1 Kings 10:1
And Samuel took a little vial of oil and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said: Behold, the Lord hath anointed thee to be prince over his inheritance, and thou shalt deliver his people out of the hands of their enemies, that are round about them. And this shall be a sign unto thee, that God hath anointed thee to be prince.
Open 1 Kings 10:1 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Tulit autem Samuel lenticulam olei, et effudit super caput ejus : et deosculatus est eum, et ait : Ecce unxit te Dominus super hæreditatem suam in principem, et liberabis populum suum de manibus inimicorum ejus qui in circuitu ejus sunt. Et hoc tibi signum, quia unxit te Deus in principem.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- καὶ ἔλαβεν Σαμουὴλ τὸν φακὸν τοῦ ἐλαίου καὶ ἐπέχεεν ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐφίλησεν αὐτὸν καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Οὐχὶ κέχρικέν σε Κύριος εἰς ἄρχοντα ἐπὶ τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ, ἐπὶ Ἰσραήλ; καὶ σὺ ἄρξεις ἐν λαῷ Κυρίου, καὶ σὺ σώσεις αὐτὸν ἐκ χειρὸς ἐχθρῶν αὐτοῦ κυκλόθεν.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- וַיִּקַּ֨ח שְׁמוּאֵ֜ל אֶת פַּ֥ךְ הַשֶּׁ֛מֶן וַיִּצֹ֥ק עַל רֹאשׁ֖וֹ וַיִּשָּׁקֵ֑הוּ וַיֹּ֕אמֶר הֲל֗וֹא כִּֽי מְשָׁחֲךָ֧ יְהוָ֛ה עַל נַחֲלָת֖וֹ לְנָגִֽיד
Haydock's commentary
Vial, in the form of a lentil. (Pliny, [Natural History?] xviii. 12.)
Oil. This anointing seems to have been peculiar to the kings, priests, and prophets of the Hebrews, who prefigured Jesus, the great anointed of God. (St. Augustine in Psalm xliv.) The custom was very ancient, Judges ix. 8. It is thought that those kings, who succeeded their fathers by their birth-right, and without opposition, did not receive any unction. (Calmet)
But the silence of Scripture is no proof on this head; and the Fathers seem to be convinced that the custom subsisted till Christ appeared. (St. Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho, etc.) (Haydock)
The Rabbins pretend that the sacred ointment was used for the kings of Juda, but not for those of Israel. It is not probable that it was used for either, Exodus xxx. 32., and 3 Kings i. 39. We read that Jehu was anointed king of Israel; (4 Kings ix. 6,) and we may suppose that common oil was used, in his regard, as well as for the other kings. The perfume or balm of Judea, does not spot the garments on which it may fall. (Pliny, [Natural History?] xii. 25.) It was poured on the head; the Rabbins say in the form of a crown, (Calmet) or cross. (Haydock)
But this is uncertain. The ceremony has been preserved, with respect to Christian kings, who, according to Innocent I, should be anointed on the shoulders and arms, while prelates receive the unction on the head.
Kissed him, out of respect, Psalm ii. 12. (Calmet)
Behold. Hebrew, "Is it not because?" &c. (Haydock)
And thou....prince. All this is wanting in the Hebrew, &c. But it is conformable to the Vatican Septuagint; (Calmet) the Alexandrian has "to be prince over his people, over Israel? and thou shalt rule over the people of the Lord, and shalt save it from its enemies around;" as we have explained, chap. ix. 16. (Haydock)
Read on
Saul was anointed with a small vessel, to signify that his kingdom should not subsist long; and with oil, to remind him of mercy, light, and health to his people. (St. Gregory) (Worthington)
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 Hippolytus The Refutation of All Heresies, Chapter IV
But if any one, he says, is blind from birth, and has never beheld the true light, “which lighteneth every man that cometh into the world,” by us let him recover his sight, and behold, as it were, through some paradise planted with every description of tree, and supplied with abundance of fruits, water coursing its way through all the trees and fruits; and he will see that from one and the same water the olive chooses for itself and draws the oil, and the vine the wine; and (so is it with) the rest of plants, according to each genus . That Man, however, he says, is of no reputation in the world, but of illustrious fame in heaven, being betrayed by those who are ignorant (of his perfections) to those who know him not, being accounted as a drop from a cask. …