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Scott's Reference Library
1 Samuel 3:1 through 1 Samuel 3:20 (NIV)
1The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word
of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions.
2One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was
lying down in his usual place. 3The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel
was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was. 4Then the
LORD called Samuel.
Samuel answered, “Here I am.” 5And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you
called me.”
But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.
6Again the LORD called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said,
“Here I am; you called me.”
“My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.”
7Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD: The word of the LORD had not yet been
revealed to him.
8The LORD called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up and went to Eli and
said, “Here I am; you called me.”
Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. 9So Eli told Samuel, “Go
and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is
listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel!
Samuel!”
Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
11And the LORD said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that
will make the ears of everyone who hears of it tingle. 12At that time I will
carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family—from beginning to
end. 13For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin
he knew about; his sons made themselves contemptible, and he failed to restrain
them. 14Therefore, I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will
never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’”
15Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the
LORD. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, 16but Eli called him and said,
“Samuel, my son.”
Samuel answered, “Here I am.”
17“What was it he said to you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide it from me. May God deal
with you, be it ever so severely, if you hide from me anything he told you.”
18So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, “He is
the LORD; let him do what is good in his eyes.”
19The LORD was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to
the ground. 20And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was
attested as a prophet of the LORD.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
VERSES 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.
VERSES 11-18
What a great deal of guilt and corruption is there in us, concerning which we
may say, It is the iniquity which our own heart knoweth; we are conscious to
ourselves of it! Those who do not restrain the sins of others, when it is in
their power to do it, make themselves partakers of the guilt, and will be
charged as joining in it. In his remarkable answer to this awful sentence, Eli
acknowledged that the Lord had a right to do as he saw good, being assured that
he would do nothing wrong. The meekness, patience, and humility contained in
those words, show that he was truly repentant; he accepted the punishment of his
sin.
VERSES 19-21
All increase in wisdom and grace, is owing to the presence of God with us. God
will graciously repeat his visits to those who receive them aright. Early piety
will be the greatest honour of young people. Those who honour God he will honour.
Let young people consider the piety of Samuel, and from him they will learn to
remember their Creator in the days of their youth. Young children are capable of
religion. Samuel is a proof that their waiting upon the Lord will be pleasing to
him. He is a pattern of all those amiable tempers, which are the brightest
ornament of youth, and a sure source of happiness.