1 Samuel 3:2-5

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Samuel 3:1-10

To make way for the account of God's revealing himself first to Samuel, we are here told, 1. How industrious Samuel was in serving God, according as his place and capacity were (1 Sam. 3:1): The child Samuel, though but a child, ministered unto the Lord before Eli. It was an aggravation of the wickedness of Eli's sons that the child Samuel shamed them. They rebelled against the Lord, but Samuel ministered to him; they slighted their father's admonitions, but Samuel was observant of them; he... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 3:2

And it came to pass at that time ,.... When the word of the Lord was scarce and precious, and there was no open vision; or, as Ben Gersom, the same day the man of God came to Eli at night, the following affair happened: when Eli was laid down in his place ; on his bed to sleep, in one of the chambers or apartments of the tabernacle; for as there were such in the temple for the priests, so in that: and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see ; to help himself to anything he... read more

John Gill

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

And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord ,.... The tabernacle so called; lamp is put for the lamps in the candlestick in the tabernacle, which were lighted every evening, and burnt till morning; by which time some of them at least usually went out, only it is said the western lamp never went out. Now the reason why this is observed is to show that it was in the night, before morning, that the following transaction was: some by this lamp understand the lamp of prophecy, that... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 3:4

That the Lord called Samuel ,.... By a voice which came forth from the most holy place, from between the cherubim, the seat of the divine Majesty: and he answered, here am I ; which was not intended to declare the place where he was, but to express his readiness and cheerfulness to do any thing that was required of him. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 3:5

And he ran unto Eli, and said here am I ,.... He got out of his bed as fast as he could, and put on his clothes, and ran with all haste to the apartment where Eli lay, supposing he wanted some immediate assistance, which he was there ready to give him to the utmost of his ability; and he made the more haste, as knowing his age and infirmities, and being desirous, out of affection to him, to help him as soon as possible: for thou calledst me ; he took it to be the voice of Eli, partly... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Samuel 3:2

Eli was laid down in his place - It is very likely that as the ark was a long time at Shiloh, they had built near to it certain apartments for the high priest and others more immediately employed about the tabernacle. In one of these, near to that of Eli, perhaps under the same roof, Samuel lay when he was called by the Lord. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Samuel 3:3

Ere the lamp of God went out - Before sunrise; for it is likely that the lamps were extinguished before the rising of the sun. See Exodus 27:21 ; Leviticus 24:3 . read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Samuel 3:4

The Lord called Samuel - The voice probably came from the holy place, near to which Eli and Samuel were both lying. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Samuel 3:1-10

Light withheld. The facts given are— 1 . A lack of the manifest revelations of the Divine will to which Israel had been accustomed. 2 . A consciousness of this want on the part of the few pious in Israel. 3 . The continued service of Samuel in the ordinary routine of the sanctuary. 4 . The resumption of the manifest revelation by the call of Samuel to receive it. 5 . Samuel experiences difficulty in recognising the call of God. 6 . Eli renders to him the assistance... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Samuel 3:1-18

The old priest and the child prophet. Every imagination must be struck by the contrast between the old man and the child. The more so, that the natural order of things is reversed. Instead of admonition to the child coming through the lips of age, admonition to the aged came through the lips of childhood. 1. THE CHARACTER OF ELI ILLUSTRATED . 1 . His good points. The Lord had ceased to speak to or by Eli; but when the old priest perceived that the Lord had spoken to the... read more

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