1 Samuel 3 Study Notes: The LORD Calls Samuel
In a time when God seldom spoke, the LORD calls the boy Samuel by name in the night, and Eli teaches him how to answer. God’s first message confirms the coming judgment on Eli’s family; Samuel reports it all, and Israel comes to recognize him as the LORD’s prophet.
General
How did Eli respond after hearing the LORD’s message of judgment (1 Samuel 3:18)?
Answer: He acknowledged the LORD’s right to do what seemed good to Him
Eli’s response was brief: the speaker was the LORD, and He should do whatever seemed good in His sight (3:18). Eli accepted God’s verdict as right and did not argue with it. The text records no further action by Eli, such as removing his sons from office. Similar words of submission appear on the lips of Job (Job 1:21) and later David (2 Samuel 15:26), and they rest on the truth that God does whatever He pleases (Psalm 115:3).
- 1 Samuel 3:18 (BSB)“So Samuel told him everything and did not hide a thing from him. “He is the LORD,” replied Eli. “Let Him do what is good in His eyes.””Eli responds to the message of judgment by acknowledging the LORD’s right to do as He sees fit.
- Job 1:21 (BSB)“saying: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.””Job likewise bowed to the LORD’s will when He took away what He had given.
- 2 Samuel 15:26 (BSB)“But if He should say, ‘I do not delight in you,’ then here I am; let Him do to me whatever seems good to Him.””David later used similar words, leaving it to God to do with him whatever seemed good.
- Psalm 115:3 (BSB)“Our God is in heaven; He does as He pleases.”The psalmist confesses that God in heaven does as He pleases.
Theological
What was Eli’s reply to the oracle Samuel delivered (1 Samuel 3:18)?
Answer: He acknowledged the LORD’s right to do what seemed good to Him
Eli answers that the speaker is the LORD, who should act as seems right to Him (3:18). He submits to the verdict without dispute. The narrator records no further action from him. The formula of submission parallels Job 1:21 and David’s words in 2 Samuel 15:26, grounded in God’s sovereign freedom (Psalm 115:3).
- 1 Samuel 3:18 (BSB)“So Samuel told him everything and did not hide a thing from him. “He is the LORD,” replied Eli. “Let Him do what is good in His eyes.””Eli responds to the message of judgment by acknowledging the LORD’s right to do as He sees fit.
- Job 1:21 (BSB)“saying: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.””Job likewise bowed to the LORD’s will when He took away what He had given.
- 2 Samuel 15:26 (BSB)“But if He should say, ‘I do not delight in you,’ then here I am; let Him do to me whatever seems good to Him.””David later used similar words, leaving it to God to do with him whatever seemed good.
- Psalm 115:3 (BSB)“Our God is in heaven; He does as He pleases.”The psalmist confesses that God in heaven does as He pleases.
General
True or False: The LORD swore that the guilt of Eli’s house could still be covered if Eli’s family offered enough sacrifices.
Answer: False
This is false. The LORD swore to Eli’s house that no sacrifice or offering would ever atone for, that is, cover and remove, their iniquity (3:14). The priests who had treated God’s sacrifices with contempt could not now use those same sacrifices to escape judgment. The law already said that a person who sinned defiantly despised God’s word and remained guilty (Numbers 15:30-31), and Eli had warned his sons that no one could plead for a person who wrongs the LORD Himself (2:25). The oath concerns the judgment on Eli’s priestly house, and it was still being fulfilled in Solomon’s day (1 Kings 2:27).
- 1 Samuel 3:14 (BSB)“Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli, ‘The iniquity of Eli’s house shall never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’””The LORD swears that the guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.
- Numbers 15:30-31 (BSB)“But the person who sins defiantly, whether a native or foreigner, blasphemes the LORD. That person shall be cut off from among his people. He shall certainly be cut off, because he has despised the word of the LORD and broken His commandment; his guilt remains on him.””The law says a person who sins defiantly despises God’s word and remains guilty.
- 1 Samuel 2:25 (BSB)“If a man sins against another man, God can intercede for him; but if a man sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to their father, since the LORD intended to put them to death.”Eli had already asked who could plead for someone who sins against the LORD.
- 1 Kings 2:27 (BSB)“So Solomon banished Abiathar from the priesthood of the LORD and thus fulfilled the word that the LORD had spoken at Shiloh against the house of Eli.”The word against Eli’s house was still being fulfilled generations later, when Abiathar was removed.
Theological
True or False: According to the LORD’s oath, sacrifices and offerings would still be able to atone for the guilt of Eli’s family.
Answer: False
This is false. The LORD swore that no sacrifice or offering would ever atone for the guilt of Eli’s family (3:14). Those who despised the offerings are barred from shelter in them. The oath reflects the law’s treatment of defiant sin, which leaves guilt upon the sinner (Numbers 15:30-31), and echoes Eli’s own question about who could intercede (2:25). The oath governs the temporal judgment on Eli’s priestly line, which ran its course down to Abiathar’s removal (1 Kings 2:27).
- 1 Samuel 3:14 (BSB)“Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli, ‘The iniquity of Eli’s house shall never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’””The LORD swears that the guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.
- Numbers 15:30-31 (BSB)“But the person who sins defiantly, whether a native or foreigner, blasphemes the LORD. That person shall be cut off from among his people. He shall certainly be cut off, because he has despised the word of the LORD and broken His commandment; his guilt remains on him.””The law says a person who sins defiantly despises God’s word and remains guilty.
- 1 Samuel 2:25 (BSB)“If a man sins against another man, God can intercede for him; but if a man sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to their father, since the LORD intended to put them to death.”Eli had already asked who could plead for someone who sins against the LORD.
- 1 Kings 2:27 (BSB)“So Solomon banished Abiathar from the priesthood of the LORD and thus fulfilled the word that the LORD had spoken at Shiloh against the house of Eli.”The word against Eli’s house was still being fulfilled generations later, when Abiathar was removed.
General
What reason did the LORD give Samuel for judging Eli’s house (1 Samuel 3:13)?
Answer: Eli’s sons cursed God, and Eli failed to stop them
The LORD’s first message to Samuel was a hard one. God said He would soon act in Israel in a way so shocking that it would make every hearer’s ears ring, and that He would carry out everything He had already spoken against Eli’s house (3:11-12). The reason: Eli’s sons had blasphemed God, treating Him with contempt, and Eli knew it but did not hold them back (3:13). Eli had rebuked them with words (2:23-25), but he did not stop them, the same failure the man of God had named when he charged Eli with honoring his sons above the LORD (2:29). God later used the same picture of ringing ears for the disaster on Jerusalem (Jeremiah 19:3).
- 1 Samuel 3:11-13 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Samuel, “I am about to do something in Israel at which the ears of all who hear it will tingle. On that day I will carry out against Eli everything I have spoken about his house, from beginning to end. I told him that I would judge his house forever for the iniquity of which he knows, because his sons blasphemed God and he did not restrain them.”The LORD tells Samuel He will carry out all He has spoken against Eli’s house, and gives the reason.
- 1 Samuel 2:29 (BSB)“Why then do you kick at My sacrifice and offering that I have prescribed for My dwelling place? You have honored your sons more than Me by fattening yourselves with the best of all the offerings of My people Israel.’”The man of God had already charged Eli with honoring his sons above the LORD.
- Jeremiah 19:3 (BSB)“saying, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, O kings of Judah and residents of Jerusalem. This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: I am going to bring such disaster on this place that the ears of all who hear of it will ring,”God later used the same picture of ringing ears for a disaster on Jerusalem.
Theological
On what ground does the LORD declare He will judge Eli’s house (1 Samuel 3:13)?
Answer: Eli’s sons cursed God, and Eli failed to stop them
The LORD’s first revelation to Samuel confirms the earlier oracle: a deed in Israel that will make every hearer’s ears ring, and the full execution of what was spoken against Eli’s house (3:11-12). The ground is that Eli’s sons were blaspheming God and Eli, knowing it, did not hold them back (3:13). Verbal rebuke (2:23-25) without restraint was the failure already named in 2:29 as honoring his sons above God. Jeremiah 19:3 reuses the image of ringing ears for a later judgment.
- 1 Samuel 3:11-13 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Samuel, “I am about to do something in Israel at which the ears of all who hear it will tingle. On that day I will carry out against Eli everything I have spoken about his house, from beginning to end. I told him that I would judge his house forever for the iniquity of which he knows, because his sons blasphemed God and he did not restrain them.”The LORD tells Samuel He will carry out all He has spoken against Eli’s house, and gives the reason.
- 1 Samuel 2:29 (BSB)“Why then do you kick at My sacrifice and offering that I have prescribed for My dwelling place? You have honored your sons more than Me by fattening yourselves with the best of all the offerings of My people Israel.’”The man of God had already charged Eli with honoring his sons above the LORD.
- Jeremiah 19:3 (BSB)“saying, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, O kings of Judah and residents of Jerusalem. This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: I am going to bring such disaster on this place that the ears of all who hear of it will ring,”God later used the same picture of ringing ears for a disaster on Jerusalem.
General
How did all Israel come to recognize Samuel as the LORD’s prophet (1 Samuel 3:19-20)?
Answer: The LORD made every word Samuel spoke come true
As Samuel grew up, God’s presence remained with him, and none of his words were allowed to fail, meaning everything he said in God’s name came true. As a result, people throughout Israel, from Dan in the far north to Beersheba in the south, recognized that he was truly the LORD’s prophet (3:19-20). This was the test God had given in the law: a true prophet’s words come to pass (Deuteronomy 18:21-22). The LORD kept revealing Himself to Samuel at Shiloh (3:21). The New Testament remembers Samuel as the first of the line of prophets (Acts 3:24) and the one with whom the time of the judges came to an end (Acts 13:20).
- 1 Samuel 3:19-20 (BSB)“And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and He let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. So all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the LORD.”The LORD is with Samuel and makes all his words come true, so that all Israel recognizes him as a prophet.
- Deuteronomy 18:21-22 (BSB)“You may ask in your heart, “How can we recognize a message that the LORD has not spoken?” When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD and the message does not come to pass or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.”The law gave the test of a true prophet: what he says in the LORD’s name comes to pass.
- Acts 3:24 (BSB)“Indeed, all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken, have proclaimed these days.”Peter names Samuel as the first in the line of prophets who spoke of the days of Christ.
- Acts 13:20 (BSB)“All this took about 450 years. After this, God gave them judges until the time of Samuel the prophet.”Paul marks Samuel the prophet as the one with whom the period of the judges ended.
Theological
On what basis was Samuel recognized throughout Israel as the LORD’s prophet (1 Samuel 3:19-20)?
Answer: The LORD made every word Samuel spoke come true
God was present with Samuel and let none of his words fail, so that the whole nation, from its northern to its southern limits, knew him to be the LORD’s accredited prophet (3:19-20), and the LORD kept revealing Himself at Shiloh (3:21). This meets the law’s test of a true prophet, fulfillment of what is spoken in the LORD’s name (Deuteronomy 18:21-22). The New Testament treats Samuel as the head of the prophetic succession (Acts 3:24) and the transition from the judges (Acts 13:20).
- 1 Samuel 3:19-20 (BSB)“And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and He let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. So all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the LORD.”The LORD is with Samuel and makes all his words come true, so that all Israel recognizes him as a prophet.
- Deuteronomy 18:21-22 (BSB)“You may ask in your heart, “How can we recognize a message that the LORD has not spoken?” When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD and the message does not come to pass or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.”The law gave the test of a true prophet: what he says in the LORD’s name comes to pass.
- Acts 3:24 (BSB)“Indeed, all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken, have proclaimed these days.”Peter names Samuel as the first in the line of prophets who spoke of the days of Christ.
- Acts 13:20 (BSB)“All this took about 450 years. After this, God gave them judges until the time of Samuel the prophet.”Paul marks Samuel the prophet as the one with whom the period of the judges ended.
General
True or False: The narrator says Samuel mistook the LORD’s voice for Eli’s because God had not yet revealed His word to him.
Answer: True
This is true. The narrator explains Samuel’s confusion: he had no such knowledge of the LORD yet, because God’s word had never yet come to him directly (3:7). Samuel was already serving the LORD, but he had not yet received a message directly from God. Knowing God in this way began with God revealing Himself; it was not something Samuel worked out on his own. The New Testament likewise traces knowledge of God to God’s own initiative: only those to whom Jesus makes the Father known truly know Him (Matthew 11:27), and Paul says God called him by grace and made His Son known to him (Galatians 1:15-16).
- 1 Samuel 3:7 (BSB)“Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, because the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.”The narrator explains why Samuel did not recognize the voice: the LORD’s word had not yet been revealed to him.
- Matthew 11:27 (BSB)“All things have been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.”Jesus says the Father is known only by those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.
- Galatians 1:15-16 (BSB)“But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not rush to consult with flesh and blood,”Paul says God called him by grace and was pleased to reveal His Son to him.
Theological
True or False: According to the narrator, Samuel failed to recognize the voice because the LORD’s word had never yet come to him.
Answer: True
This is true. The narrator’s aside explains that Samuel lacked this knowledge of the LORD in the sense of having received His word directly; that revelation had not yet come (3:7). The verse concerns prophetic revelation rather than a judgment on Samuel’s piety, and it underlines that such knowledge comes by divine initiative. The New Testament speaks of saving knowledge in the same way, as resting on the Son’s sovereign revealing (Matthew 11:27) and on God’s gracious call (Galatians 1:15-16).
- 1 Samuel 3:7 (BSB)“Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, because the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.”The narrator explains why Samuel did not recognize the voice: the LORD’s word had not yet been revealed to him.
- Matthew 11:27 (BSB)“All things have been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.”Jesus says the Father is known only by those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.
- Galatians 1:15-16 (BSB)“But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not rush to consult with flesh and blood,”Paul says God called him by grace and was pleased to reveal His Son to him.
General
What did Samuel do the first times the LORD called his name in the night (1 Samuel 3:4-6)?
Answer: He hurried to Eli, sure that Eli wanted him
One night, as Samuel slept in the temple near the ark, the LORD called him by name. Samuel answered and ran to Eli, sure the old priest had called him; Eli said he had not and sent him back to bed. The same thing happened a second time (3:4-6). Only on the third call did Eli realize that the LORD was the one calling the boy (3:8). Samuel’s quick answer shows a willing servant, much like Isaiah’s later reply to God (Isaiah 6:8). The LORD knows and calls His servants by name, as Jesus said of the shepherd and his sheep (John 10:3).
- 1 Samuel 3:4-5 (BSB)“Then the LORD called to Samuel, and he answered, “Here I am.” He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you have called me.” “I did not call,” Eli replied. “Go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.”The LORD calls Samuel, and the boy runs to Eli, thinking the old priest has called him.
- 1 Samuel 3:8 (BSB)“Once again, for the third time, the LORD called to Samuel. He got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you have called me.” Then Eli realized that it was the LORD who was calling the boy.”On the third call Eli realizes that it is the LORD who is calling the boy.
- John 10:3 (BSB)“The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen for his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.”Jesus says the shepherd calls his own sheep by name, as the LORD calls Samuel by name.
- Isaiah 6:8 (BSB)“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying: “Whom shall I send? Who will go for Us?” And I said: “Here am I. Send me!””Isaiah answered God’s call with the same readiness, saying here am I.
Theological
How did Samuel respond to the LORD’s first calls, and why (1 Samuel 3:4-6)?
Answer: He hurried to Eli, sure that Eli wanted him
At the LORD’s call Samuel each time hurried to Eli, assuming the summons was his master’s; Eli twice denied calling and sent him back (3:4-6). Only at the third call did Eli perceive that the LORD was calling (3:8). Samuel’s readiness anticipates Isaiah’s response to the divine call (Isaiah 6:8), and the personal summons by name reflects the Shepherd who calls His own (John 10:3).
- 1 Samuel 3:4-5 (BSB)“Then the LORD called to Samuel, and he answered, “Here I am.” He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you have called me.” “I did not call,” Eli replied. “Go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.”The LORD calls Samuel, and the boy runs to Eli, thinking the old priest has called him.
- 1 Samuel 3:8 (BSB)“Once again, for the third time, the LORD called to Samuel. He got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you have called me.” Then Eli realized that it was the LORD who was calling the boy.”On the third call Eli realizes that it is the LORD who is calling the boy.
- John 10:3 (BSB)“The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen for his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.”Jesus says the shepherd calls his own sheep by name, as the LORD calls Samuel by name.
- Isaiah 6:8 (BSB)“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying: “Whom shall I send? Who will go for Us?” And I said: “Here am I. Send me!””Isaiah answered God’s call with the same readiness, saying here am I.
General
What did Samuel do when Eli pressed him to report the LORD’s message (1 Samuel 3:15-18)?
Answer: He told Eli all of it and held nothing back
In the morning Samuel opened up the LORD’s house, but he dreaded telling Eli about the vision. Eli called him and insisted, even putting him under a solemn curse if he hid any of it. So Samuel reported the whole message and kept nothing back (3:15-18). Though young and afraid, Samuel delivered God’s whole message, even though it was a word of judgment on the man who had raised him. True messengers of God do this: Jeremiah promised to withhold nothing the LORD said (Jeremiah 42:4), and Paul refused to hold back any part of God’s will from his hearers (Acts 20:27).
- 1 Samuel 3:15-18 (BSB)“Samuel lay down until the morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the LORD. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, but Eli called to him and said, “Samuel, my son.” “Here I am,” answered Samuel. “What was the message He gave you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide it from me. May God punish you, and ever so severely, if you hide from me anything He said to you.” So Samuel told him everything and did not hide a thing from him. “He is the LORD,” replied Eli. “Let Him do what is good in His eyes.””Samuel fears to tell Eli the vision, but at Eli’s insistence he tells him everything.
- Jeremiah 42:4 (BSB)““I have heard you,” replied Jeremiah the prophet. “I will surely pray to the LORD your God as you request, and I will tell you everything that the LORD answers. I will not withhold a word from you.””Jeremiah promised to report everything the LORD answered and withhold nothing.
- Acts 20:27 (BSB)“For I did not shrink back from declaring to you the whole will of God.”Paul says he did not shrink from declaring the whole will of God.
Theological
How did Samuel respond when Eli demanded to hear the content of the vision (1 Samuel 3:15-18)?
Answer: He told Eli all of it and held nothing back
Samuel, fearful of disclosing the vision, is placed by Eli under a solemn oath invoking God’s punishment not to conceal anything, and he relates the whole message, withholding nothing (3:15-18). His first act as a prophet is faithful transmission of an unwelcome word to his own master, the same integrity Jeremiah pledged (Jeremiah 42:4) and Paul claimed in holding back nothing of God’s purpose from his hearers (Acts 20:27).
- 1 Samuel 3:15-18 (BSB)“Samuel lay down until the morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the LORD. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, but Eli called to him and said, “Samuel, my son.” “Here I am,” answered Samuel. “What was the message He gave you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide it from me. May God punish you, and ever so severely, if you hide from me anything He said to you.” So Samuel told him everything and did not hide a thing from him. “He is the LORD,” replied Eli. “Let Him do what is good in His eyes.””Samuel fears to tell Eli the vision, but at Eli’s insistence he tells him everything.
- Jeremiah 42:4 (BSB)““I have heard you,” replied Jeremiah the prophet. “I will surely pray to the LORD your God as you request, and I will tell you everything that the LORD answers. I will not withhold a word from you.””Jeremiah promised to report everything the LORD answered and withhold nothing.
- Acts 20:27 (BSB)“For I did not shrink back from declaring to you the whole will of God.”Paul says he did not shrink from declaring the whole will of God.
General
What did Eli tell Samuel to say if the voice called again (1 Samuel 3:9)?
Answer: Ask the LORD to speak, because His servant is listening
Once Eli understood that the LORD was calling, he sent Samuel back to bed and told him, if called again, to ask the LORD to speak, since His servant was listening (3:9). The LORD then came, stood near, and called him again, and Samuel answered with nearly the words Eli had given him (3:10). Samuel takes the place of a servant ready to hear and obey. The psalmist expresses the same attitude (Psalm 85:8), and Jesus says His sheep listen to His voice and follow Him (John 10:27).
- 1 Samuel 3:9-10 (BSB)““Go and lie down,” he said to Samuel, “and if He calls you, say, ‘Speak, LORD, for Your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. Then the LORD came and stood there, calling as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.””Eli tells Samuel how to answer, and when the LORD comes and calls again, Samuel replies as instructed.
- Psalm 85:8 (BSB)“I will listen to what God the LORD will say; for He will surely speak peace to His people and His saints; He will not let them return to folly.”The psalmist resolves to listen to what God the LORD will say.
- John 10:27 (BSB)“My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me.”Jesus says His sheep listen to His voice and follow Him.
Theological
What response did Eli instruct Samuel to give to the voice (1 Samuel 3:9)?
Answer: Ask the LORD to speak, because His servant is listening
Eli directs Samuel to answer any further call by asking the LORD to speak, since His servant is listening (3:9). The LORD comes and stands and calls again, and Samuel answers with nearly the words Eli gave him (3:10). Samuel stands as a servant attentive to his master’s word, the disposition of Psalm 85:8 and of Christ’s sheep who hear His voice and follow (John 10:27).
- 1 Samuel 3:9-10 (BSB)““Go and lie down,” he said to Samuel, “and if He calls you, say, ‘Speak, LORD, for Your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. Then the LORD came and stood there, calling as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.””Eli tells Samuel how to answer, and when the LORD comes and calls again, Samuel replies as instructed.
- Psalm 85:8 (BSB)“I will listen to what God the LORD will say; for He will surely speak peace to His people and His saints; He will not let them return to folly.”The psalmist resolves to listen to what God the LORD will say.
- John 10:27 (BSB)“My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me.”Jesus says His sheep listen to His voice and follow Him.
General
How does the narrator describe the period when the boy Samuel served the LORD under Eli (1 Samuel 3:1)?
Answer: God’s word came seldom, and visions were few
The chapter opens by noting that at that time God seldom spoke and visions were uncommon (3:1). God was not often speaking to His people through prophets, those who receive and pass on His messages. Scripture describes other times of such silence, when God warns of a time of hunger for His words (Amos 8:11) and a psalmist laments that no prophet is left (Psalm 74:9). The scene sets up how striking it is that the LORD now begins to speak to a boy.
- 1 Samuel 3:1 (BSB)“And the boy Samuel ministered to the LORD before Eli. Now in those days the word of the LORD was rare, and visions were scarce.”The narrator describes the time when Samuel served under Eli as one in which God rarely spoke.
- Amos 8:11 (BSB)“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord GOD, when I will send a famine on the land—not a famine of bread or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD.”God later warned of a famine, not of bread, but of hearing His words.
- Psalm 74:9 (BSB)“There are no signs for us to see. There is no longer any prophet. And none of us knows how long this will last.”The psalmist mourns a time when there were no signs and no prophet among God’s people.
Theological
What does the narrator say about divine revelation in the days when Samuel ministered before Eli (1 Samuel 3:1)?
Answer: God’s word came seldom, and visions were few
Revelation was scarce: the LORD seldom spoke, and visions were uncommon (3:1). This silence resembles the famine of hearing God’s words threatened in Amos 8:11 and the absence of prophets lamented in Psalm 74:9. The dearth heightens the significance of the LORD’s initiative in calling Samuel.
- 1 Samuel 3:1 (BSB)“And the boy Samuel ministered to the LORD before Eli. Now in those days the word of the LORD was rare, and visions were scarce.”The narrator describes the time when Samuel served under Eli as one in which God rarely spoke.
- Amos 8:11 (BSB)“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord GOD, when I will send a famine on the land—not a famine of bread or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD.”God later warned of a famine, not of bread, but of hearing His words.
- Psalm 74:9 (BSB)“There are no signs for us to see. There is no longer any prophet. And none of us knows how long this will last.”The psalmist mourns a time when there were no signs and no prophet among God’s people.