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Mon · Jan 12, 2026 · Ordinary Time

Monday of the 1st week of Ordinary Time

Lectionary 305 · Year II
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First Reading · 1 Samuel 1:1-8

DRC ▾

1There was a man of Ramathaimsophim, of Mount Ephraim, and his name was Elcana, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliu, the son of Thohu, the son of Suph, an Ephraimite:2And he had two wives, the name of one was Anna, and the name of the other Phenenna. Phenenna had children: but Anna had no children.3And this man went up out of his city upon the appointed days, to adore and to offer sacrifice to the Lord of hosts in Silo. And the two sons of Heli, Ophni and Phinees, were there priests of the Lord.4Now the day came, and Elcana offered sacrifice, and gave to Phenenna, his wife, and to all her sons and daughters, portions:5But to Anna he gave one portion with sorrow, because he loved Anna. And the Lord had shut up her womb.6Her rival also afflicted her, and troubled her exceedingly, insomuch that she upbraided her, that the Lord had shut up her womb:7And thus she did every year, when the time returned, that they went up to the temple of the Lord: and thus she provoked her: but Anna wept, and did not eat.8Then Elcana, her husband, said to her: Anna, why weepest thou? and why dost thou not eat? and why dost thou afflict thy heart? Am not I better to thee than ten children?

commentary

The saddest phrase in the reading is also the most contested. Elcana gives Anna one portion with sorrow (v. 5), where the Hebrew word is apayim — literally "of faces," which Calmet takes as indignation and Menochius as sorrow, though it may mean only what was set before him at table. The Chaldean and many others read it as "a chosen" portion; the Protestant versions have "a worthy portion." Behind the ambiguity is a custom Haydock explains from Chardin's account of Persia: in the East the master of a house has everything placed before him and sends each person their share to where they sit — the same idiom that makes the shew-bread "the bread of the face" and Joseph's gifts to his brothers "a portion of his faces" (Genesis xliii. 33). So Elcana sends Anna a double or more excellent share, deliberately, to soften what she is suffering; and Haydock adds the detail that turns the kindness bitter, that he grieved inwardly because there were no children of hers to whom he might send portions too.

Calmet notices that the book opens with and — the Hebrew and Septuagint alike — as the scriptural books often do, presenting a series of events with no title and no author's name, so that attention rests wholly on what is read. He fills in what the bare names carry. Ramathaimsophim is Rama, "a height," with the surrounding country held by the family of Suph, a descendant of Core, though the town did not properly belong to the Levites; Tirinus passes on the conjecture of Ragusinus and Prince Radzivil that it later became Arimathea, the birthplace of Joseph. Elcana is called an Ephraimite though Challoner points out from Paralipomenon that he was in fact of the tribe of Levi, named from the mountain he lived on, much as Acts speaks of Cretan Jews. And in v. 3 a divine title arrives that Calmet says has not appeared in any of the preceding books: the Lord of hosts, Hebrew Tsebaoth, of armies — both the myriads of angels and the armies of Israel, God attended by the one and deciding the fate of the other. It is a strikingly military name to introduce at a family's annual pilgrimage, one of the three great festivals, which Calmet notes the women attended although the law required only the men.

The cruelty in the story is annual and structural. Because both wives went up with the household, Menochius observes, they could hardly avoid being together on the road, so the provocation came round with the feast — and the Hebrew of v. 6 is stronger than the Douay, "to make her fret, or rage." Phenenna's weapon is a theological claim: that the Lord had shut Anna's womb, sterility being reckoned, as Calmet says, a curse and a mark of divine displeasure. That reading of another person's misfortune as a verdict on them has not gone out of use; it has only changed its subject matter. Elcana's answer — am not I better to thee than ten children? — is affection that will not quite meet the grief, since it asks her to be consoled by what she already has. What Anna does instead is the only move left in the passage: she weeps, does not eat, and prays, as Menochius says was her custom, to be delivered from her reproach.

· sources ·

The complete public-domain commentary this reading's note draws from, unabridged. Every claim in the note traces to a passage here.

First Reading 1 Samuel 1:1-8

Haydock Catholic Bible Commentary · Public Domain
1:1

There. Hebrew, Septuagint, &c., "And there," &c. The books of Scripture are thus frequently connected. The authors present us with a series of events, without prefixing any title, or their own names, that our attention may be wholly fixed on what we read. The birth of Samuel being so miraculous, deserves to be recorded, as he was the last judge of Israel, and had so much to do under the first of their kings, whose election and misconduct brought a great change into the state of the commonwealth. (Calmet) --- Ramathaimsophim. Rama, or Ramatha, "a height," and the environs were occupied by the family of Suph, a descendant of Core; (1 Paralipomenon vi. 29.) though the place did not properly belong to the Levites. It lay probably between Gabaa and Bethel, where Samuel spent much of his time, while he was judge, and obliged to be frequently absent from the tabernacle. (Calmet) --- Ragusinus and Prince Radzivil think it was afterwards called Arimathea, the birth-place of Joseph, and now Ramula. (Tirinus) (Chap. ii. 11.) --- Ephraimite. He was of the tribe of Levi, (1 Paraliponmenon vi. 34.) but is called an Ephraimites from dwelling in Mount Ephraim. (Challoner) --- So we read of Cretan Jews, Acts ii. 11. (Tirinus)

1:2

Phenenna. She was only of inferior dignity. At that time polygamy was lawful, (Menochius) as Moses insinuates, if he do not expressly allow it.

1:3

Days, the three great festivals. His family accompanied him, though the law only lays an express injunction upon the males to attend. We find, however, that females did not neglect to come. (Calmet) --- Hosts. Hebrew (Tsebaoth) of "armies," both of angels and of Israel. God is attended by myriads of angels, and decides the fate of armies. (Haydock) --- This title has not appeared in the former books. The pagans took occasion from it to form their Jupiter Sabazius. (Calmet) --- Elcana might go up from the height of Ramatha to Silo, which was the highest mountain round Jerusalem of all in the holy land. (Adrichomius) (Tirinus)

1:4

Sacrificed, by the hand of the priests, (Menochius) who had the breast and right shoulder; the rest was given back to the person who had presented the fattened victim, that he might feast with his friends. (Calmet)

1:5

With sorrow. Hebrew apayim, "of faces, indignation, (Calmet) sorrow;" (Menochius) or that was presented before him. Chaldean and many others translate, "a chosen:" (Calmet) Protestants, "a worthy portion." (Haydock) --- The shew-bread is called, "the bread of the face," because it stood before the Lord. Joseph sent to each of his brethren, "a portion of his faces," as the Hebrew expresses it; (Genesis xliii. 33.) or of such meat as was placed upon his table. In the East, the master of a family has all set before him, and he sends to each his portion, to the place where he is sitting. (Chardin, Perse.) --- Thus Elcana sent some more excellent, or "double," part to his beloved Anna, (Calmet) grieving inwardly that she had no children, to whom he might also send. (Haydock) --- By this distinction, he wished to alleviate the sorrow of his wife. (Menochius) --- Womb. Sterility was deemed a curse, and a mark of God's displeasure, with which women were often reproached. Hence Anna prays so earnestly that God would be mindful of her, ver. 11-19. The power of the Almighty, in giving children to the barren, is frequently mentioned, Genesis xxviii. 13., and Psalm cxii. 9. (Calmet) --- Luke i. 25., &c. (Haydock)

1:6

Insomuch. Hebrew, "to make her fret, or rage; because the Lord," &c. (Calmet)

1:7

Lord. Then they could hardly avoid being together on the road, and Anna was accustomed to pray earnestly (Menochius) to be delivered from her reproach. (Haydock)