Is Hannah's Magnificat Read on Rosh Hashanah
(Part Three of a potpourris of perspectives of our Blessed Mother Mary — prepared for give-and-take at a pre-concert lecture for Polyhumnia, St. Ignatius of Antioch Episcopal Church, NYC) . . . more reflections to follow:
Mary's Magnificat: In the History of Hebrew Women's Songs of Deliverance
Mary's Magnificat follows in a Hebrew tradition of v biblical songs of God's deliverance sung by women — get-go with the Vocal of the Body of water in Exodus 15 sung past Miriam (another Mary, this one Moses' and Aaron's sister). The Song of Deborah in Judges five, the Vocal of Judith in the Apocrypha and the Song of Hannah in First Samuel also conceptualize the New Attestation Magnificat.
Miriam:
In the second chapter of Exodus an unnamed sister of Moses helps deliver him from the Nile River where he was hidden in a floating basket. Many commentators identify her as Miriam, who kickoff appears past name in the crossing of the Carmine Sea (Exod fifteen:xx–21). Miriam is called a prophetess, and although the meaning of the term prophet here is not clear, Miriam is the commencement adult female ever to receive the title. At the scene of the crossing she leads other Hebrew women in singing, dancing, and playing drums.
The biblical text leads us to believe that Miriam's ane stanza song at the sea is merely a short reply to the lengthy song attributed to Moses. Historical and literary studies show, however, that the long version is actually the Song of Miriam. Virtually scholars believe that this poem is one of the oldest parts of the Scriptures.
Extract from The Song of Miriam/Moses (Exodus fifteen)
'I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously;
horse and rider he has thrown into the body of water.
The Lord is my strength and my might,
and he has become my salvation;
this is my God, and I will praise him,
my father's God, and I will exalt him.
'Who is like y'all, O Lord, among the gods?
Who is like yous, majestic in holiness,
awesome in splendour, doing wonders?
Y'all stretched out your right hand,
the globe swallowed them.
'In your steadfast love you lot led the people whom you redeemed;
you guided them past your strength to your holy domicile.
. . .
Terror and dread fell upon them;
past the might of your arm,
they became yet equally a stone
until your people, O Lord, passed by,
until the people whom yous caused passed by.
Yous brought them in and planted them
on the mountain of your ain possession,
the place, O Lord, that yous fabricated your home,
the sanctuary, O Lord, that your hands take established.
The Lord volition reign for ever and ever.'
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Deborah
The Song of Deborah is found in the 5thursday affiliate of Judges. Information technology too is recognized as 1 of the oldest parts of the Bible, dating somewhere in the 12th century BC judging from its grammar and context. Information technology is a victory hymn, sung by Deborah and Barak, virtually the defeat of Canaanite adversaries. The Song of Deborah stands outs out among the victory hymns in the Quondam Testament because information technology celebrates a military victory that is aided by two women: the prophetess Deborah, and the prophetess and Jael.
The Christian Church has seen similarities between the Virgin Mary and both Deborah and Jael. Outset, Deborah as Female parent of Israel, calls her children to walk in the way of the Torah. Likewise, Mary, in the Gospel of John, exhorts the servants at Cana to do whatever Jesus tells them (Jn 2:i-five). In the Song of Deborah, Deborah calls State of israel to glory in the Lord — h2o is the symbol or ways of victory. This parallels Jesus changing the water into vino, thereby manifesting his glory leading his disciples to believe in him.
In the victory vocal, Jael is praised equally "Blessed amid women." – the aforementioned phrase addressed to Mary both by Elizabeth during her visitation and by the angel Gabriel in the Annunciation.
At disquisitional moments in the lives of both Deborah and Mary the Holy Spirit is said to overshadow or rest upon them. The Holy Spirit inspires Deborah's remarkable leadership and the gifts of prophecy and wisdom. Although Mary does non enter into the realm of judging, she manifests the souvenir of practical wisdom and speaks in the prophetic words of the Magnificat.
Excerpt from The Song of Deborah (Judges 5)
'Hear, O kings; give ear, O princes;
to the Lord I will sing,
I volition make tune to the Lord, the God of Israel.
'Lord, when yous went out from Seir,
when yous marched from the region of Edom,
the earth trembled,
and the heavens poured,
the clouds indeed poured water.
The mountains quaked before the Lord, the I of Sinai,
before the Lord, the God of Israel. . .
'Awake, awake, Deborah!
Awake, awake, utter a vocal!
Arise, Barak, lead away your captives,
O son of Abinoam.
And so down marched the remnant of the noble;
the people of the Lord marched down for him against the mighty. . .
Nigh blessed of women be Jael,
the wife of Heber the Kenite,
of tent-abode women almost blest.
He asked water and she gave him milk,
she brought him curds in a lordly bowl.
She put her hand to the tent-peg
and her correct hand to the workmen's mallet;
she struck Sisera a blow,
she crushed his head,
she shattered and pierced his temple.
He sank, he fell,
he lay still at her feet;
at her feet he sank, he fell;
where he sank, there he vicious dead
. . .
And then perish all your enemies, O Lord!
But may your friends be like the sun every bit it rises in its might.'
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Judith
The Song of Judith is function of a larger song that concludes the story of Judith'due south decapitation by Assyrian invaders. But Judith's anthem, which Christians sing in the Daily office, praises God for the defeat of the enemy. Powerful as it is, has been cutting off from its connection with the wider context of Judith's. In the complete version, The Song of Judith follows the grade and content of Miriam's Song of the Ocean and the Vocal of Deborah in Judges.
Extract from A Song of Judith (Judith 16)
Strike upwardly a vocal to my God with tambourines,
sing to the Lord with cymbals;
Improvise for him a new song,
exalt and acclaim his name.
For the Lord is a God who crushes wars;
he sets his encampment among his people;
he delivered me from the easily of my pursuers. . .
I volition sing a new song to my God
for you are great and glorious, wonderful in strength, invincible.
Allow the whole cosmos serve you,
for you lot spoke and all things came into beingness.
Y'all sent your breath and it formed them,
no one is able to resist your voice.
Mountains and seas are stirred to their depths,
rocks melt similar wax at your presence.
But to those who fear you,
you continue to show mercy.
No sacrifice, however fragrant, can please you,
only whoever fears the Lord shall stand in your sight for ever.
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Hannah
Walter Brueggemann suggests that the Song of Hannah paves the way for a major theme of the Volume of Samuel, the "ability and willingness of Yahweh to intrude, intervene and capsize." Hannah's feel of reversal was a pledge of how God "would too lift upwards and glorify his whole nation, which was at that time and so securely bowed downward and oppressed past its foes." In her Song, Hannah praises Yahweh, reflects on the reversals he accomplishes, and looks forward to his king.
In Judaism the Vocal of Hannah is regarded as a chief model for how to pray. It is read on the first mean solar day of Rosh Hashanah. The verse form has several features in common with the Magnificat , including the themes, and the order in which they appear; some textual scholars believe that the Magnificat is essentially just a copy of the Song of Hannah, together with part of a previous prayer of Hannah referring to herself as a handmaiden –the Magnificat existence a paraphrase of Hannah that is more succinct.
These quotations taken from the Vocal of Hannah appear in the Magnificat :
Hannah says 'My middle exults in the Lord ; my strength is exalted in my God." while Mary says "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior."
Hannah says "He raises up the poor from the dust . . .to brand them sit with princes and inherit a seat of laurels. Mary says:"He has put down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of low degree."
Hannah says: " Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry are fat with spoil." And Mary: " He has filled the hungry with skilful things, and the rich He has sent empty away."
When Mary sings, "He has regarded the depression estate of His handmaiden" it may exist an allusion to Hannah's prayer for a child: "O Lord of hosts, if Thou wilt in-deed look on the disease of Thy maidservant and remember me, and not forget Thy maidservant." To these bones themes in Hannah, Mary has added an additional drove of Hebrew scriptural quotations and allusions, especially references to the Psalms.
Hannah's Vocal (Samuel 2:1-10)
'My centre exults in the Lord;
my strength is exalted in my God.
My mouth derides my enemies,
because I rejoice in my victory.
'At that place is no Holy I similar the Lord,
no one also you lot;
at that place is no Stone similar our God.
Talk no more so very proudly,
let not arrogance come up from your mouth;
for the Lord is a God of cognition,
and past him actions are weighed.
The bows of the mighty are broken,
but the feeble gird on strength.
Those who were total have hired themselves out for bread,
but those who were hungry are fatty with spoil.
The barren has borne vii,
but she who has many children is forlorn.
The Lord kills and brings to life;
he brings downward to Sheol and raises up.
The Lord makes poor and makes rich;
he brings low, he likewise exalts.
He raises up the poor from the dust;
he lifts the needy from the ash heap,
to make them sit with princes
and inherit a seat of award
For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's,
and on them he has set the world.
'He will guard the feet of his faithful ones,
but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness;
for not by might does i prevail.
The Lord! His adversaries shall exist shattered;
the Most High will thunder in sky.
The Lord will estimate the ends of the globe;
he will give strength to his king,
and exalt the ability of his anointed.'
St. Ignatius of Antioch Episcopal Church, NYC
Source: https://jeanhite.wordpress.com/2011/11/16/hebrew-women%E2%80%99s-songs-of-deliverance/
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