1 Kings 1:8
Then 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?
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- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Dixit ergo ei Elcana vir suus : Anna, cur fles ? et quare non comedis ? et quam ob rem affligitur cor tuum ? numquid non ego melior tibi sum, quam decem filii ?
- Septuagint (Swete)
- καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῇ Ἐλκανὰ ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς Ἅννα· καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Ἰδοὺ ἐγώ, κύριε· καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῇ Τί ἔστιν σοι ὅτι κλαίεις; καὶ ἵνα τί οὐκ ἐσθίεις; καὶ ἵνα τί τύπτει σε ἡ καρδία σου; οὐκ ἀγαθὸς ἐγώ σοι ὑπὲρ δέκα τέκνα;
- Hebrew (WLC)
- וַיֹּ֨אמֶר לָ֜הּ אֶלְקָנָ֣ה אִישָׁ֗הּ חַנָּה֙ לָ֣מֶה תִבְכִּ֗י וְלָ֨מֶה֙ לֹ֣א תֹֽאכְלִ֔י וְלָ֖מֶה יֵרַ֣ע לְבָבֵ֑ךְ הֲל֤וֹא אָֽנֹכִי֙ ט֣וֹב לָ֔ךְ מֵעֲשָׂרָ֖ה בָּנִֽים
The Fathers on this verse
Tertullian On Fasting, Chapter VII
Through this attendant of mourning, and (this) hunger, even that sinful state, Nineveh, is freed from the predicted ruin. For repentance for sins had sufficiently commended the fast, keeping it up in a space of three days, starving out even the cattle with which God was not angry. Sodom also, and Gomorrah, would have escaped if they had fasted. This remedy even Ahab acknowledges. When, after his transgression and idolatry, and the slaughter of Naboth, slain by Jezebel on account of his vineyard, Elijah had upbraided him, “How hast thou killed, and possessed the inheritance? In the place where dogs had licked up the blood of Naboth, thine also shall they lick up,”, he “abandoned himself, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and slept in sackcloth. …
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. …