Meaning

A ministering angel shall my sister be

The meaning of the phrase

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

A ministering angel shall my sister be

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.

Historical trend

“ministering angel shall my sister” in printed material over time

Source: Google Books Ngrams (1820–2020).

18201840186018801900192019401960198020002020
  • ministering angel shall my sister