1 And the youth Samuel is serving Jehovah before Eli, and the word of Jehovah hath been precious in those days -- there is no vision broken forth.
2 And it cometh to pass, at that time, that Eli is lying down in his place, and his eyes have begun to be dim -- he is not able to see.
3 And the lamp of God is not yet extinguished, and Samuel is lying down in the temple of Jehovah, where the ark of God `is',
4 and Jehovah calleth unto Samuel, and he saith, `Here `am' I.'
5 And he runneth unto Eli, and saith, `Here `am' I, for thou hast called for me;' and he saith, `I called not; turn back, lie down;' and he goeth and lieth down.
6 And Jehovah addeth to call again Samuel, and Samuel riseth and goeth unto Eli, and saith, `Here `am' I, for thou hast called for me;' and he saith, `I have not called, my son, turn back, lie down.'
7 And Samuel hath not yet known Jehovah, and the word of Jehovah is not yet revealed unto him.
8 And Jehovah addeth to call Samuel the third time, and he riseth and goeth unto Eli, and saith, `Here `am' I, for thou hast called for me;' and Eli understandeth that Jehovah is calling to the youth.
9 And Eli saith to Samuel, `Go, lie down, and it hath been, if He doth call unto thee, that thou hast said, Speak, Jehovah, for Thy servant is hearing;' and Samuel goeth and lieth down in his place.
10 And Jehovah cometh, and stationeth Himself, and calleth as time by time, `Samuel, Samuel;' and Samuel saith, `Speak, for Thy servant if hearing.'
11 And Jehovah saith unto Samuel, `Lo, I am doing a thing in Israel, at which the two ears of every one hearing it do tingle.
12 In that day I establish unto Eli all that I have spoken unto his house, beginning and completing;
13 and I have declared to him that I am judging his house -- to the age, for the iniquity which he hath known, for his sons are making themselves vile, and he hath not restrained them,
14 and therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli: the iniquity of the house of Eli is not atoned for, by sacrifice, and by offering -- unto the age.'
15 And Samuel lieth till the morning, and openeth the doors of the house of Jehovah, and Samuel is afraid of declaring the vision unto Eli.
16 And Eli calleth Samuel, and saith, `Samuel, my son;' and he saith, `Here `am' I.'
17 And he saith, `What `is' the word which He hath spoken unto thee? I pray thee, hide it not from me; so doth God do to thee, and so doth He add, if thou hidest from me a word of all the words that He hath spoken unto thee.'
18 And Samuel declareth to him the whole of the words, and hath not hid from him; and he saith, `It `is' Jehovah; that which is good in His eyes He doth.'
19 And Samuel groweth up, and Jehovah hath been with him, and hath not let fall any of his words to the earth;
20 and all Israel know, from Dan even unto Beer-Sheba, that Samuel is established for a prophet to Jehovah.
21 And Jehovah addeth to appear in Shiloh, for Jehovah hath been revealed unto Samuel, in Shiloh, by the word of Jehovah.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 1 Samuel 3
Commentary on 1 Samuel 3 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 3
1Sa 3:1-10. The Lord Appears to Samuel in a Vision.
1. the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli—His ministry consisted, of course, of such duties in or about the sanctuary as were suited to his age, which is supposed now to have been about twelve years. Whether the office had been specially assigned him, or it arose from the interest inspired by the story of his birth, Eli kept him as his immediate attendant; and he resided not in the sanctuary, but in one of the tents or apartments around it, assigned for the accommodation of the priests and Levites, his being near to that of the high priest.
the word of the Lord was precious in those days—It was very rarely known to the Israelites; and in point of fact only two prophets are mentioned as having appeared during the whole administration of the judges (Jud 4:4; 6:8).
there was no open vision—no publicly recognized prophet whom the people could consult, and from whom they might learn the will of God. There must have been certain indubitable evidences by which a communication from heaven could be distinguished. Eli knew them, for he may have received them, though not so frequently as is implied in the idea of an "open vision."
3. ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord—The "temple" seems to have become the established designation of the tabernacle, and the time indicated was towards the morning twilight, as the lamps were extinguished at sunrise (see Le 6:12, 13).
5-18. he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me—It is evident that his sleeping chamber was close to that of the aged high priest and that he was accustomed to be called during the night. The three successive calls addressed to the boy convinced Eli of the divine character of the speaker, and he therefore exhorted the child to give a reverential attention to the message. The burden of [the Lord's message] was an extraordinary premonition of the judgments that impended over Eli's house; and the aged priest, having drawn the painful secret from the child, exclaimed, "It is the Lord; let him do what seemeth him good." Such is the spirit of meek and unmurmuring submission in which we ought to receive the dispensations of God, however severe and afflictive. But, in order to form a right estimate of Eli's language and conduct on this occasion, we must consider the overwhelming accumulation of judgments denounced against his person, his sons, his descendants—his altar, and nation. With such a threatening prospect before him, his piety and meekness were wonderful. In his personal character he seems to have been a good man, but his sons' conduct was flagrantly bad; and though his misfortunes claim our sympathy, it is impossible to approve or defend the weak and unfaithful course which, in the retributive justice of God, brought these adversities upon him.