Texts in Conversation
Pseudo-Philo takes Hannah’s language about the God who “kills and makes alive” into a doctrine of resurrection. Her song of social reversal becomes a vision of final judgment, with the righteous preserved in light and the wicked in darkness.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
1 Samuel 2:6
Hebrew Bible
5 The well fed hire themselves out to earn food, but the hungry no longer lack. Even the barren woman has given birth to seven, but the one with many children has declined. 6 The Lord both kills and gives life; he brings down to the grave and raises up. 7 The Lord impoverishes and makes wealthy; he humbles and he exalts. 8 He lifts the weak from the dust; he raises the poor from the ash heap to seat them with princes—he bestows on them an honored position. The foundations of the earth belong to the Lord—he placed the world on them.
Pseudo Philo Biblical Antiquities 51:5
Classical
4 And therefore will I utter my words openly, for out of me shall arise the ordinance of the Lord, and all men shall find the truth. Haste ye not to talk proudly, neither to utter high words out of your mouth, but delight yourselves in boasting when the light shall come forth out of which wisdom shall be born, that they be not called rich which have most possessions, neither they that have borne abundantly be termed mothers: for the barren hath been satisfied, and she that was multi plied in sons is become empty; 5 For the Lord killeth with judgement, and quickeneth in mercy: for the ungodly are in this world: therefore quickeneth he the righteous when he will, but the ungodly he will shut up in darkness. But unto the righteous he preserveth their light, and when the ungodly are dead, then shall they perish, and when the righteous are fallen asleep, then shall they be delivered. And so shall all judgement endure until he be revealed which holdeth it.
Date: 50-120 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
“... The reception of the Song of Hannah in Pseudo-Philo’s Liber Antiquitatum Biblicarum is highly peculiar. The introduction to the speech in Liber Antiquitatum Biblicarum 51:3 shows that the Masoretic Text version was the source in this case: ‘And Hannah prayed and spoke.’ The following hymn partly departs quite far from its original, but in return also establishes references within 1 Samuel 2, which are not yet present in the original. The paraphrase of verse 1 is already directed at Samuel: ‘the people will be enlightened by his words, and he will show the nations the limits, and his horn will be greatly exalted.’ The reminder of verse 3 not to speak high-flown words is continued in a positive appeal: ‘Enjoy yourselves in glory as long as the light from which wisdom is born goes forth: that not those who possess most are called rich, nor those who have given birth in abundance are called mothers’ (Liber Antiquitatum Biblicarum 51:4). Verse 5b and verse 6 are placed in a causal relationship: ‘for God kills in judgment and makes alive in mercy’ (Liber Antiquitatum Biblicarum 51:5). The postmortem fate of the pious and the wicked will be considered ...”
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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