1.
And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision.
child = youth. Hebrew. na'ar.
the LORD . Hebrew. Jehovah . App-4 .
was = had come to be.
precious . Hebrew. yakar = heavy (in price). Note the five precious things in Old. Testament: the word of God (1 Samuel 3:1 , its first occurrence); redemption (Psalms 49:8 ); the death of His saints (Psalms 72:14 ; Psalms 116:15 ); the lips of knowledge (Proverbs 20:15 ); the thoughts of God (Psalms 139:17 ). See note on the five in New Testament (Matthew 26:7 ).
2.
And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see;
see = see clearly.
3.
And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep;
lamp of God = the seven-branched candlestick. God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4 .
the temple : i, e. the tabernacle. See note on 1 Samuel 1:9 .
4.
That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.
Here am I = Behold me.
5.
And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down.
6.
And the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again.
7.
Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him.
8.
And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child.
9.
Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10.
And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.
Samuel, Samuel . Figure of speech Epizeuxis. App-6 . See note on Genesis 22:11 for the ten reduplications.
11.
And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle.
Behold . Figure of speech Asterismos. App-6 .
tingle . Compare 2 Kings 21:12 .Jeremiah 19:3 .
12.
In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end.
13.
For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.
iniquity . Hebrew ` avah.
made themselves vile . This is one of the eighteen emendations of the Sopherim, on their own confession. See App-33 . By omitting one letter they changed this, from a mistaken sense of reverence. The primitive text, preserved in the Septuagint, stood, "his sons cursed God".
14.
And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever.
15.
And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision.
morning. The copyist's eye, in going back to this word, went to the word at the end of' the next sentence, and thus omitted "and rose early in the morning". These words are preserved in the Septuagint.
16.
Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here am I.
17.
And he said, What is the thing that the LORD hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that he said unto thee.
thing- word.
18.
And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good.
every whit = every particle. Anglo-Saxon, wiht. Every bit. Hebrew "all the words".
19.
And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.
20.
And all Israel from Dan even to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD.
established, &c. Samuel was the first of "the prophets "and last of the judges, preparing the way for the change of government.
21.
And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.
by . Or, according to.