1 Kings 1:5
But to Anna he gave one portion with sorrow, because he loved Anna. And the Lord had shut up her womb.
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- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Annæ autem dedit partem unam tristis, quia Annam diligebat. Dominus autem concluserat vulvam ejus.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- καὶ τῇ Ἅννᾳ ἔδωκεν μερίδα μίαν, ὅτι οὐκ ἦν αὐτῇ παιδίον, πλὴν ὅτι τὴν Ἅνναν ἠγάπα Ἐλκανὰ ὑπὲρ ταύτην. καὶ Κύριος ἀπέκλεισεν τὰ περὶ τὴν μήτραν αὐτῆς,
- Hebrew (WLC)
- וּלְחַנָּ֕ה יִתֵּ֛ן מָנָ֥ה אַחַ֖ת אַפָּ֑יִם כִּ֤י אֶת חַנָּה֙ אָהֵ֔ב וַֽיהוָ֖ה סָגַ֥ר רַחְמָֽהּ
Haydock's commentary
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)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St John Chrysostom The Commentary and Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Galatians and Ephesians, Ephesians 6:14-17
But observe even after this her deep reverence. “Only her lips moved, but her voice,” it saith, “was not heard.” ( 1 Sam. i. 13 .) And thus does he who would gain his request draw nigh unto God; not consulting his ease, nor gaping, nor lounging, nor scratching his head, nor with utter listlessness. What, was not God able to grant, even without any prayer at all? What, did He not know the woman’s desire even before she asked? And yet had He granted it before she asked, then the woman’s earnestness would not have been shown, her virtue would not have been made manifest, she would not have gained so great a reward. So that the delay is not the result of envy or of witchcraft, but of providential kindness. When therefore ye hear the Scripture saying, that “the Lord had shut up her womb” ( ver. …