Bede : The bow of the mighty has been broken, etc. The proud intention of the Jews, by which they always presumed to be saved by the works of the law, has failed; the exercise of dialectical skill, and the loquacity of secular philosophy, as if bent to ridicule the simplicity of faith, has been weakened; finally, all the fiery darts of malignant spirits have been blunted by the weapons of invincible truth; because God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the mighty (I Cor. II). — Commentary on Samuel Gregory the Dialogist : What is the bow of the strong, if not the fraudulent savagery of the Jews? For from concealment, as if from a bow, they had inflicted a wound upon the Redeemer, whom they were killing by the hands of the Gentiles. But the bow of the strong was overcome, because he who died by their wound rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and sent the promised Holy Spirit to the disciples. — Commentary on 1 Kings, Book 1, Chapter 3 Gregory the Dialogist : Indeed, by the name of strength, the power of the Holy Spirit is shown. Hence the Lord, promising this same Spirit to the disciples, says: 'But remain in the city until you are clothed with power from on high' (Luke 24:49). And the grace of the Holy Spirit is rightly called strength, because when the elect receive it, they become strong against all adversities of this world. But who are the weak in this place to be understood as, if not the apostles? But they were certainly weak when the bow of the mighty was bent, not when they were clothed with power from on high. For in the hour of the Lord's arrest it is written of them that, 'leaving the Lord, they all fled' (Matthew 26:56). Was not Peter very weak then, when he feared the voice of a questioning servant girl and denied the Redeemer (Matthew 26:63, 74)? Already indeed the bow of the mighty had been overcome, the savagery of the Jews brought to nothing, because the Redeemer had risen after conquering death; and yet still the weak apostles feared the overcome mighty ones behind closed doors (John 20:19). But where strength clothed them, it is fitting to observe how strong it made them. For the Holy Spirit came upon them with a sudden sound, and changed their weakness into the power of wonderful love (Acts 2:2ff.). For they began to preach Christ, now clothed with strength, who had not been ashamed to flee and hide from the threats of persecutors; and those who had feared the words of women broke the authority of rulers with freedom. Strength conquered fear, overcame terrors, threats, and slaughter; and those whom it clothed by coming upon them, it adorned with the insignia of marvelous boldness in the heavenly warfare, so that amid scourges, slaughter, and reproaches they did not fear, but rejoiced. For it is written of them now clothed with this strength: 'The apostles went from the presence of the council rejoicing, because they were counted worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus' (Acts 5:41). Hence now preaching, they say: 'Count it all joy, brothers, when you fall into various trials' (James 1:2). Well therefore it is said: 'The bow of the mighty is overcome, and the weak are girded with strength.' Because first the Redeemer rose from the dead, and thus went to heaven, and sent the Holy Spirit to the disciples. For first the bow of the mighty had to be overcome, and afterward the weak were to be girded with strength. Hence it is also written: 'The Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet been glorified' (John 7:39). — Commentary on 1 Kings, Book 1, Chapter 3 Gregory the Dialogist : In this passage it must be noted that this is said against Judea, which despises the miracles of the Redeemer all the more proudly insofar as it recognizes that He died amid torments. She says therefore: "The bow of the mighty is overcome, and the weak are girded with strength." As if she were answering the Synagogue that slanders the death of the Redeemer, saying: Do not despise the fact that He was able to die, but rather marvel that, having died, He rose again, and by coming back to life overcame the savagery of your nation. And because she shows this concerning the past, she speaks to her not only by proclaiming but by reproaching. For as if she were rebuking one who taunts in vain, she says: What did it profit you to have killed Him whom the snare of death could not hold? You killed Him lest the whole world should go after Him; but for this very reason the whole world goes after Him, because He proved Himself to be the true Son of God — by redeeming the human race through dying, by showing Himself alive through rising again, by ascending to heaven, and by sending the promised Holy Spirit to His disciples. And because the Synagogue, on account of its deserved unbelief, was driven from participation in the promised grace, holy Church, reproaching her for this very thing, adds and says. — Commentary on 1 Kings, Book 1, Chapter 3 Gregory the Dialogist : 11. For we have already said in the allegorical exposition that unclean spirits are designated by the name of these mighty ones. Since they fell from heavenly glory through pride, they are fittingly set before proud teachers as a warning, so that they may now think humbly of themselves to the degree that they contemplate how even angels fell from supreme glory through the desire for vain glory. We recall that our Redeemer also did this with His proud disciples, who, when they boasted of having demons subject to them, immediately heard from Him: "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven" (Luke 10:18). The bow of the mighty, therefore, is the pride of malignant spirits. They are called mighty either because they thought great things of themselves, or because they overcome the human race by the force of great temptations. This bow, when impious intent stretched it, strove to hurl the arrows of its malice upward against its Creator. "I will set my throne in the North," said their prince, "I will be like the Most High" (Isaiah 14:13-14). But the bow of the mighty was overcome, because God resisted the pride of the apostate spirits, cast them down from heaven, and stripped them of the glory of their created excellence, so that in the fallen angels man might learn what to fear. For what will become of an earthen vessel, if God does not spare even golden ones that are full of the stench of pride? Hence Peter also speaks in his Epistle, saying: "God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down into hell with chains of darkness and delivered them to be reserved for judgment" (2 Peter 2:4). It is as though an elect and humble preacher were saying to the proud: That you may cease from your haughtiness, look upon the penalties of deserved damnation in the angels who are like you—that is, the fallen ones. 12. And setting forth whom they ought to imitate, she says: "And the weak have been girded with strength." If on account of the presumption of self-esteem the evil angels are called strong, the name of the weak rightly belongs to the blessed spirits, who, presuming nothing of themselves, are subject in perpetual humility to the power of their Maker. "The weak have been girded with strength," because, by the merit of voluntary subjection, the holy angels are joined to their Creator by the bond of inward love. To whom the name of girding fittingly applies, because anyone who is girded is held fast on every side by the belt with which he is girded, because clearly those most blessed spirits are so established in eternity that they can never fall from it. Hence it is that an angel is sent to Daniel preaching in Babylon, who is described as girded with fine gold (Dan. 10:5). Hence it is that the angel with whom John held conversation in the Apocalypse he beheld encircled with a golden girdle about the breast. Because indeed those same blessed spirits have risen from the merit of humility to the glory of love, but because they possess that same glory in the embrace of eternity, and do not possess it in fear of losing it, they are indeed ineffably glorious, but they can never lose that ineffable glory. Therefore, that the arrogant may cease to boast, let him hear: "The bow of the mighty is overcome." And that, with the fault of pride condemned, they may advance in humility, it is said to them: "The weak have been girded with strength." For strength is bestowed upon the weak when, by the merit of subjection, the power of heavenly charity is poured into the meek. We are also girded when we are prepared for the ministry of the word. Rightly therefore the weak girded with strength are set before those who boast in lofty speech, because those spirits who are sent forth in ministry, for the sake of those who receive the inheritance of salvation, were humble before they were girded for ministry. For weakness is mentioned first, but the girding of strength afterward. Paul indeed points out to us these girded ones, saying: "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth in ministry, for the sake of those who receive the inheritance of salvation" (Heb. 1:14)? Of whom the prophet also speaks, saying: "Thousands of thousands ministered to him" (Dan. 7:10). As if therefore she were saying: First know yourselves, and so prepare yourselves for the salvation of others, because the good of preaching is then well fulfilled when the preacher who is lofty in word strives to be humble in ministry. — Commentary on 1 Kings, Book 2, Chapter 1 Origen of Alexandria : "The bow of the mighty was made weak." The darts of the malign one, which are called fiery, are sent forth through the bow of the mighty. Now by the mighty are meant the adverse powers, of which it is said, "for behold, the sinners have bent the bow, and in it have prepared vessels of death." And again: "He made his arrows for them that burn." But now too it is said, that "the bow of the mighty was made weak." For if thou be clothed with the arms of God, if thou be fortified with the shield of faith and covered with the helmet of salvation, and with the breastplate of charity, and girded with the sword of the spirit, the bow of the mighty against thee, because of such defenses, will be made weak. For if he have hurled against thee some one fiery dart, it, received on the shield of faith, is straightway extinguished. He has cast another dart also, and it too is repelled by the breastplate of righteousness. He has cast a third also, and it too is cut off by the sword of the spirit. He sends perhaps a fourth also, which likewise is thrown off by the helmet of salvation. And when, through all these, the man of God who is assailed has remained invulnerable, then by the bow of the mighty he will by no means, though so many darts be aimed, be made weak. — HOMILIES ON 1 SAMUEL 1.16 Origen of Alexandria : "And the weak were girded with strength." If we see how "God chose the foolish things of the world, that he might confound the wise, and the weak things of the world, that he might confound the strong," thou understandest how the weak were girded with strength. Weak was the gentile people, inasmuch as it was a stranger to the covenant of God: this obtained strength. What strength? "My strength and my praise is the Lord, and he is become to me for salvation." My strength, therefore, is Christ the Lord himself, with whom we were girded, we who were once strangers to the covenant of God, and without God in this world. — HOMILIES ON 1 SAMUEL 1.17