1 Samuel 3
Bob Utley · You Can Understand the Bible
1 Samuel 3
NJB (MT versing) The Prophetic Call to Samuel Samuel's First Prophecy God's First Revelation to Samuel (3:1-4:1a) The Lord Appears to Samuel God Calls Samuel 3:1 3:1-9 3:1 3:1-5b 3:1-9 3:2-9 3:2-9 3:5c 3:6-7c 3:7d-8b 3:8c-9 3:10-14 3:10-14 3:10-14 3:10a-b 3:10-14 3:10c 3:11-14 3:15-18 3:15-18 3:15-18 3:15-16 3:15-18 3:17-18 3:19-21 3:19-21 3:19-4:1a 3:19-21 3:19-4:1a Etc.
1 Samuel 3:1
3:1 "the Lord" See SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY, D. ▣ "word from the Lord was rare in those days" Notice the "word" and "vision" are parallel (i.e., apparently Samuel was asleep so this was at first a dream encounter). God communicates in several ways through different gifted people (i.e., Jer. 18:18). priest sage prophet Evil leaders cause a drought of revelation (i.e., Ezek. 7:26; Micah 3:6). YHWH manifested Himself to humans in several ways. physical encounters (i.e., the Angel of the Lord, Exodus 3) dreams (i.e., Gen. 15:12; 28:12; 31:10,11,24; 37:5,9) visions (i.e., Ezekiel, Daniel)
1 Samuel 3:2-9
3:2 "Eli was lying down in his place" It is uncertain where Eli slept. Samuel slept in the inner shrine of the tabernacle (i.e., "the holy place"). It was his job to make sure the lights on the menorah did not go out (cf. v. 3). SPECIAL TOPIC: THE TABERNACLE OF THE WILDERNESS (chart) SPECIAL TOPIC: LAMPSTAND (Menorah) ▣ "his eyesight had begun to grow dim" Loss of sight is common with age. Isaac ‒ Gen. 27:1 Jacob ‒ Gen. 48:10 Eli ‒ 1 Sam. 3:2 Ahijah ‒ 1 Kgs. 14:4 old people ‒ Eccl. 12:4 3:4 "the Lord called to Samuel" This revelation was audible used words Samuel could understand His words were at first thought to be human words ▣ "Here I am" This was Hebrew idiom of availability (cf. Gen. 22:1,7,11; 27:1; 31:11; 46:2; Exod. 3:4; 1 Sam. 3:4,5,6,8,16; 22:12; 2 Sam. 1:7). 3:7 This verse does not imply that Samuel was without faith but that YHWH had not spoken directly, personally to him. Josephus states that Samuel's call to the prophetic office came when he was twelve (Antiq. 5.10.4). Samuel functioned in several leadership roles. prophet ‒ 1 Sam. 3:19-4:1; 9:6-10 judge ‒ 1 Sam. 7:15-17 priest ‒ 1 Sam. 7:9-10; 13:8-15 3:8 "Eli discerned that the Lord was calling" Apparently a similar revelatory event had occurred to Eli. He recognized what was happening and knew how Samuel should respond to it.
1 Samuel 3:10-14
3:10 "the Lord came and stood" This is a revelation in which YHWH appears as a human male (cf. V. 21). SPECIAL TOPIC: ANTHROPOMORPHIC LANGUAGE USED TO DESCRIBE GOD SPECIAL TOPIC: CAN HUMANS SEE GOD AND LIVE? ▣ "Samuel! Samuel!" This was a way to show emphasis. Abraham, Abraham ‒ Gen. 22:11 Jacob, Jacob ‒ Gen. 46:2 Moses, Moses ‒ Exod. 3:4 Saul ‒ Acts 9:4; 22:7 3:13 "I have told him" This refers to 1 Sam. 2:27-30. ▣ "on themselves" "made themselves" NRSV, NJB, REB, LXX, NET "God" "against me" "the people" The MT has "to them" but the UBS Text Project, p. 156, gives the supposed understanding of the LXX an "A" rating. The Masoretic scholars may have changed "God" to "to them" for theological reasons. to them ‒ להם God ‒ אלהים ▣ "he did not rebuke them" Eli showed more respect to his wicked sons than YHWH's honor (i.e., 1 Sam. 2:22-25). The VERB "rebuke" (BDB 462 II, KB 461 II, Piel PERFECT) occurs only here in the OT. 3:14 The sins of Eli's sons could not be atoned by sacrifice. SPECIAL TOPIC: UNINTENTIONAL SINS (OT)]
1 Samuel 3:15-18
3:15 "opened the doors of the house of the Lord" The exact structure of the Tabernacle at Shiloh is uncertain. Apparently there was some type of fellowship building and grounds connected to the tabernacle itself. Therefore, which "doors" Samuel opened is uncertain. 3:17 This verse has three IMPERFECTS used in a JUSSIVE sense. "do not hide it from me" ‒ Piel (BDB 470, KB 469) "may God do so to you" ‒ Qal (BDB 793, KB 889) "and more also" ‒ Hiphil (BDB 414, KB 418) There is a fourth form in v. 18, "let Him do what seems good to Him" ‒ Qal IMPERFECT used in a JUSSIVE sense.
1 Samuel 3:19-21
3:19 "Samuel grew" This is similar to 1 Sam. 2:19,26. Samuel grew physically, mentally, and spiritually. ▣ "The Lord was with him" This was an idiom for YHWH's care, protection, guidance, and personal attention (cf. Gen. 20:3; 31:3; Exod. 3:12; Josh. 1:5). ▣ "and let none of his words fail" This was to prove he was a true prophet (cf. 1 Sam. 3:20; Deut. 18:21-22). 3:20 "from Dan even to Beersheba" This became an idiom for the whole Promised Land of Canaan (i.e., Jdgs. 20:1). Dan was a city in the far north after the tribe of Dan migrated north (i.e., Judges 18). Beersheba was a southern city in Judah. ▣ "prophet" Notice he is affirmed as a prophet but this does not imply he was from the tribe of Levi. However, where he slept and what he did do suggest Levitical activities. SPECIAL TOPIC: PROPHECY (OT) 3:21 "Shiloh" For "Shiloh" see brief article in NIDOTTE, vol. 4, pp. 1220-1223 and/or ABD, vol. 5, pp. 1213-1215.