From: 1 Samuel 1:1-8
Birth of Samuel
[3] Now this man used to go up year by year from his city to worship and to sac-
rifice to the LORD of hosts at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phi-
nehas, were priests of the LORD. [4] EIkanah sacrificed, he would give portions
to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters; [5] and, although he
loved Hannah, he would give Hannah only one portion, because the LORD had
closed her womb. [6] And her rival used to provoke her sorely, to irritate her, be-
cause the LORD had closed her womb. [7] So it went on year by year; as often
as she went up to the house of the LORD, she used to provoke her. Therefore
Hannah wept and would not eat. [8] And Elkanah, her husband, said to her,
“Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart
sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?”
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
1:1-7:17. The books of Samuel begin with an account of the birth of the man
from whom they take their name, that is, Samuel, who will become a judge of
Israel and a prophet. The beginning is like the book of Exodus, which also be-
gins with a birth — that of Moses. In fact, many of Moses’ features apply to Sa-
muel: just as Moses inaugurated a new and very important stage in the history
of the people, so Samuel marks the start of the monarchical period, which will
forever leave its imprint on the religious profile of Israel.
The story of Samuel comprises only the first part of 1 Samuel, the first seven
chapters, which also contain the history of the ark. The narrative includes three
distinct accounts arranged in such a way that the first and last have the same
protagonist — the birth, calling and activity of Samuel as a prophet (chaps. 1-3),
the history of the ark (chaps. 4-6), and then Samuel’s activity as a judge (chap.
7). Although these narratives may have been independent originally, in the final
biblical text they form a perfect unity in doctrinal terms, from the point of view of
the setting of events (the shrine at Shiloh), and in the identity of their protago-
nists, Samuel and the priests, the sons of Eli. The shrine at Shiloh, which was
located between Bethel and Shechem and which was a main center of worship
in the era of the judges (Judg 21:19-21), acquires special importance at this
point: Shiloh will be where the monarchical power begins, and its splendor will
transfer to the temple of Jerusalem when the ark moves there.
The sons of Eli were the last priests of Shiloh. Whereas Samuel was perfectly
faithful to the will of God, the sons of Eli had gradually corrupted the practices
of their priestly function; with their death, the temple at Shiloh ceases to have
any importance.
The doctrinal thread moving through the three episodes is God’s active interven-
tion in all these important events in the life of the people: to him is due the pro-
digy of Samuel’s birth (1:1-20)—Samuel, the man chosen to open the way to the
monarchy; it is God who exposes the sin of the sons of Eli (chap. 2) and ini-
tiates the charming dialogue in which Samuel receives his calling (chap. 3). In
the episode of the ark, it is the Lord who punishes his people by taking away
the ark, the sign of his presence (chap. 4); it is he who visits countless misfor-
tunes on the Philistines who have taken possession of the ark (chap. 5) and it
is he who forces them to return it to Israel, which receives it with delight (chap.
6). Finally, the Lord makes Samuel a judge over his people (chap. 5), able to
exercise his function at all the shrines of Israel—in Bethel, Gilgal and Mizpah
(7:15).
From the very start, the book of Samuel is a sort of religious interpretation of his-
tory, in the sense that it puts more emphasis on the meaning of the events it nar-
rates than on their chronological order or their geographical situation. Samuel is
a figure of Christ who will initiate the final stage of salvation through his complete
obedience to the will of God (cf. Phil 2:8).
1:1-28. Samuel’s birth is described with all the elements denoting a miraculous
event, emphasizing divine intervention and the child’s importance. With no hope
of a human solution, a childless woman, humiliated by her husband’s (other) fer-
tile wife, seeks a way out of her anguish by asking God, her only hope, to give
her a son. Her husband loves her, but he cannot understand her (v. 8).
*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
From: Mark 1:14-20
Jesus Begins to Preach and Calls His First Disciples
[16] And passing along by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the bro-
ther of Simon casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. [17] And Jesus
said to them, “Follow me and I will make you become fishers of men.” [18] And
immediately they left their nets and followed him. [19] And going on a little farther,
he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat
mending the nets. [20] And immediately he called them; and they left their father
Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and followed him.
*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:
14-15. “The gospel of God”: this expression is found in St Paul (Rom 1:1; 2 Cor
11:7; etc.) where it means the same as “the gospel of Jesus Christ” (2 Thess
1:8; etc.), thereby implying the divinity of Jesus Christ. The imminence of the
Kingdom requires a genuine conversion of man to God (Mt 4:17; Mk 6: 12; etc.).
The prophets had already spoken of the need for conversion and for Israel to aban-
don its evil ways (Jer 3:22; Is 30:15; Hos 14:2; etc.).
Both John the Baptist and Jesus and his Apostles insist on the need for conver-
sion, the need to change one’s attitude and conduct as a prerequisite for recei-
ving the Kingdom of God. Bl. John Paul II underlines the importance of conversion
for entry into the Kingdom of God: “Therefore, the Church professes and proclaims
conversion. Conversion to God always consists in discovering his mercy, that is,
in discovering that love which is patient and kind (cf. 1 Cor 13:4) as only the Crea-
tor and Father can be; the love to which the ‘God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ’ (2 Cor 1:3) is faithful to the uttermost consequences in the history of his
covenant with man: even to the Cross and to the death and resurrection of the
Son. Conversion to God is always the fruit of the ‘rediscovery’ of this Father, who
is rich in mercy.
“Authentic knowledge of the God of mercy, the God of tender love, is a constant
and inexhaustible source of conversion, not only as a momentary interior act but
also as a permanent attitude, as a state of mind. Those who come to know God
in this way, who ‘see’ him in this way, can live only in a state of being continually
converted to him. They live, therefore, “in statu conversionis” and it is this state
of conversion which marks out the most profound element of the pilgrimage of
every man and woman on earth “in statu viatoris” (Bl. John Paul II, “Dives In Mi-
sericordia”, 13).
16-20. In these verses the evangelist describes how Jesus called some of those
who would later form part of the Apostolic College (3:16ff). From the start of his
public ministry in Galilee the Messiah seeks co-workers to help him in his mis-
sion as Savior and Redeemer. He looks for them among people used to hard
work, people for whom life is a struggle and whose life-style is plain. In human
terms they are obviously at a disadvantage vis-a-vis many of those to whom they
will preach; but this in no way prevents their self-surrender from being generous
and free. The light lit in their hearts was enough to lead them to give up every-
thing. A simple invitation to follow the Master was enough for them to put them-
selves completely at his disposal.
It is Jesus who chooses them: he interfered in the lives of the Apostles just as
he interferes in ours, without seeking our permission: he is our Lord. Cf. note on
Mt 4:18-22.
*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.