin against his servant David,
for he has committed no offense against you,
but has helped you very much by his deeds.
When he took his life in his hands and slew the Philistine,
and the LORD brought about a great victory
for all Israel through him,
you were glad to see it.
Why, then, should you become guilty of shedding innocent blood
by killing David without cause?”
Saul heeded Jonathan’s plea and swore,
“As the LORD lives, he shall not be killed.”
So Jonathan summoned David and repeated the whole conversation to him.
Jonathan then brought David to Saul, and David served him as before.
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Commentary on 1 Sm 18:6-9; 19:1-7
Following David’s defeat of Goliath, Saul, now deprived of the Lord since he failed to do as God commanded through Samuel, becomes jealous of David because the Lord is clearly with him. (Recall Saul disobeyed the Lord who commanded him to destroy the Amaleks and their king Agag, taking no spoils, and the Lord removed his favor from him. 1 Samuel 15:1-9) Three times during this section it is stated that David is successful and three times Saul's response is fear.
Saul’s plot to kill David is thwarted through the intervention of his son Jonathan. Although Saul swears that David will not be killed, the spirit of evil has entered Saul, filling the void the Lord had left when he departed, and this promise is short-lived. This episode is repeated later in 1 Samuel 20:2ff. It is placed here primarily to contrast Saul’s fall from grace and David’s ascension.
#305 Weekday Year II Context (Monday of the 1st Week in Ordinary Time)
There was a certain man from Ramathaim, Elkanah by name,
a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim.
He was the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu,
son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.
He had two wives, one named Hannah, the other Peninnah;
Peninnah had children, but Hannah was childless.
This man regularly went on pilgrimage from his city
to worship the LORD of hosts and to sacrifice to him at Shiloh,
where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas,
were ministering as priests of the LORD.
When the day came for Elkanah to offer sacrifice,
he used to give a portion each to his wife Peninnah
and to all her sons and daughters,
but a double portion to Hannah because he loved her,
though the LORD had made her barren.
Her rival, to upset her, turned it into a constant reproach to her
that the LORD had left her barren.
This went on year after year;
each time they made their pilgrimage to the sanctuary of the LORD,
Peninnah would approach her,
and Hannah would weep and refuse to eat.
Her husband Elkanah used to ask her:
“Hannah, why do you weep, and why do you refuse to eat?
Why do you grieve?
Am I not more to you than ten sons?”
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Commentary on 1 Sm 1:1-8
The books of 1 and 2 Samuel, using stories about Samuel, Saul, and
David, describe a one hundred year period of sacred history. This introductory
passage speaks of the genealogy of Samuel’s father and of the early life of his
mother and family. “Polygamy deviates from the standard established at the
creation (Genisis 1:27; 2:24) and yet it was tolerated in early
biblical history as a concession to human weakness (Genisis 29:15-39; Deuteronomy 21:15-17).” [13]
Though Hannah, Elkanah’s first wife, was
favored by her husband, she could bear him no children. This was seen at the
time, at least by her rival, Peninnah, as a punishment from God. For his
part, Elkanah, her husband, attempted to console her, reminding her to look at
her call as his wife.
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1 Samuel 1:9-20
#306 Weekday Year II Context (Tuesday of the 1st Week in Ordinary Time)
Hannah rose after a meal at Shiloh,
and presented herself before the LORD;
at the time, Eli the priest was sitting on a chair
near the doorpost of the LORD’s temple.
In her bitterness she prayed to the LORD, weeping copiously,
and she made a vow, promising: “O LORD of hosts,
if you look with pity on the misery of your handmaid,
if you remember me and do not forget me,
if you give your handmaid a male child,
I will give him to the LORD for as long as he lives;
neither wine nor liquor shall he drink,
and no razor shall ever touch his head.”
As she remained long at prayer before the LORD,
Eli watched her mouth, for Hannah was praying silently;
though her lips were moving, her voice could not be heard.
Eli, thinking her drunk, said to her,
“How long will you make a drunken show of yourself?
Sober up from your wine!”
“It isn’t that, my lord,” Hannah answered.
“I am an unhappy woman.
I have had neither wine nor liquor;
I was only pouring out my troubles to the LORD.
Do not think your handmaid a ne’er-do-well;
my prayer has been prompted by my deep sorrow and misery.”
Eli said, “Go in peace,
and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.”
She replied, “Think kindly of your maidservant,” and left.
She went to her quarters, ate and drank with her husband,
and no longer appeared downcast.
Early the next morning they worshiped before the LORD,
and then returned to their home in Ramah.
When Elkanah had relations with his wife Hannah,
the LORD remembered her.
She conceived, and at the end of her term bore a son
whom she called Samuel, since she had asked the LORD for him.
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Commentary on 1 Sm 1:9-20
Much of this passage is a prayer from Hannah to God. It takes the form of an offered covenant, if you (God) do this, I (Hannah) will do that. In this instance, Hannah offers a male child given in answer to her prayer as a nazir, one completely dedicated to God. (Nazirite, from the Hebrew word nazir, meaning: "set apart as sacred, dedicated, vowed." The nazirite vow could be either for a limited period or for life. Those bound by this vow had to abstain from all the products of the grapevine, from cutting or shaving their hair, and from contact with a corpse. They were regarded as men of God like the prophets; cf Amos 2:11-12 , see also Numbers 6:1-3.)
The priest Eli, after discovering that Hannah’s behavior was from grief not intoxication, offered her solace and a blessing. The prayer of Hannah is answered with the conception and birth of Samuel.
CCC 1 Sm 1 489; 1 Sm 1:9-18 2578
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1 Samuel 1:20-22, 24-28
#17C Solemnities A Context (The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph C)
In those days Hannah conceived, and at the end of her term bore a son
whom she called Samuel, since she had asked the LORD for him.
The next time her husband Elkanah was going up
with the rest of his household
to offer the customary sacrifice to the LORD and to fulfill his vows,
Hannah did not go, explaining to her husband,
“Once the child is weaned,
I will take him to appear before the LORD
and to remain there forever;
I will offer him as a perpetual nazirite.”
Once Samuel was weaned, Hannah brought him up with her,
along with a three-year-old bull,
an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine,
and presented him at the temple of the LORD in Shiloh.
After the boy’s father had sacrificed the young bull,
Hannah, his mother, approached Eli and said:
“Pardon, my lord!
As you live, my lord,
I am the woman who stood near you here, praying to the LORD.
I prayed for this child, and the LORD granted my request.
Now I, in turn, give him to the LORD;
as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the LORD.”
Hannah left Samuel there.
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Commentary on 1 Sm 1:20-22, 24-28
The story of the birth of Samuel to the previously barren Hannah is strikingly parallel to the conception and birth of St. John the Baptist. Both mothers, Hannah and Elizabeth, dedicated their sons to God. In the case of Samuel his mother, in these verses, offers him as a “nazirite": from the Hebrew word nazir, meaning, "set apart as sacred, dedicated, vowed." The nazirite vow could be either for a limited period or for life. Those bound by this vow had to abstain from all the products of the grapevine, from cutting or shaving their hair, and from contact with a corpse. They were regarded as men of God like the prophets, cf. Amos 2:11-12. Examples of lifelong nazirites were Samson (Judges 13:4-5; 7; 16:17), Samuel (1 Samuel 1:11), and John the Baptizer (Luke 1:15). At the time of Christ the practice of taking the nazirite vow for a limited period seems to have been quite common, even among the early Christians; cf. Acts 18:18; 21:23-24; 26.”[3]
In this case Hannah dedicates Samuel for life and she left him to be trained with the priests.
CCC 1 Sm 1 489
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1 Samuel 1:24-28
#198 Weekday I & II Context (December 22 of Advent)
In those days,
Hannah brought Samuel with her,
along with a three-year-old bull,
an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine,
and presented him at the temple of the LORD in Shiloh.
After the boy’s father had sacrificed the young bull,
Hannah, his mother, approached Eli and said:
“Pardon, my lord!
As you live, my lord,
I am the woman who stood near you here, praying to the LORD.
I prayed for this child, and the LORD granted my request.
Now I, in turn, give him to the LORD;
as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the LORD.”
She left Samuel there.
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Commentary on 1 Sm 1:24-28
In this passage from 1 Samuel, we see Samuel’s mother, Hannah, dedicating the boy to God. The reference she made to Eli: “I am the woman who stood near you here, praying to the Lord,” refers to her prayer that she would be allowed to bear a son for God (1 Samuel 1:9ff). Her prayer answered, she now dedicates him and leaves him to be trained in the faith. Hannah leaves the young Samuel at Shiloh. Shiloh at that time was a sanctuary for the people of Israel and a tabernacle for the Ark of the Covenant (Joshua 18:1; 22:9). It was served by priests and was central to Jewish worship prior to the building of the temple at Jerusalem.
CCC: 1 Sm 1 489
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1 Samuel 1:24-28; 2:1-2,4-8
#22O-I BVM Context ( Holy Mary, Handmaid of the Lord, Ordinary Time 22)
Hannah brought Samuel with her,
along with a three-year-old bull,
an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine,
and presented him at the temple of the LORD in Shiloh.
After the boy's father had sacrificed the young bull,
Hannah, his mother, approached Eli and said;
"Pardon, my lord!
As you live, my lord,
I am the woman who stood near you here, praying to the LORD.
I prayed for this child, and the LORD granted my request.
Now I, in turn, give him to the LORD;
as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the LORD."
Hannah left Samuel there;
and as she worshiped the Lord, she said:
"My heart exults in the Lord,
my horn is exalted in my God.
I have swallowed up my enemies;
I rejoice in my victory.
There is no Holy One like the Lord;
there is no Rock like our God.
"The bows of the mighty are broken,
while the tottering gird on strength.
The well-fed hire themselves out for bread,
while the hungry batten on spoil.
The barren wife bears seven sons,
while the mother of many languishes.
"The LORD puts to death and gives life;
he casts down to the netherworld;
he raises up again.
The LORD makes poor and makes rich,
he humbles, he also exalts.
He raises the needy from the dust;
from the ash heap he lifts up the poor,
to seat them with nobles
and make a glorious throne their heritage.
He gives to vowers their vows,
and blesses the sleep of the just.
"For the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S,
and he has set the world upon them."
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Commentary on 1 Sm 1:24-28; 2:1-2,4-8
In this passage from First Samuel, we see Samuel’s mother, Hannah, dedicating the boy to God. The reference she made to Eli: “I am the woman who stood near you here, praying to the Lord,” refers to her prayer that she would be allowed to bear a son for God (1 Samuel 1:9ff). Her prayer answered, she now dedicates him and leaves him to be trained in the faith. Hannah leaves the young Samuel at Shiloh. Shiloh at that time was a sanctuary for the people of Israel and a tabernacle for the Ark of the Covenant (Joshua 18:1; 22:9). It was served by priests and was central to Jewish worship prior to the building of the Temple at Jerusalem.
The selection continues with a hymn of praise to God. “A hymn attributed to Hannah, the mother of Samuel, as her thanksgiving to God because she has borne a son despite her previous sterility. She praises God as the helper of the weak (1 Samuel 2:1-2), who casts down the mighty and raises up the lowly (1 Samuel 2:3-5), and who alone is the source of true strength (1 Samuel 2:8-10); the hymn ends with a prayer for the king (1 Samuel 2:10). This canticle has several points of resemblance with Our Lady's Magnificat.”[1]
CCC: 1 Sm 1 489
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1 Samuel 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8abcd
#198 Weekday I & II Context (December 22 of Advent)
#306 Weekday II Context (Tuesday of the 1st Week in Ordinary Time)
#573 Proper of Saints Context (Immaculate Heart of Mary, Saturday Following the Second Sunday After Pentecost)
#709 Commons Context (Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
R. (see 1a) My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
“My heart exults in the LORD,
my horn is exalted in my God.
I have swallowed up my enemies;
I rejoice in my victory.”
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
“The bows of the mighty are broken,
while the tottering gird on strength.
The well-fed hire themselves out for bread,
while the hungry batten on spoil.
The barren wife bears seven sons,
while the mother of many languishes.”
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
“The LORD puts to death and gives life;
he casts down to the nether world;
he raises up again.
The LORD makes poor and makes rich,
he humbles, he also exalts.”
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
“He raises the needy from the dust;
from the dung heap he lifts up the poor,
To seat them with nobles
and make a glorious throne their heritage.”
R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.
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Commentary on 1 Sm 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8abcd
“A hymn attributed to Hannah, the mother of Samuel, as her thanksgiving to God because she has borne a son despite her previous sterility. She praises God as the helper of the weak (1 Samuel 2:1-2), who casts down the mighty and raises up the lowly (1 Samuel 2:3-5), and who alone is the source of true strength (1 Samuel 2:8-10); the hymn ends with a prayer for the king (1 Samuel 2:10). This canticle has several points of resemblance with Our Lady's Magnificat.”[1]
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1 Samuel 3:1-10, 19-20
#307 Weekday Year II Context (Wednesday of the 1st Week in Ordinary Time)
During the time young Samuel was minister to the LORD under Eli,
a revelation of the LORD was uncommon and vision infrequent.
One day Eli was asleep in his usual place.
His eyes had lately grown so weak that he could not see.
The lamp of God was not yet extinguished,
and Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the LORD
where the ark of God was.
The LORD called to Samuel, who answered, “Here I am.”
Samuel ran to Eli and said, “Here I am. You called me.”
“I did not call you,” Eli said. “Go back to sleep.”
So he went back to sleep.
Again the LORD called Samuel, who rose and went to Eli.
“Here I am,” he said. “You called me.”
But Eli answered, “I did not call you, my son. Go back to sleep.”
At that time Samuel was not familiar with the LORD,
because the LORD had not revealed anything to him as yet.
The LORD called Samuel again, for the third time.
Getting up and going to Eli, he said, “Here I am.
You called me.”
Then Eli understood that the LORD was calling the youth.
So Eli said to Samuel, “Go to sleep, and if you are called, reply,
‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’”
When Samuel went to sleep in his place,
the LORD came and revealed his presence,
calling out as before, “Samuel, Samuel!”
Samuel answered, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
Samuel grew up, and the LORD was with him,
not permitting any word of his to be without effect.
Thus all Israel from Dan to Beersheba
came to know that Samuel was an accredited prophet of the LORD.
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Commentary on 1 Sm 3:1-10, 19-20
This passage contains the story of the call of Samuel popularized by the song, “Here I Am Lord.” It is clear from the text that this historical period did not have regular contacts with those gifted with prophecy. (“It was rare for the Lord to speak in those days.”[2]) It is the priest Eli who recognizes that it is God calling to the young Samuel and tells the boy how to respond.
"God's revelation to Samuel, which elevates him to the rank of Prophet, contains a second message of calamity to the house of Eli. The narrative consists of five parts: an introduction, dialogues between Eli and Samuel, the revelation (in the center), again dialogue between Eli and Samuel, and conclusion." [5]
Although it is not contained in the selection, verses 11-18 provide the context of Samuel’s first oracle. It turns out to be a punishment upon the family of Eli, whose sons have blasphemed. Samuel's fame, we are told, spreads as his favored status as prophet becomes known.
CCC: 1 Sm 3:9-10 2578
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1 Samuel 3:3b-10
#811 Ritual Mass Context (VIII. For the Consecration of Virgins and Religious Profession, 2.)
#857 Mass for Various Needs Context (I. For the Holy Church, 8. For Vocations to Holy Orders or Religious Life, 3.)
During the time young Samuel was minister to the Lord under Eli,
a revelation of the Lord was uncommon and vision infrequent.
One day Eli was asleep in his usual place.
His eyes had lately grown so weak that he could not see.
The lamp of God was not yet extinguished,
and Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the LORD
where the ark of God was.
The LORD called to Samuel, who answered, “Here I am.”
Samuel ran to Eli and said, “Here I am. You called me.”
“I did not call you, “ Eli said. “Go back to sleep.”
So he went back to sleep.
Again the LORD called Samuel, who rose and went to Eli.
“Here I am, “ he said. “You called me.”
But Eli answered, “I did not call you, my son. Go back to sleep.”
At that time Samuel was not familiar with the LORD,
because the LORD had not revealed anything to him as yet.
The LORD called Samuel again, for the third time.
Getting up and going to Eli, he said, “Here I am. You called me.”
Then Eli understood that the LORD was calling the youth.
So he said to Samuel, “Go to sleep, and if you are called, reply,
Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.”
When Samuel went to sleep in his place,
the LORD came and revealed his presence,
calling out as before, “Samuel, Samuel!”
Samuel answered, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
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Commentary on 1 Sm 3:3b-10
This passage contains the story of the call of Samuel popularized by the song “Here I Am Lord.” It is clear from the text that this historical period did not have regular contacts with those gifted with prophecy (“It was rare for the Lord to speak in those days.”[2]). It is the priest Eli who recognizes that it is God calling to the young Samuel and tells the boy how to respond.
CCC: 1 Sm 3:9-10 2578
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1 Samuel 3:3b-10, 19
#65B Solemnities B Context (2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time B)
Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the LORD
where the ark of God was.
The LORD called to Samuel, who answered, "Here I am."
Samuel ran to Eli and said, "Here I am. You called me."
"I did not call you, " Eli said. "Go back to sleep."
So he went back to sleep.
Again the LORD called Samuel, who rose and went to Eli.
"Here I am, " he said. "You called me."
But Eli answered, "I did not call you, my son. Go back to sleep."
At that time Samuel was not familiar with the LORD,
because the LORD had not revealed anything to him as yet.
The LORD called Samuel again, for the third time.
Getting up and going to Eli, he said, "Here I am. You called me."
Then Eli understood that the LORD was calling the youth.
So he said to Samuel, "Go to sleep, and if you are called, reply,
Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening."
When Samuel went to sleep in his place,
the LORD came and revealed his presence,
calling out as before, "Samuel, Samuel!"
Samuel answered, "Speak, for your servant is listening."
Samuel grew up, and the LORD was with him,
not permitting any word of his to be without effect.
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Commentary on 1 Sm 3:3b-10, 19
This passage contains the story of the call of Samuel popularized by the song “Here I Am Lord.” It is clear from the text that this historical period did not have regular contacts with those gifted with prophecy (“It was rare for the Lord to speak in those days.”[2]). It is the priest Eli who recognizes that it is God calling to the young Samuel and tells the boy how to respond.
Although it is not contained in the selection, verses 11-18 provide the context of Samuel’s first oracle which is a punishment upon the family of Eli whose sons have blasphemed. Samuel’s fame, we are told, spreads as his favored status as prophet becomes known.
CCC: 1 Sm 3:9-10 2578
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1 Samuel 4:1-11
#308 Weekday Year II Context (Thursday of the 1st Week in Ordinary Time)
The Philistines gathered for an attack on Israel.
Israel went out to engage them in battle and camped at Ebenezer,
while the Philistines camped at Aphek.
The Philistines then drew up in battle formation against Israel.
After a fierce struggle Israel was defeated by the Philistines,
who slew about four thousand men on the battlefield.
When the troops retired to the camp, the elders of Israel said,
“Why has the LORD permitted us to be defeated today
by the Philistines?
Let us fetch the ark of the Lord from Shiloh
that it may go into battle among us
and save us from the grasp of our enemies.”
So the people sent to Shiloh and brought from there
the ark of the LORD of hosts, who is enthroned upon the cherubim.
The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were with the ark of God.
When the ark of the LORD arrived in the camp,
all Israel shouted so loudly that the earth resounded.
The Philistines, hearing the noise of shouting, asked,
“What can this loud shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean?”
On learning that the ark of the LORD had come into the camp,
the Philistines were frightened.
They said, “Gods have come to their camp.”
They said also, “Woe to us! This has never happened before. Woe to us!
Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods?
These are the gods that struck the Egyptians
with various plagues and with pestilence.
Take courage and be manly, Philistines;
otherwise you will become slaves to the Hebrews,
as they were your slaves.
So fight manfully!”
The Philistines fought and Israel was defeated;
every man fled to his own tent.
It was a disastrous defeat,
in which Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers.
The ark of God was captured,
and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were among the dead.
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Commentary on 1 Sm 4:1-11
The chronicle of Samuel continues with the story of the defeat of the Hebrews by the Philistines. The story, in addition to providing a historical reference, also fulfills the first prophecy of Samuel, that God would punish the blasphemy of the sons of Eli (see 1 Samuel 2:12ff and 1 Samuel 3:11-14). Their death in the battle in which the ark of the covenant was captured is the underlying lesson of this historical text, and may have been interpreted as the reason for the defeat of the army of Israel. We note the Philistines, when speaking of the arrival of the ark in the camp of the army of Israel, refer to the arrival of “gods.” This plural address reflects the polytheistic views of the Philistines who assumed Israel also worshiped many gods.
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1 Samuel 8:4-7, 10-22a
#309 Weekday Year II Context (Friday of the First Week in Ordinary Time)
All the elders of Israel came in a body to Samuel at Ramah
and said to him, “Now that you are old,
and your sons do not follow your example,
appoint a king over us, as other nations have, to judge us.”
Samuel was displeased when they asked for a king to judge them.
He prayed to the LORD, however, who said in answer:
“Grant the people’s every request.
It is not you they reject, they are rejecting me as their king.”
Samuel delivered the message of the LORD in full
to those who were asking him for a king.
He told them:
“The rights of the king who will rule you will be as follows:
He will take your sons and assign them to his chariots and horses,
and they will run before his chariot.
He will also appoint from among them his commanders of groups
of a thousand and of a hundred soldiers.
He will set them to do his plowing and his harvesting,
and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots.
He will use your daughters as ointment makers, as cooks, and as bakers.
He will take the best of your fields, vineyards, and olive groves,
and give them to his officials.
He will tithe your crops and your vineyards,
and give the revenue to his eunuchs and his slaves.
He will take your male and female servants,
as well as your best oxen and your asses,
and use them to do his work.
He will tithe your flocks and you yourselves will become his slaves.
When this takes place,
you will complain against the king whom you have chosen,
but on that day the LORD will not answer you.”
The people, however, refused to listen to Samuel’s warning and said,
“Not so! There must be a king over us.
We too must be like other nations,
with a king to rule us and to lead us in warfare
and fight our battles.”
When Samuel had listened to all the people had to say,
he repeated it to the LORD, who then said to him,
“Grant their request and appoint a king to rule them.”
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Commentary on 1 Sm 8:4-7, 10-22a
The story of Samuel’s life is concluded with a request from the people for him (Samuel) to appoint a king to “judge” them. Samuel’s sons, Joel and Abijah had been appointed as judges but were seen as corrupt, hence the statement “your sons do not follow your example.” Samuel is concerned over the people’s request because he believes that they should look to God as their only king but God tells Samuel to give them what they ask for. This he eventually does, but not without warning them first of the damage they will suffer as a consequence. They continue with their desire: “We too must be like other nations.” Ultimately Saul is appointed as king.
"Israel clamors for a king, and a new phase of biblical history begins. The transition from Judges to Kings is occasioned by a crisis of corrupt leadership (1 Samuel 2:12-17; 8:3) and a growing secular desire to be 'like all the nations' (8:5 [above])."[7]
"Their attitude towards kingship is not uniform - in chapters 8, 10:17-27, and 12 it is negative, in other chapters positive. This reflects the ancient controversy concerning the merits of kingship. In biblical scholarship the difference is usually explained by assuming different sources: the pro-monarch chapters 9:1, 10:16 and 11 are believed to belong to an older source, the anti-monarch chapters 8, 10:17-27, and 12 to a later one." [8]
CCC: 1 Sm 8:10-61 2580; 1 Sm 8:10-12 697
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1 Samuel 9:1-4, 17-19; 10:1
#310 Weekday Year II Context (Saturday of the 1st Week in Ordinary Time)
There was a stalwart man from Benjamin named Kish,
who was the son of Abiel, son of Zeror,
son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite.
He had a son named Saul, who was a handsome young man.
There was no other child of Israel more handsome than Saul;
he stood head and shoulders above the people.
Now the asses of Saul’s father, Kish, had wandered off.
Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants with you
and go out and hunt for the asses.”
Accordingly they went through the hill country of Ephraim,
and through the land of Shalishah.
Not finding them there,
they continued through the land of Shaalim without success.
They also went through the land of Benjamin,
but they failed to find the animals.
When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the LORD assured him,
“This is the man of whom I told you; he is to govern my people.”
Saul met Samuel in the gateway and said,
“Please tell me where the seer lives.”
Samuel answered Saul: “I am the seer.
Go up ahead of me to the high place and eat with me today.
In the morning, before dismissing you,
I will tell you whatever you wish.”
Then, from a flask he had with him, Samuel poured oil on Saul’s head;
he also kissed him, saying:
“The LORD anoints you commander over his heritage.
You are to govern the LORD’s people Israel,
and to save them from the grasp of their enemies roundabout.
“This will be the sign for you
that the LORD has anointed you commander over his heritage.”
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Commentary on 1 Sm 9:1-4, 17-19; 10:1
We are introduced to Saul in this passage. While on a journey of three days to try to recover livestock that went missing from his home, Saul encounters Samuel who is called seer as opposed to prophet at this point in history. Samuel is told by God that this is the person he is to appoint as King of Israel. He invites Saul to dine with him and the next day anoints his head with oil as a sign that he is commander over the heritage given to the Jewish people by God.
"Everything happens in a natural way, as elsewhere in the Bible (see especially the Joseph story in Genesis), God's directing the course of events manifested in the 'accidental' occurrences. Only thanks to his persevering servant - and against his own intention - does Saul happen to get to Samuel's town, and only thanks to the chance encounter with some girls does he enter the town at the precise moment when Samuel comes out, thus meeting the prophet who will anoint him." [9]
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1 Samuel 15:16-23
#311 Weekday Year II Context (Monday of the 2nd Week in Ordinary Time)-
Samuel said to Saul:
“Stop! Let me tell you what the LORD said to me last night.”
Saul replied, “Speak!”
Samuel then said: “Though little in your own esteem,
are you not leader of the tribes of Israel?
The LORD anointed you king of Israel and sent you on a mission, saying,
‘Go and put the sinful Amalekites under a ban of destruction.
Fight against them until you have exterminated them.’
Why then have you disobeyed the LORD?
You have pounced on the spoil, thus displeasing the LORD.”
Saul answered Samuel: “I did indeed obey the LORD
and fulfill the mission on which the LORD sent me.
I have brought back Agag, and I have destroyed Amalek under the ban.
But from the spoil the men took sheep and oxen,
the best of what had been banned,
to sacrifice to the LORD their God in Gilgal.”
But Samuel said:
“Does the LORD so delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as in obedience to the command of the LORD?
Obedience is better than sacrifice,
and submission than the fat of rams.
For a sin like divination is rebellion,
and presumption is the crime of idolatry.
Because you have rejected the command of the LORD,
he, too, has rejected you as ruler.”
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Commentary on 1 Sm 15:16-23
Saul had been sent by God through Samuel to destroy utterly the Amalekites. However, Saul did not do so; rather his forces did not wish to destroy the wealth and slaves they might take and so they despoiled the Amalekites and spared the life of King Agag. In doing this, Saul committed the sin of “divination” (predicting the will of God without authority).
An important distinction is made in this discourse regarding what God desires from his children. God desires an attitude of love and obedience rather than simply rituals of sacrifice. (See also Psalm 51:19-21.)
As a consequence of this disobedience (and in spite of Saul’s apparent repentance), God decrees that he is to be rejected as ruler and king of Israel. This opens the way for the appointment of King David and the messianic dynasty.
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1 Samuel 16:1-13
#312 Weekday Year II Context (Tuesday of the 2nd Week in Ordinary Time)
The LORD said to Samuel:
“How long will you grieve for Saul,
whom I have rejected as king of Israel?
Fill your horn with oil, and be on your way.
I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem,
for I have chosen my king from among his sons.”
But Samuel replied:
“How can I go?
Saul will hear of it and kill me.”
To this the LORD answered:
“Take a heifer along and say,
‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’
Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I myself will tell you what to do;
you are to anoint for me the one I point out to you.”
Samuel did as the LORD had commanded him.
When he entered Bethlehem,
the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and inquired,
“Is your visit peaceful, O seer?”
He replied:
“Yes! I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.
So cleanse yourselves and join me today for the banquet.”
He also had Jesse and his sons cleanse themselves
and invited them to the sacrifice.
As they came, he looked at Eliab and thought,
“Surely the LORD’s anointed is here before him.”
But the LORD said to Samuel:
“Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature,
because I have rejected him.
Not as man sees does God see,
because he sees the appearance
but the LORD looks into the heart.”
Then Jesse called Abinadab and presented him before Samuel,
who said, “The LORD has not chosen him.”
Next Jesse presented Shammah, but Samuel said,
“The LORD has not chosen this one either.”
In the same way Jesse presented seven sons before Samuel,
but Samuel said to Jesse,
“The LORD has not chosen any one of these.”
Then Samuel asked Jesse,
“Are these all the sons you have?”
Jesse replied,
“There is still the youngest, who is tending the sheep.”
Samuel said to Jesse,
“Send for him;
we will not begin the sacrificial banquet until he arrives here.”
Jesse sent and had the young man brought to them.
He was ruddy, a youth handsome to behold
and making a splendid appearance.
The LORD said,
“There–anoint him, for this is he!”
Then Samuel, with the horn of oil in hand,
anointed him in the midst of his brothers;
and from that day on, the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David.
When Samuel took his leave, he went to Ramah.
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Commentary on 1 Sm 16:1-13
As the story of Samuel the Seer continues (he is not yet called a prophet), we find him deeply troubled over God’s decision to remove Saul as King of Israel. God sends Samuel to the house of Jesse in Bethlehem to anoint the next king, whom God has now found.
After going through all of Jesse’s sons, the Lord finally instructs Samuel to anoint the youngest, David, who is not present but tending the sheep. Choosing the youngest over the eldest, which flies in the face of traditional rights of inheritance, is consistent with previous Old Testament acts (see Abel to Cain, Genesis 4:2-5; Isaac to Ishmael, Genesis 21:19-13; Jacob to Esau Genesis 27:28-40; Joseph to Rubin Genesis 37:3-11 and 49:3-4, 22-26) illustrating the Lord selecting individuals suitable to the task rather than the traditional seniority tradition. [10] This anointing is the first of three David will receive. The other two will come after the death of Saul.
The grace and strength of heaven rushes upon David and raises him up as king. The anointing of the Spirit is symbolized by pouring oil upon his head (Isaiah 61:1)(CCC 695). from that day: David enjoys an ongoing presence of the Spirit, unlike earlier figures whose possession of the Spirit was intermittent and temporary (e.g. Saul, 1 Samuel 10:6; 16:14 and Samson, Judges 14:6, 19, 15:14, 16:20).[11]
CCC: 1 Sm 16:1 436; 1 Sm 16:12-13 436; 1 Sm 16:13 695
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1 Samuel 16:1b, 6-13a
#719 Commons Context (Common of Pastors)
The LORD said to Samuel:
"Fill your horn with oil, and be on your way.
I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem,
for I have chosen my king from among his sons."
As Jesse and his sons came to the sacrifice,
Samuel looked at Eliab and thought,
"Surely the LORD'S anointed is here before him."
But the LORD said to Samuel:
"Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature,
because I have rejected him.
Not as man sees does God see,
because he sees the appearance
but the LORD looks into the heart."
Then Jesse called Abinadab and presented him before Samuel,
who said, "The LORD has not chosen him."
Next Jesse presented Shammah, but Samuel said,
"The LORD has not chosen this one either."
In the same way Jesse presented seven sons before Samuel,
but Samuel said to Jesse,
"The LORD has not chosen any one of these."
Then Samuel asked Jesse,
"Are these all the sons you have?" Jesse replied,
"There is still the youngest, who is tending the sheep."
Samuel said to Jesse,
"Send for him;
we will not begin the sacrificial banquet until he arrives here."
Jesse sent and had the young man brought to them.
He was ruddy, a youth handsome to behold
and making a splendid appearance.
The LORD said,
"There—anoint him, for this is he!"
Then Samuel, with the horn of oil in hand,
anointed him in the midst of his brothers;
and from that day on, the spirit of the LORD rushed upon David.
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Commentary on 1 Sam 16:1b, 6-13a
Samuel is deeply troubled over God’s decision to remove Saul as King of Israel. God sends him to the house of Jesse in Bethlehem to anoint the next king. After going through all of Jesse’s sons the Lord finally instructs Samuel to anoint the youngest, David, who is not present but tending the sheep. This anointing is the first of three David will receive. The other two will come after the death of Saul. Anointing in this context sets David apart for God and gives him a specific task to undertake for God.
CCC: 1 Sm 16:1 436; 1 Sm 16:12-13 436; 1 Sm 16:13 695
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1 Samuel 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a
#31A Sundays A Context (4th Sunday of Lent)
The Lord said to Samuel:
“Fill your horn with oil, and be on your way.
I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem,
for I have chosen my king from among his sons.”
As Jesse and his sons came to the sacrifice,
Samuel looked at Eliab and thought,
“Surely the Lord’s anointed is here before him.”
But the Lord said to Samuel:
“Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature,
because I have rejected him.
Not as man sees does God see,
because man sees the appearance
but the Lord looks into the heart.”
In the same way Jesse presented seven sons before Samuel,
but Samuel said to Jesse,
“The Lord has not chosen any one of these.”
Then Samuel asked Jesse,
“Are these all the sons you have?”
Jesse replied,
“There is still the youngest, who is tending the sheep.”
Samuel said to Jesse,
“Send for him;
we will not begin the sacrificial banquet until he arrives here.”
Jesse sent and had the young man brought to them.
He was ruddy, a youth handsome to behold
and making a splendid appearance.
The Lord said,
“There—anoint him, for this is the one!”
Then Samuel, with the horn of oil in hand,
anointed David in the presence of his brothers;
and from that day on, the spirit of the Lord rushed upon David.
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Commentary on 1 Sm 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a
The story of Samuel the seer moves to the final section of First Book of Samuel (1 Samuel 16:1–31:13). Note, he is not yet referred to as a prophet, In this passage, he is deeply troubled over God’s decision to remove Saul as king of Israel. God sends Samuel to the house of Jesse in Bethlehem to anoint the next king, whom God has now identified.
Samuel looks upon the first seven of Jesse’s sons (a perfect number in Hebrew numerology). The Lord finally instructs Samuel to anoint the youngest (eighth son), David, who is not present but is tending the sheep. It is important to note that it is David is not a member of any ruling class, nor does he have any lineage that would cause him to merit such honor, who is chosen by God to lead the people of Israel. This emphasizes the fact that this divine call is not won by human merit.
"The grace and strength of heaven rushes upon David and raises him up as king. The anointing of the Spirit is symbolized by pouring oil upon his head (Isaiah 61:1) (CCC 695). From that day: David enjoys an ongoing presence of the Spirit, unlike earlier figures whose possession of the Spirit was intermittent and temporary (e.g., Saul, 1 Samuel 10:6; 16:14; and Samson, Judges 14:6, 19; 15:14; 16:20). • The Spirit descending and abiding with David anticipates the Spirit coming down and remaining on Jesus from the day of his anointing at the Jordan (John 1:32–33)."[4]
This anointing is the first of three David will receive. The other two will come after the death of Saul.
CCC: 1 Sm 16:1 436; 1 Sm 16:12-13 436; 1 Sm 16:13 695
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1 Samuel 17:32-33, 37, 40-51
#313 Weekday Year II Context (Wednesday of the 2nd Week in Ordinary Time)
David spoke to Saul:
“Let your majesty not lose courage.
I am at your service to go and fight this Philistine.”
But Saul answered David,
“You cannot go up against this Philistine and fight with him,
for you are only a youth, while he has been a warrior from his youth.”
David continued:
“The LORD, who delivered me from the claws of the lion and the bear,
will also keep me safe from the clutches of this Philistine.”
Saul answered David, “Go! the LORD will be with you.”
Then, staff in hand, David selected five smooth stones from the wadi
and put them in the pocket of his shepherd’s bag.
With his sling also ready to hand, he approached the Philistine.
With his shield bearer marching before him,
the Philistine also advanced closer and closer to David.
When he had sized David up,
and seen that he was youthful, and ruddy, and handsome in appearance,
the Philistine held David in contempt.
The Philistine said to David,
“Am I a dog that you come against me with a staff?”
Then the Philistine cursed David by his gods
and said to him, “Come here to me,
and I will leave your flesh for the birds of the air
and the beasts of the field.”
David answered him:
“You come against me with sword and spear and scimitar,
but I come against you in the name of the LORD of hosts,
the God of the armies of Israel that you have insulted.
Today the LORD shall deliver you into my hand;
I will strike you down and cut off your head.
This very day I will leave your corpse
and the corpses of the Philistine army for the birds of the air
and the beasts of the field;
thus the whole land shall learn that Israel has a God.
All this multitude, too,
shall learn that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves.
For the battle is the LORD’s and he shall deliver you into our hands.”
The Philistine then moved to meet David at close quarters,
while David ran quickly toward the battle line
in the direction of the Philistine.
David put his hand into the bag and took out a stone,
hurled it with the sling,
and struck the Philistine on the forehead.
The stone embedded itself in his brow,
and he fell prostrate on the ground.
Thus David overcame the Philistine with sling and stone;
he struck the Philistine mortally, and did it without a sword.
Then David ran and stood over him;
with the Philistine’s own sword which he drew from its sheath
he dispatched him and cut off his head.
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Commentary on 1 Sm 17:32-33, 37, 40-51
We are presented with one of the more famous bible stories from the Old Testament as Samuel relates the defeat of Goliath by David. In this somewhat condensed version, an alternative account of how David came to undertake the combat is omitted (1 Samuel 17:12-31). What is important for salvation history is that David had the support of God, which gave him strength and courage to conquer a foe against great odds. This event demonstrates how in preparation David is faith-filled, giving him courage. And in victory, he praises God. His motives were morally sound.
"Morally, the scene depicts two kinds of life squaring off against each other, teh old life and the new. The five stones are the five books of Moses [1 Samuel 17:40], and their laws are lifted from the stream of human weakness to the bag of divine grace. David relies on this grace, but Goliath relies on himself and his own strength. And because pride carries itself on the brow, he is brought down by a stone hurled at the forehead." [13]
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1 Samuel 18:6-9; 19:1-7
#314 Weekday Year II Context (Thursday of the 2nd Week in Ordinary Time)
When David and Saul approached
(on David’s return after slaying the Philistine),
women came out from each of the cities of Israel to meet King Saul,
singing and dancing, with tambourines, joyful songs, and sistrums.
The women played and sang:
“Saul has slain his thousands,
and David his ten thousands.”
Saul was very angry and resentful of the song, for he thought:
“They give David ten thousands, but only thousands to me.
All that remains for him is the kingship.”
And from that day on, Saul was jealous of David.
Saul discussed his intention of killing David
with his son Jonathan and with all his servants.
But Saul’s son Jonathan, who was very fond of David, told him:
“My father Saul is trying to kill you.
Therefore, please be on your guard tomorrow morning;
get out of sight and remain in hiding.
I, however, will go out and stand beside my father
in the countryside where you are, and will speak to him about you.
If I learn anything, I will let you know.”
Jonathan then spoke well of David to his father Saul, saying to him:
“Let not your majesty sin against his servant David,
for he has committed no offense against you,
but has helped you very much by his deeds.
When he took his life in his hands and slew the Philistine,
and the LORD brought about a great victory
for all Israel through him,
you were glad to see it.
Why, then, should you become guilty of shedding innocent blood
by killing David without cause?”
Saul heeded Jonathan’s plea and swore,
“As the LORD lives, he shall not be killed.”
So Jonathan summoned David and repeated the whole conversation to him.
Jonathan then brought David to Saul, and David served him as before.
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Commentary on 1 Sm 18:6-9; 19:1-7
Following David’s defeat of Goliath, Saul, now deprived of the Lord since he failed to do as God commanded through Samuel, becomes jealous of David because the Lord is clearly with him. (Recall Saul disobeyed the Lord who commanded him to destroy the Amaleks and their king Agag, taking no spoils, and the Lord removed his favor from him. 1 Samuel 15:1-9) Three times during this section it is stated that David is successful and three times Saul's response is fear.
Saul’s plot to kill David is thwarted through the intervention of his son Jonathan. Although Saul swears that David will not be killed, the spirit of evil has entered Saul, filling the void the Lord had left when he departed, and this promise is short-lived. This episode is repeated later in 1 Samuel 20:2ff. It is placed here primarily to contrast Saul’s fall from grace and David’s ascension.
CCC: 1 Sm 19:1-14 2583
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1 Samuel 24:3-21
#315 Weekday Year II Context (Friday of the 2nd Week in Ordinary Time)
Saul took three thousand picked men from all Israel
and went in search of David and his men
in the direction of the wild goat crags.
When he came to the sheepfolds along the way, he found a cave,
which he entered to relieve himself.
David and his men were occupying the inmost recesses of the cave.
David’s servants said to him,
“This is the day of which the LORD said to you,
‘I will deliver your enemy into your grasp;
do with him as you see fit.’”
So David moved up and stealthily cut off an end of Saul’s mantle.
Afterward, however, David regretted that he had cut off
an end of Saul’s mantle.
He said to his men,
“The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master,
the LORD’s anointed, as to lay a hand on him,
for he is the LORD’s anointed.”
With these words David restrained his men
and would not permit them to attack Saul.
Saul then left the cave and went on his way.
David also stepped out of the cave, calling to Saul,
“My lord the king!”
When Saul looked back, David bowed to the ground in homage and asked
Saul:
“Why do you listen to those who say,
‘David is trying to harm you’?
You see for yourself today that the Lord just now delivered you
into my grasp in the cave.
I had some thought of killing you, but I took pity on you instead.
I decided, ‘I will not raise a hand against my lord,
for he is the LORD’s anointed and a father to me.’
Look here at this end of your mantle which I hold.
Since I cut off an end of your mantle and did not kill you,
see and be convinced that I plan no harm and no rebellion.
I have done you no wrong,
though you are hunting me down to take my life.
The LORD will judge between me and you,
and the LORD will exact justice from you in my case.
I shall not touch you.
The old proverb says, ‘From the wicked comes forth wickedness.’
So I will take no action against you.
Against whom are you on campaign, O king of Israel?
Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog, or a single flea!
The LORD will be the judge; he will decide between me and you.
May he see this, and take my part,
and grant me justice beyond your reach!”
When David finished saying these things to Saul, Saul answered,
“Is that your voice, my son David?”
And Saul wept aloud.
Saul then said to David: “You are in the right rather than I;
you have treated me generously, while I have done you harm.
Great is the generosity you showed me today,
when the LORD delivered me into your grasp
and you did not kill me.
For if a man meets his enemy, does he send him away unharmed?
May the LORD reward you generously for what you have done this day.
And now, I know that you shall surely be king
and that sovereignty over Israel shall come into your possession.”
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Commentary on 1 Sm 24:3-21
The relationship between Saul and David has deteriorated to a point where Saul now hunts David, intending to put him to death. David is encouraged to take Saul’s life when the king is placed within his easy reach in the cave, but he spares Saul and instead cuts off a piece of Saul’s garment.
When David later confronts Saul from a safe distance and humbles himself (“Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog, or a single flea”) displaying the piece of cloth cut from Saul’s garment, David proves his own mercy and obedience to God’s will (since God had anointed Saul king). Saul recognizes David’s favored status in God’s eyes and confesses that David will assume the role of King, replacing Saul.
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1 Samuel 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23
#81C Solemnities C Context (7th Sunday in Ordinary Time C)
#958 Mass for Various Needs Context (IV. For Various Needs, 30. For Our Oppressors, First Option)
In those days, Saul went down to the desert of Ziph
with three thousand picked men of Israel,
to search for David in the desert of Ziph.
So David and Abishai went among Saul’s soldiers by night
and found Saul lying asleep within the barricade,
with his spear thrust into the ground at his head
and Abner and his men sleeping around him.
Abishai whispered to David:
“God has delivered your enemy into your grasp this day.
Let me nail him to the ground with one thrust of the spear;
I will not need a second thrust!”
But David said to Abishai, “Do not harm him,
for who can lay hands on the LORD’s anointed and remain unpunished?”
So David took the spear and the water jug from their place at Saul’s head,
and they got away without anyone’s seeing or knowing or awakening.
All remained asleep,
because the LORD had put them into a deep slumber.
Going across to an opposite slope,
David stood on a remote hilltop
at a great distance from Abner, son of Ner, and the troops.
He said: “Here is the king’s spear.
Let an attendant come over to get it.
The LORD will reward each man for his justice and faithfulness.
Today, though the LORD delivered you into my grasp,
I would not harm the LORD’S anointed.”
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Commentary on 1 Sm 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23
This passage depicts the last meeting between King Saul and David, his ultimate successor. David’s king-like character is shown here as he prevents Abishai, a rather violent person (2 Samuel 19:22) and a son of David’s sister (see 1 Chronicles 2:16), from killing Saul as he slept. This encounter shows not only the positive trait of mercy in David, but also God’s favor on him as Abner, Saul’s body guard, and the king are put into a deep sleep, presumably by God. This refusal on the part of David to harm “the LORD’s anointed” echoes his earlier statement in chapter 24 (1 Samuel 24; 7).
"The text once again shows David’s compassion and mercy ('the Lord gave you into my hand today…': v. 23); we can see in him the future king, because mercy is a perfection proper to God and therefore a virLuke 6:36tue to be expected of any representative of his and of everyone who wants to be like God (cf. Luke 6:36)." [6]
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[1] See NAB footnote on 1 Sm 2:1
[2] See Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 9:13, 27-36, pp. 166
[3] See NAB footnote on Numbers 6:1-3
[4] The First and Second Books of Samuel, Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, © 2010, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA., p. 38.
[5] The Jewish Study Bible, © 2004 Oxford University Press, New York, NY, p. 567
[6] The Navarre Bible: “Joshua-Kings”, Scepter Publishers, Princeton, NJ, © 2003, p. 301
[7] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, The First and Second Books of Samuel © 2016, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA., p. 26
[8] The Jewish Study Bible, © 2004 Oxford University Press, New York, NY, p. 574
[9] The Jewish Study Bible, © 2004 Oxford University Press, New York, NY, p. 575
[10] The Jewish Study Bible, © 2004 Oxford University Press, New York, NY, p. 591
[11] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, The First and Second Books of Samuel © 2016, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA., p. 38
[12] St. Augustine, Sermons 32.
[13] Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, Old and New Testament (Ignatius Press, © 2024, San Francisco, CA.), 421
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