1 Kings 2:1
My heart hath rejoiced in the Lord, and my horn is exalted in my God: my mouth is enlarged over my enemies: because I have joyed in thy salvation.
The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Exultavit cor meum in Domino, et exaltatum est cornu meum in Deo meo ; dilatatum est os meum super inimicos meos : quia lætata sum in salutari tuo.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- Καὶ εἶπεν Ἐστερεώθη ἡ καρδία μου ἐν Κυρίῳ, ὑψώθη κέρας μου ἐν θεῷ μου· ἐπλατύνθη ἐπὶ ἐχθροὺς τὸ στόμα μου, εὐφράνθην ἐν σωτηρίᾳ σου.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- וַתִּתְפַּלֵּ֤ל חַנָּה֙ וַתֹּאמַ֔ר עָלַ֤ץ לִבִּי֙ בַּֽיהוָ֔ה רָ֥מָה קַרְנִ֖י בַּֽיהוָ֑ה רָ֤חַב פִּי֙ עַל א֣וֹיְבַ֔י כִּ֥י שָׂמַ֖חְתִּי בִּישׁוּעָתֶֽךָ
Haydock's commentary
Rejoiced. Septuagint and Chaldean, "been strengthened." Anna composed this canticle at the nativity of her son; or rather at his presentation in the tabernacle. She foretells the reign and glory of the Messias, and of his church. (St. Augustine, de C.[City of God?] xvii. 4.)
Horn. The horn in the Scripture signifies strength, power, and glory: so the horn is said to be exalted, when a person receives an increase of strength or glory. (Challoner)
So Horace (3 Ode, 21.) says, addis cornua pauperi.
Enlarged. Chaldean, "I have opened my mouth, to speak great things against my enemies." She has Phenenna principally in view, and compares her present glory with her former distress. (Calmet)
I may boast more on account of Samuel, than my rival can of her numerous offspring. (Menochius)
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 Augustine City of God, About the Prefigured Change of the Israelitic Kingdom and Priesthood, and About the Things Hannah the Mother of Samuel Prophesied, Personating the Church
Therefore the advance of the city of God, where it reached the times of the kings, yielded a figure, when, on the rejection of Saul, David first obtained the kingdom on such a footing that thenceforth his descendants should reign in the earthly Jerusalem in continual succession; for the course of affairs signified and foretold, what is not to be passed by in silence, concerning the change of things to come, what belongs to both Testaments, the Old and the New, where the priesthood and kingdom are changed by one who is a priest, and at the same time a king, new and everlasting, even Christ Jesus. For both the substitution in the ministry of God, on Eli’s rejection as priest, of Samuel, who executed at once the office of priest and judge, and the establishment of David in the kingdom, when Saul was rejected, typified this of which I speak. …