_A.M. 2863. B.C. 1141._ God's first manifestation of himself to Samuel, 1 Samuel 3:1. God's message to Eli, 1 Samuel 3:11. His faithful delivery of that message, and Eli's submission to God, 1 Samuel 3:15. The establishment of Samuel to be a prophet, 1 Samuel 3:19.... [ Continue Reading ]
_The child Samuel ministered before Eli_ That is, under his inspection and direction. _The word of the Lord was precious_ That is, the word of prophecy, or the revelation of God's will to and by the prophets, was rare or scarce, such things being most precious in men's esteem, whereas common things... [ Continue Reading ]
_At that time_ After the man of God, mentioned in the foregoing chapter, (1 Samuel 2:27,) had been with Eli; perhaps the very night after he had delivered his message: _when Eli was laid down in his place_ In the court of the tabernacle, where there were divers rooms for several uses of the priests,... [ Continue Reading ]
_Samuel did not yet know the Lord_ How God was wont to teach and instruct men in his will. _Neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed to him_ He was not acquainted with the way wherein God made himself and his mind known unto the prophets, because he had never spoken to him before. So that he di... [ Continue Reading ]
_The Lord came and stood_, &c. Before, the Lord spake to him at a distance, even from the holy oracle between the cherubim: but now, to prevent all further mistake, the voice came near to him, as if the person speaking had been standing near him. And Rabbi Kimchi thinks the expression denotes some g... [ Continue Reading ]
_Both the ears of every one shall tingle_ Or, as we would express it, _It shall stun all that hear it._ This was awfully fulfilled, when the doleful news came that the ark was taken, and both Eli's sons were slain, and when Eli himself fell down and broke his neck.... [ Continue Reading ]
_In that day I will perform against Eli_, &c. In that time which I have appointed for this work, which was about twenty or thirty years after this threatening. So long space of repentance God allows to this wicked generation. _When I begin_, &c. Though this vengeance shall be delayed for a season, t... [ Continue Reading ]
_For the iniquity which he knoweth_ Here we see the crime of Eli, and cause of all the awful judgments executed on his house. He knew the wickedness of his sons: the man of God told him of it: he heard of it from all the people, 1 Samuel 2:23. And he knew he ought to punish it, and that he was guilt... [ Continue Reading ]
_I have sworn_ Or, _I do swear;_ the past tense being commonly put for the present in the Hebrew tongue. _Unto the house of Eli_ Or, _concerning_ it. _Shall not be purged_ That is, the punishment threatened against Eli and his family shall not be prevented by all their sacrifices, but shall infallib... [ Continue Reading ]
_Opened the doors_ Although the tabernacle, while it was to be removed from place to place in the wilderness, had no doors, but consisted only of curtains, and had hangings before the entrance, instead of doors; yet when it was settled in one place, as now it was in Shiloh, it was enclosed within so... [ Continue Reading ]
_God do so_, &c. God inflict the same evils upon thee which I suspect he hath pronounced against me, and greater evils too.... [ Continue Reading ]
_It is the Lord_ This severe sentence is from the sovereign Lord of the world, who hath an absolute right to dispose of me and all his creatures; who is in a special manner the ruler of the people of Israel, to whom it properly belongs to punish all mine offences; whose chastisement I therefore acce... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Samuel 3:19. _The Lord was with him_ There were manifest tokens of God's presence with him, and favour toward him. See Genesis 31:2. Or, he revealed his mind more and more to him: so that Israel knew God intended him for the prophetic office. _Let none of his words fall to the ground_ That is, wan... [ Continue Reading ]
_All Israel, from Dan_, &c. That is, through the whole land, from the northern bound, Dan, to the southern, Beer-sheba: which was the whole length of the land. _That Samuel was established_, &c. That is, settled to be a constant prophet. _The Lord appeared again_, &c. Having begun to appear to him i... [ Continue Reading ]