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A ministering angel shall my sister be

What's the meaning of the phrase 'A ministering angel shall my sister be'?

To minister is to serve, or act as a subordinate agent. So a ministering angel is a kind-hearted person, providing help and comfort.

What's the origin of the phrase 'A ministering angel shall my sister be'?

From Shakespeare’s Hamlet, 1602:

LAERTES:
Lay her i’ the earth:
And from her fair and unpolluted flesh
May violets spring! I tell thee, churlish priest,
A ministering angel shall my sister be,
When thou liest howling.

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Gary Martin is a writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

Gary Martin

Writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.
A ministering angel shall my sister be

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