1 Samuel 3:1

_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._ 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 also as his immediate attendant (Michaelis): 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, who seems to have been particularly attached to the boy. THE WORD OF THE LORD WAS PRECIOUS IN THOSE DAYS, х_ YAAQAAR_ (H3368), rare, and therefore precious]. "In those days" implies a...

1-10 The call which Divine grace designs shall be made effectual; will be repeated till it is so, till we come to the call. Eli, perceiving that it was the voice of God that Samuel heard, instructed him what to say. Though it was a disgrace to Eli, for God's call to be directed to Samuel, yet he told him how to meet it. Thus the elder should do their utmost to assist and improve the younger that are rising up. Let us never fail to teach those who are coming after us, even such as will soon be preferred before us, John 1:30. Good words should be put into children's mouths betimes, by which they may be prepared to learn Divine things, and be trained up to regard them....

CHAPTER III _Samuel ministers to the Lord before Eli,_ 1. _He is thrice called by the Lord; who informs him of the evils_ _which shall be brought on the house of Eli_, 2-15. _Eli inquires of Samuel what the Lord had said_, 16, 17. _He gives a faithful reunion of the whole, which Eli receives_ _with great submission_, 18. _Samuel prospers; is established as a prophet in Israel; and the_ _Lord reveals himself to him to Shiloh_, 19-21. NOTES ON CHAP. III Verse 1 Samuel 3:1. Samuel m

See the margin reference note. Josephus says that Samuel’s call to the prophetic office happened when he had just completed his twelfth year (compare Luke 2:42). WAS PRECIOUS - (or rare) The song of Hannah, and the prophecy of the “man of God” (1 Samuel 2:27 note), are the only instances of prophecy since Deborah. Samuel is mentioned as the first of the series of prophets Acts 3:24. NO OPEN VISION - Better rendered, “There was no vision promulgated or published.” (Compare 2 Chronicles 31:5.)...

EXPOSITION THE CALL OF SAMUEL (1 Samuel 3:1). 1 SAMUEL 3:1 THE WORD OF THE LORD WAS PRECIOUS IN THOSE DAYS. Or rather _rare_;_ _it came but seldom, and there was no proper order of persons from whose ranks the "speakers for God" would naturally step forth. It was this which made the revelation of Jehovah's will to Samuel an event so memorable both for the Jewish nation and for the Church; for he was called by the providence of God to be the founder of prophecy as an established institution, and henceforward, side by side with the king and priest, the prophet took his place as one of the three factors in the preparation for the coming of him who is a king to rule, a Prie

AND THE CHILD SAMUEL MINISTERED UNTO THE LORD BEFORE ELI,.... Under his direction and instruction; the Targum is, in the life of Eli, and in such parts of service, relating to the tabernacle of the Lord, as he was capable of, such as opening and shutting the doors of it, lighting the lamps, singing the praises of God, c. according to Josephus n, and others, he was now about twelve years of age: AND THE WORD OF THE LORD WAS PRECIOUS IN THOSE DAYS that is, a word from the Lord in a dream or vision, directing, informing, instructing, or reproving, this was very rarely had; of late there had been but very few instances; and which accounts for it why not only the child Samuel knew not that it was the voice of the Lord that called to him, but Eli himself thought nothing of it until he had called a third time, so rare and scarce was any instance of this kind; for which reason these words are p...

THE WORD Or, a word from the LORD was unusual in those days; there was no public vision....

4. SAMUEL'S CALL AND PROPHETIC MINISTRY CHAPTER 3 _ 1. Samuel's call (1 Samuel 3:1)_ 2. The message from Jehovah (1 Samuel 3:10) 3. Samuel the prophet (1 Samuel 3:19) After the priesthood had so completely failed and divine judgment had been pronounced, Samuel receives his call to the prophetic office. He continued his ministrations as a Levite during the time that the word of the Lord was precious (literally, rare); there was no vision. Up to this time Samuel had not known the Lord nor had the word of the Lord been revealed to him (verse 7). It must have been near the hour of dawn, for the tabernacle lamp was not yet gone out, when the voice of Jehovah called Samuel by name. He kn

1 SAMUEL 3:1 TO 1 SAMUEL 4:1 A... ALL ISRAEL. ANOTHER SECTION OF THE LIFE OF SAMUEL (see above, p. 273). 1 SAMUEL 3:1. CALL OF SAMUEL. 1 Samuel 3:1. child: _na-' ar,_ anything from a baby to a man of forty. PRECIOUS... open, rather rare. frequent (_mg.)._ 1 Samuel 3:2. IN THE TEMPLE, etc.: Samuel slept in the shrine where the Ark was, in order to protect it. Contrast this with the later arrangement which placed the Ark in the Holy of Holies, only entered by the high priest one day in the year. templ

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 i