1 Sam. 3 The Lord calleth Samuel three times; he knows not God’s voice, but thinks it to be Eli who calls him; runs to him, who instructs him, 1 Sam. 3:1–9. At the fourth call he answers, 1 Sam. 3:10. God acquainteth Samuel with the destruction of Eli’s house, 1 Sam. 1:11–14.

Before Eli, i.e. under his inspection and direction, which, being so young, he needed. The word of the Lord, to wit, the word of prophecy, or the revelation of God’s will to and by the prophets. Was precious, i, e.

In his place; in the court of the tabernacle. He could not see, to wit, clearly and distinctly. This is added as an evidence of his old age, partly to show God’s contempt of him, notwithstanding his venerable age, and his preferring the child Samuel before him in this vision; and partly as the…

Ere the lamp of God went out; before the lights of the golden candlestick were put out, i.e. in the night season, or before the morning, when they were put out, as they were lighted in the evening, Ex. 27:21, Lev. 24:3, 2 Chron. 13:11. In the temple, i.e.

He ran; showing his great faithfulness and diligence in the service, either of the Lord, or of his master Eli.

Either, first, He was not acquainted with God in that extraordinary or prophetical way. Or rather, secondly, He did not yet understand, any more than before, that it was not Eli, but God, who spake to him.

He arose and went to Eli; he persists in the same readiness to obey and serve him and was not discouraged or driven from his duty by his double mistake and disappointment.

Thy servant heareth, i.e. I am ready to hear what thou speakest, and to do what thou requirest.

The Lord came; before, he spake to him at a distance, even from the holy oracle between the cherubims; but now, to prevent all further mistakes, the voice came near to him, as if the person speaking had been present with him.

I will do a thing: those things which are related in the next chapter, which though done by the Philistines, God here ascribes to himself, because he was the first and chief cause of it, by withdrawing his helping hand from Israel, and by delivering the ark, and Eli’s two sons, and the rest of…

In that day; 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 to make their peace with God, and prevent the execution, as others did in like cases.

I will judge, i.e. condemn and punish or destroy, as the word judge is oft used, as Gen. 15:14, John 3:18, John 16:11. His house; his children and posterity, as is manifest by the story; as the word house is frequently taken, as 2 Sam. 7:11, 1 Kings 21:29.

I have sworn; which might be done before, though it be mentioned here only. Or, I do swear; the past tense being commonly put for the present in the Hebrew tongue. Unto the house, or, concerning, as the prefix lamed is oft used, as Ex. 14:3, Ex. 18:7, 2 Sam. 11:7, Ps. 91:11, compared with Matt.

Opened the doors of the house of the Lord: although the tabernacle, whilst it was to be removed from place to place in the wilderness, had no doors, but consisted only of curtains, and had only hangings before the entrance, instead of doors; yet when it was settled in one place, as now it was in…

God inflict the same evils upon thee, which I suspect he hath pronounced against me, and greater evils too. Or, God do so, i.e. let God deal with thee so severely, as I cannot, or am loth to express. So it is a kind of aposiopesis, usual in oaths and in adjurations. The same phrase is in Ruth 1:17.

This severe sentence is from the sovereign Lord of the world, who hath an absolute power and right to dispose of me and all his creatures as he pleaseth, to whose good pleasure I therefore freely submit: from Israel’s God, who was known by this name of Jehovah, who is in a special manner the ruler…

Samuel grew, as in stature, so in wisdom and piety, and God’s favour, and reputation with the people. Fall to the ground, i.e. want its effect or success; God made good all his predictions.

From Dan even to Beer-sheba; through the whole land, from the northern bound, Dan, to the southern, Beer-sheba; which was the whole length and largest extent of the land. See Judg. 20:1–2, 2 Sam. 17:11.

Or, did use to reveal his mind to Samuel. By the word of the Lord, i.e. by his word, the noun for the pronoun, which is frequent, as Lev. 14:15;c. by his word of command, which he chose to deliver to Israel by his mouth, as it here follows; or by his word of prophecy concerning future events.