1 Samuel 3:1-21

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 3:8

And the Lord called Samuel again the third time ,.... In the same manner he had done before, expressing his name no doubt: and he arose and went to Eli, and said, here am I, for thou didst call me ; as if he should say, it must certainly be so, I cannot be mistaken a third time: and Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child ; he was satisfied now that Samuel must have heard a voice, and he knew there was no man in the tabernacle but himself, and therefore it must be the voice... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 3:9

Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, go, lie down ,.... Once more: and it shall be, if he call thee ; the voice, or the Lord by it: that thou shalt say, speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth ; his meaning is, that he should not rise and come to him, as he had done, but continue on his bed, on hearing the voice again, but desire the Lord to speak to him what he had to say, to which he was ready to attend: so Samuel went and lay down in his place ; which, as commonly understood, was in... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 3:10

And the Lord came, and stood ,.... At the place where Samuel lay; either there was, as Kimchi, a form before his eyes in the vision of prophecy, some visible corporeal shape assumed; or a bright splendour an illustrious appearance of the glory of God; or it may be rather the voice, which before seemed to be at some distance whereabout Eli lay; it now seemed nearer, and was as the voice of one just by him, that sounded in his ears: and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel : repeating... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 3:11

And the Lord said to Samuel ,.... The voice of the Lord continued speaking to him: behold: I will do a thing in Israel ; which may be particularly interpreted of the taking of the ark, and the slaying of the two sons of Eli; and which is elsewhere represented as the Lord's doing, for the sins of Eli's family, Psalm 78:61 . at which both the ears of everyone that heareth it shall tingle ; be struck with horror and amazement, and quite stunned, and know not what to think or say, like... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 3:12

In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house ,.... Or family, that is, by the man of God, 1 Samuel 2:27 as that he would cut off the strength of it, that there should not be an old man in it; and such as remained should be reduced to the utmost poverty and meanness; this shows that that prophecy was antecedent to this, contrary to the sense of some: when I begin, I will also make an end ; not immediately, and at once, but by degrees; he... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 3:13

For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever ,.... That is, bring his judgments upon them, which should continue on them to their utter destruction; this, as to the substance, he said before by the man of God: for the iniquity which he knoweth ; for the iniquity of his sons, which he thoroughly informed of, and fully acquainted with by others; and somewhat of which he must have been sensible of, and seen with his own eyes, and therefore was inexcusable: because his sons... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 3:14

And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli ,.... Either had done this before, which was signified to him by the man of God, or did swear now for the confirmation of his threatenings, and to assure the certain performance of them: that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever : not even typically, which was all that legal sacrifice could do; and not so that the priesthood should ever return to the family again, as the office of high... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 3:15

And Samuel lay until the morning ,.... It is not said he slept; it can hardly be thought he should, when it is considered what a new, strange, and uncommon thing had befallen him; what honour had been conferred on him a child, that the Lord should vouchsafe to speak and communicate his mind to him, and what dreadful things were said of Eli's family; all which must greatly affect his mind, and keep him waking: however, he lay musing thereon until morning, and then arose: and opened the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 3:16

Then Eli called Samuel ,.... Perceiving he was risen by the opening of the doors of the tabernacle, which he might hear; and observing he did not come to him as usual, to know whether he wanted anything, and being impatient to hear what was said to him of the Lord: and he said, Samuel, my son ; called him by his name, and in a very tender and affectionate manner, the more to engage him to hasten to him, and thereby also putting him in mind of his filial duty to obey him: and he... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 3:17

And he said, what is the thing that the Lord hath said unto thee ?.... The word "Lord" is not in the text, but it is "that it hath said"; the voice that had so often called him in the night, and which yet Eli knew was the voice of the Lord; and as it was, he was sensible there was something of importance said, and he had great reason to believe it respected him and his family; and the rather he might conclude this, by what the man of God had lately said to him, whose words perhaps he had... read more

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