8/14/2019 20 Prophet Samuel

1/4

TheHolyProphetSamuel

TheHoly

Prophet

Samuel

WhomtheHolyChurchCelebratesonAugust20.

IconcourtesyOCA

Thismostholyman,aProphetofGodfromchildhood,wasthelastJudge

oftheIsraelitepeople,andanointedthefirsttwoKingsofIsrael.Hewasbornin

thetwelfthcenturybeforeChrist,inthecityofArmathaimSipha,fromthetribe

ofLevi,thesonofElkanahandHannah(Anna).Hewasthefruitofprayer,for

hismother,beingbarren,conceivedhimonlyaftershehadsupplicatedtheLord

withmany tears;whereforeshecalledhimSamuel, that isheardbyGod.As

soonas

Hannah

had

weaned

him,

she

brought

him

to

the

city

of

Silom

(Shiloh),

wheretheArkwaskept,andsheconsecratedhim,thoughasyetababe,tothe

serviceofGod,givingthankstoHimwiththehymnfoundintheThirdOdeof

thePsalter:MyhearthathbeenestablishedintheLordSamuelremainedin

SilomundertheprotectionofElithepriest.HeservedinthetabernacleofGod,

and throughhismostvenerableway of lifebecamewellpleasing toGod and

man(IKings2:26).Whileyetachild,sleepinginthetabernacleneartheArkof

TheHolyOrthodoxMetropolisofBoston

8/14/2019 20 Prophet Samuel

2/4

TheHolyProphetSamuel

God,heheardthevoiceofGodcallinghisname,andforetellingthedownfallof

Eli, for although Elis two sons,Ophini and Phineas,weremost lawless, and

despisersofGod,Elididnotcorrectthem.EvenafterSamuelhadtoldEliofthe

divinewarning,Elididnotproperlychastisehissons,andafterwards, through

variousmisfortunes,hiswholehousewasblottedoutinoneday.

Afterthesethingshadcometopass,Samuelwaschosentobetheprotector

ofthepeople,andhejudgedthemwithholinessandrighteousness.Hebecame

forthemanexampleofallgoodness,andtheircompassionateintercessorbefore

God:FarbeitfrommethatIshouldsinagainsttheLordinceasingtoprayfor

you;yea, Iwill serve theLord, and show you thegood and rightway (ibid.

12:23). When he asked themhaving God as witnessif he ever wronged

anyone,ortookanyonespossessions,oranygift,evensomuchasasandal,they

answeredwithonevoice,Thouhastnotdefraudedus,norafflictedus,neither

hast thou taken anything from anyoneshand (ibid. 12:4).When Samuelwas

old,the

people

asked

him

for

aking,

but

he

was

displeased

with

this,

knowing

thatGodHimselfwastheirKing.Butwhentheypersisted,theLordcommanded

him toanoint themaking,saying,Theyhavenotrejected thee,but theyhave

rejectedMe from reigning over them (ibid.8:7); so Samuel anointed Saul.But

Saul transgressed thecommandofGod repeatedly,soSamuelanointedDavid.

Yet,sinceSamuelwasamanofGod, fullof tendermercy,when theLord told

himthatHehadrejectedSaul,Samuelweptforhim thewholenight long(ibid.

15:11);andlater,sincehecontinuedtogrieve,theLordsaidtohim,Howlong

wilt thoumournforSaul?(ibid.16:11).Having livedblamelesslysomeninety

eight

years,

and

become

an

example

to

all

of

a

God

pleasing

life,

he

reposed

in

the eleventh centurybeforeChrist.Many ascribe tohim the authorshipof the

BooksofJudges,andofRuth,andof the first twentyfourchaptersof theFirst

BookofKings(ISamuel).

Text:TheGreatHorologion1997TheHolyTransfigurationMonasteryBrookline,Massachusetts02445IconcourtesyTheOrthodoxChurchinAmerica.

SecondIconcourtesyTheHolyTransfigurationMonasteryBrookline,Massachusetts02445

DismissalHymnoftheProphet.SecondToneSwe

celebrate

the

memory

of

Thy

Prophet

Samuel,

O

Lord,

through

him

we

beseechTheetosaveoursouls.A KontakionoftheProphet.PlagalofFourthTone

Tothee,theChampionLeader

TheHolyOrthodoxMetropolisofBoston

8/14/2019 20 Prophet Samuel

3/4

TheHolyProphetSamuel

HY hallowedmotherdedicated theeunto theLord * evenbefore shehad

conceivedthee;andwhenthouwastborn,*thoudidstserveHimfromthine

infancylikeanAngel.And,OProphetoftheMostHigh,forthyferventfaith,*

thouwastgrantedtoforetellthingsthatshouldcomestopass.*Hence,wecryto

thee:*Rejoice,OvenrableSamuel.

T

Prophetess Hannah,

Mother of Prophet SamuelWhom the Holy Church CommemoratesDecember 9.

IKingsLXX

AnExcerpt

1:9AndHannahroseupaftertheyhadeateninSelom,andstoodbefore

theLord:andHelithepriestwasonaseatbythethresholdofthetempleofthe

Lord.Andshewasverymuchgrievedinspirit,andprayedtotheLordandwept

abundantly.And

she

vowed

avow

to

the

Lord

saying,

O

Lord

God

of

Sabaoth,

if

Thouwilt indeed lookupon thehumiliationof thinehandmaid,andremember

me,andgivetoThinehandmaidamanchild,thenIwillindeeddedicatehimto

Theetillthedayofhisdeath;andheshalldrinknowineorstrongdrink,andno

razorshallcomeuponhishead.Anditcametopass,whileshewaslongpraying

beforetheLord,thatHelithepriestmarkedhermouth.Andshewasspeakingin

herheart,andherlipsmoved,buthervoicewasnotheard:andHeliaccounted

TheHolyOrthodoxMetropolisofBoston

8/14/2019 20 Prophet Samuel

4/4

TheHolyProphetSamuel

TheHolyOrthodoxMetropolisofBoston

heradrunkenwoman.AndtheservantofHelisaidtoher,Howlongwiltthou

bedrunken?takeawaythewinefromthee,andgooutfromthepresenceofthe

Lord.AndHannahansweredandsaid,Nay,mylord.Iliveinahardday,andI

havenotdrunkwineorstrongdrink,and Ipouroutmysoulbefore theLord.

Countnot thyhandmaidapestilentwoman,forbyreasonof theabundanceof

myimportunityIhavecontinuedmyprayeruntilnow.AndHeliansweredand

saidtoher,Goinpeace:theGodofIsraelgivetheeallthypetition,whichthou

hastaskedofHim.AndshesaidThinehandmaidhasfoundfavourinthineeyes:

andthewomanwentherway,andenteredintoherlodging,andateanddrank

withherhusband,andhercountenancewasnomoresad.

And they riseearly in themorning,andworship theLordandgo their

way: and Helkana went into his house at Armathaim, and knew his wife

Hannah:andtheLordrememberedher,andsheconceived.Andintheseasonof

dayswhen the timewas come, shebrought forth a son, and called his name

Samuel,and

said,

Because

Iasked

him

of

the

Lord

God

of

Sabaoth

(I

Kings

920

LXX).

Our Panagia EleousaCourtesy Holy nativity Convent

Brookline, Massachusetts 02445