Commentaria in I Regum (I Samuelis)
You will say: If Samuel was of the tribe of Levi, how was he born in Rama, which was in the tribe of Ephraim? I answer, the reason is that the tribe of Levi in the division of Chanaan had not received a lot of its own, like the other tribes, but was scattered among them, and so had its towns in them, among which was Rama. Of this dispersion Lyranus gives four causes on chapter 21 of Josue: “The first, lest the worship of God should seem to belong to one tribe only; the second, lest one or two tribes be too heavily burdened with the support of the Levites; the third, because among all nations those who attend to divine worship are supported by the whole people; the fourth, because the Levites were bound to teach the people what pertained to divine worship, and would teach more easily when scattered through all the tribes than when gathered into one.” These reasons of Lyranus Abulensis attacks in the same place, Question 8, but in vain. Hence it is plain that Samuel, like Elcana, was a Levite, not a Priest, because he descended from Caath through Core, not through Aaron the priest; whence it is said in Psalm 98, verse 6: “Moses and Aaron among his priests, and Samuel among them that call upon his name.” Samuel nevertheless, by God’s dispensation, was made to exercise the office of priest, and as a priest offered sacrifice to God; why, we shall hear in what follows: so Abulensis and others. Hence also Heman and Asaph, the singers, were sons of Joel, son of Samuel, son of Elcana, as is said in 1 Paralipomenon chapter 6, verse 33. But the singers were Levites, not Priests. From the cited passage of Paralipomenon it is likewise plain that the pious Samuel was sprung from the impious Core, whom, rebelling against Moses, the earth opening swallowed alive, Numbers chapter 16. So God brought forth a rose from a thorn.
AND HIS NAME ELCANA.—Elcana in Hebrew is the same as God’s strong possession. Such is the faithful and just man, who, resting by faith, hope and charity on the one God, becomes Elcana, that is, God’s possession, so that he need fear neither men, nor demons, nor threats, nor torments, nor any death.
SON OF JEROHAM.—So it must be read, with the Roman edition, the Hebrews, Chaldees, and the Septuagint. Wrongly, therefore, in the Royal Bibles, Jeroboam is read for Jeroham.
AN EPHRATHITE.—Why is Elcana called an Ephrathite? Cajetan answers first, because Ephrathite is the same as august, wealthy, magnificent; and such was Elcana. But this reason is symbolic, not literal: for literally Ephrathi, that is, Ephrathite, is a patronymic name, denoting Elcana’s father or country.
Secondly, St. Jerome in the Hebrew Questions, Angelomus, Rupert, Hugh, the Gloss and Dionysius say that Elcana is called an Ephrathite because he was descended from Ephrata, wife of Caleb, 1 Paralipomenon chapter 2, verse 19, so that Elcana and Samuel descend through their father from Levi, but through their mother from Caleb and Juda, just as, conversely, Christ, their antitype, and the Blessed Virgin, his mother, descend through the father from Juda, through the mother from Levi, that they might have both the royal and the priestly dignity of their lineage.
But it stands in the way that Scripture is accustomed to give men their race and name not from the mother but from the father, and to surname them thence.
Thirdly, therefore, and more genuinely, St. Gregory, Bede, Lyranus, Abulensis, Vatablus and others judge that Elcana is called an Ephrathite because he was sprung from Rama, which was in the tribe of Ephraim, not that he was descended from the tribe of Ephraim (for he was of the tribe of Levi, as I said), but that he dwelt in it. Ephrathite is therefore the same as Ephraimite, as is plain from Judges chapter 12, verse 5. So the Jews, Acts chapter 2, are called Medes, Persians, Arabians, etc.; because they were born, not of Median, Persian or Arabian parents, but of Jews in Media, Persia and Arabia.
Symbolically, Ephrathite in Hebrew is the same as fruitful. Such was Elcana, because he brought forth a most noble fruit, namely Samuel, the most celebrated prophet.
AND HE HAD TWO WIVES, THE NAME OF THE ONE ANNA, AND THE NAME OF THE SECOND PHENENNA.—This was by the custom of that age, in which polygamy by God’s permission was lawful and usual, for the quicker and greater multiplication of the seed of Israel, the faithful people. Moreover Elcana’s first wife was Anna, the second Phenenna: whence the latter seems to have been taken by him not from concupiscence, but because Anna was barren and childless, that he might raise offspring from her; as Abraham took Agar, the handmaid of Sara his first wife, with her consent, indeed at her asking, that, since she herself was barren, she might at least give her husband sons by the handmaid Agar. Phenenna in Hebrew (Peninnah) is the same as pearl, Anna the same as grace. Aptly: for Phenenna was adorned with pearls and children, but Anna was adorned with the grace of God. So also today some women are called Grace: thus lately that Japanese heroine who, with all her sons, constantly met death for the faith of Christ, was called Grace.
Allegorically, fruitful Phenenna signifies the Synagogue of the Jews, which of old abounded in faithful sons. Barren Anna signifies the Church of the Gentiles, which was once barren, but through Christ bore all the Nations to God. So St. Gregory, Rupert, Hugh, Bede, Lyranus and Dionysius.
Symbolically, Anna signifies the contemplative life, pleasing to God; Phenenna, the active life, useful to neighbours. So St. Gregory, Hugh and Dionysius; for Elcana, that is, an eminent man possessing God, ought to embrace both.
3. AND THAT MAN WENT UP OUT OF HIS CITY (Ramatha) ON THE APPOINTED DAYS (of the Pasch, Pentecost and Tabernacles, Exodus chapter 23, Deuteronomy chapter 16), but without his wives, and for another reason, namely that as a Levite he might in his turn perform the Levites’ ministry in the tabernacle.
TO ADORE IN SILO,—where were the ark, the altar and the tabernacle. For Josue placed these in Silo, because Silo was of the tribe of Ephraim, to which Josue belonged: whence the ark remained in Silo all the time of Josue and the Judges, for three hundred years and more, until it was taken by the Philistines, 1 Kings chapter 5. Moreover Elcana is said to have gone up to Silo, because although Ramatha, where he dwelt, was set on a mountain, yet Silo was higher still, indeed the highest of all Juda, says Adrichomius.
Add: in Scripture to go up or to go down is the same as to come.
AND THERE WERE THE TWO SONS OF HELI, OPHNI AND PHINEES.—Heli was the first Pontiff of the line of Ithamar. For Aaron had two sons, the elder Eleazar, the younger Ithamar: wherefore Eleazar, as the elder, succeeded Aaron in the Pontificate; Eleazar was succeeded by his son Phinees, and so on in order down to Heli. For then the descendants of Phinees administered the Pontificate slackly, and therefore it was transferred from the family of Eleazar to the family of Ithamar, namely to Heli, and remained in it for 120 years, that is, the whole time of Heli, Samuel, Saul and David down to Solomon, who took the Pontificate from Abiathar, great-grandson of Heli, because he had conspired with Adonias, the rival for his kingdom, and transferred it to Sadoc, who was of the family of Eleazar. Further, Heli succeeded Samson, and after him was Judge of Israel: wherefore he held both offices, or principates, the ecclesiastical and the secular. His deeds were ordinary and contained nothing singular; whence they are omitted by Scripture, as are the deeds of Abesan, Ahialon and Abdon, Judges chapter 12.
Moreover Heli in Hebrew is the same as upon me, or my ascent, or my leaf. Aptly, because he, too gentle and slow, allowed his sons to rule over him, and to live impiously and with impunity, and therefore he with his sons, like a leaf snatched by the wind, was quickly deprived of the Pontificate and of life. Whence Ophni in Hebrew is the same as flying, or flying away, or my darkness; Phinees is the same as the mouth of one sparing or trusting.
5. BUT TO ANNA HE GAVE ONE PORTION SAD.—For “sad” the Hebrew has appaim, that is, face or wrath. Whence the Septuagint translate it, face; the Chaldee, a choice portion; R. David, an honourable one, which was, namely, goodly and had a fair face, that is, appearance. R. Joseph renders, a portion of wrath and sadness; Pagninus, a portion with wrath or fury, because, since he loved Anna, he was indignant that he could not give her more portions; which our translator followed, rendering it sad. For the Hebrew appaim signifies both face and wrath and sadness; for each passion is chiefly shown and shines out in the face, and one is joined and akin to the other: for the sad man is angry at the evil which saddens him; and conversely the angry man is saddened at the evil he is angry at. So in 2 Kings chapter 6, verse 8, where our translator has David was grieved, the Hebrew has David was angry. And here, verse 18, face is taken for sadness in the Hebrew.
Pagninus adds: Elcana gave the portion prostrate on his face, praying for his barren wife, that God would make her fruitful and give her offspring, as Isaac did for Rebecca, Genesis chapter 25.
7. BUT SHE WEPT AND DID NOT TAKE FOOD.—verse 7.
Anna is said to have eaten, but so little that she seemed not to have eaten, says Lyranus; or rather at first from grief she ate nothing, but afterwards, at her husband’s urging, she tasted something. So St. Gregory, book 1, chapter 2: “Being afflicted, she would not eat; exhorted by her husband, she ate.” Philo adds, in his book On Drunkenness, that Anna abstained all her life from wine and strong drink, like a Nazarite. By this continence and patience she merited to become the mother of Samuel, an eminent Prophet. For to Phenenna, her rival, who slandered and mocked her, she answered nothing, but wept. Whence St. Chrysostom, Homily 62 to the People: “Tribulation,” he says, “is the mother of philosophy (moral, that is, of virtue and patience); Anna, having her rival, did not pursue her with abuse.”