Read & explore together
Samuel is praised for faithful prophecy and judgment
Sirach 46:13–20 praises Samuel as the Lord’s prophet, judge, and faithful speaker. The passage highlights judging by the Lord’s law, calling on the Lord under pressure, personal integrity, and prophecy before and after his sleep.
Understanding the passage
Listening in context
This passage comes from Sirach, a book in the Catholic additional books. In these verses, Samuel is remembered through a sequence of brief statements about his leadership, faithfulness, prayer, honesty, and prophecy. The focus stays on what the passage says about Samuel and the Lord’s action around him.
Sirach 46:13–20Main takeaway
Sirach 46:13–20 presents Samuel as faithful in leadership, prayer, integrity, and prophecy under the Lord’s care.
Look closely at the words
Open a card to explore the full explanation and its Bible references.
01Prophet, ruler-maker, and judgeSamuel is called “the prophet of the Lord” and “loved by his Lord”. The passage says he established a kingdom and anointed princes over the people.
Explanation
Samuel is called “the prophet of the Lord” and “loved by his Lord”. The passage says he established a kingdom and anointed princes over the people. It also says he judged the congregation “by the law of the Lord”, showing that the standard for his judging came from the Lord’s law.
02Faithfulness shown in prophecySirach says Samuel was proved to be a prophet by his faithfulness. It also says that by his words he was known to be faithful in vision.
Explanation
Sirach says Samuel was proved to be a prophet by his faithfulness. It also says that by his words he was known to be faithful in vision. The emphasis is not only that he received visions, but that his speech matched a life and witness marked by faithfulness.
03Calling on the Lord under pressureWhen enemies pressed on him from every side, Samuel called upon the Lord, “the Mighty One”, with the offering of a suckling lamb.
Explanation
When enemies pressed on him from every side, Samuel called upon the Lord, “the Mighty One”, with the offering of a suckling lamb. The answer came from the Lord, who thundered from heaven and made his voice heard. The destruction of rulers and princes is presented as the Lord’s action.
04Integrity before sleep, prophecy after sleepBefore his “age-long sleep”, Samuel testified that he had not taken even a sandal from anyone, and no one accused him.
Explanation
Before his “age-long sleep”, Samuel testified that he had not taken even a sandal from anyone, and no one accused him. The passage then says that after he fell asleep, he prophesied, showed the king his end, and lifted up his voice to blot out the wickedness of the people.
Questions to explore
Pause, look back at the verses and talk together.
01What does this passage connect with Samuel’s judging of the congregation?
Look for the phrase that gives the basis for his judging, not just the fact that he judged.
02How does Sirach link Samuel’s faithfulness with his prophetic role?
Notice how the verse repeats “faithful” and connects it with both being proved a prophet and being known by his words.
03Which details in the passage show Samuel’s personal integrity?
Focus on what he says he did not take and on how others responded to that claim.
Read the Bible passage
World English Bible ClassicScripture quotation · Public domain
Sirach 46:13–20
13Samuel, the prophet of the Lord, loved by his Lord, established a kingdom and anointed princes over his people.
14By the law of the Lord he judged the congregation, and the Lord watched over Jacob.
15By his faithfulness he was proved to be a prophet. By his words he was known to be faithful in vision.
16When his enemies pressed on him on every side, he called upon the Lord, the Mighty One, with the offering of the suckling lamb.
17Then the Lord thundered from heaven. He made his voice heard with a mighty sound.
18He utterly destroyed the rulers of the Tyrians and all the princes of the Philistines.
19Before the time of his age-long sleep, he testified in the sight of the lord and his anointed, “I have not taken any man’s goods, so much as a sandal;” and no one accused him.
20Even after he fell asleep, he prophesied, and showed the king his end, and lifted up his voice from the earth in prophecy, to blot out the wickedness of the people.