The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.
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Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
Are these words going to be regarded as simply the words of one mere woman giving thanks for the birth of her son? Are people’s minds so turned away from the light of truth that they do not feel that the words poured out by this woman transcend the limit of her own thoughts? Surely, anyone who is appropriately moved by the events whose fulfillment has already begun, even in this earthly pilgrimage, must listen to these words and observe and recognize that through this woman (whose very name, Hannah, means “God’s grace”), there speaks, by the spirit of prophecy, the Christian religion itself, the City of God itself, whose king and founder is Christ. There speaks, in fact, the grace of God itself, from which the proud are estranged so that they fall, with which the humble are filled so that they rise up, which was in fact the chief theme that rang out in her hymn of praise. Now it may be that someone will be ready to say that the woman didn’t utter a prophecy but merely praised God in an...
These words refer to the return of Christ or to the return of God to heaven. His teaching [will be] heard like thunder by all, and holy Scripture foretells his future judgment of all afterwards. And after this it is said that the Lord will give strength to our kings. And these would be the apostles of Christ, of whom it is written in Psalm 67: “The Lord will give a word to the preachers of the gospel with much power.” Here, also, he mentions Christ by name, humanly known as our Savior, whose horn he says shall be exalted, meaning his invisible power and kingdom. For it is usual for Scripture to call a kingdom a “horn.” It is found also in Psalm 88: “And in my name shall his horn be exalted.” - "Proof of the Gospel 1.4.16"
For it is written: “He himself shall judge the ends of the earth.” The Lord justifies or condemns each person at the end and considers the outcome of all things, so that not even the sinner, if he or she truly repents, need despair of forgiveness, nor should the just person have confidence in his own sanctity. - "General Rule for Monasteries 19"
Him. Septuagint, "The Lord will render his adversary weak. The holy Lord. Let not the prudent boast of his prudence "(Haydock; which seems to be added from Jeremias ix. 23., Calmet) "The Lord has mounted the heavens, and thundered. He judges the ends of the earth, and gives power to those who rule, as kings, over us "(Haydock)
Heavens. This prediction against the Philistines was exactly verified, chap. vii. 10. It denotes the protection which God grants to his servants, Psalm xvii. 8, 14.
Christ. Chaldean, and the best interpreters, understand this of the Messias: "He will multiply the kingdom of his Messias. "(Jonathan)
Anna might also have David in view, who was one of his most express figures. (Calmet)
But neither he, nor Solomon, ever ruled over all the earth, as Christ will, Psalm ii. 18. (Worthington)
Zachary seems to allude to this text, Luke i. 69. (Calmet)
The empire of Christ rose from the smallest beginnings. (Menochius)
