1 Samuel 3:2-21
3:2 a Eli was almost blind, both physically and spiritually (3:1 b).3:3 c The priests were responsible for keeping the lamp of God burning through the night (Exod 27:20-21 d; 30:7-8 e).
• That Samuel was sleeping ... near the Ark symbolizes his nearness to God’s presence and purpose, in contrast to Eli and his sons.
3:7 f Samuel did not yet know the Lord: He lacked direct experience of the Lord. In contrast, Eli’s sons did not know the Lord (see study note on 2:12) in that they were morally and spiritually deficient.
3:8 g Eli realized: Despite his many shortcomings, Eli was not completely without spiritual insight.
3:10 h The doubling of the name calls attention to the seriousness of the moment (cp. Gen 22:11 i; Exod 3:4 j; Matt 27:46 k; Luke 22:31 l; Acts 9:4 m).
• Samuel omits “Lord” (see 1 Sam 3:9 n) from his response either out of reverence for the name or because of a lingering uncertainty about who was speaking.
3:11 o The phrase a shocking thing conveys the magnitude and severity of God’s judgment. God’s actions would also be of national significance for Israel (cp. 2 Kgs 21:12 p; Jer 19:3 q).
3:12 r my threats: See 2:27-36 s.
3:13 t his sons are blaspheming God: They were expressing contempt for God through their actions.
• hasn’t disciplined them: Eli rebuked his sons (2:23-25 u), but he did not restrain them.
3:14 v Neither blood sacrifices nor offerings would be acceptable on behalf of Eli and his sons. The offerings of Lev 4–5 w were for sins committed inadvertently or unintentionally, whereas the sins of Eli and his sons were deliberate and rebellious.
3:15 x Samuel was afraid to tell Eli of God’s plans for him and his family either because he respected Eli’s position or he feared for his own safety.
3:19 y proved to be reliable: Samuel was an authentic prophet (3:20 z; see Deut 18:21-22 aa).
3:20 ab The whole nation, from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, acknowledged that Samuel was God’s prophet.
• confirmed as a prophet: The reliability of Samuel’s message (3:19 ac) made it evident that God was speaking through him.
Summary for 1Sam 3:21-4:1: 3:21-4:1a ad The Lord continued to appear: God reopened the lines of communication with Israel through Samuel (cp. 3:1 ae).
• Shiloh: See study note on 1:3.
1 Samuel 4:1
Summary for 1Sam 4:1-22: 4:1b–7:2 af The crisis surrounding the Ark of the Covenant demonstrated Israel’s need for Samuel’s leadership and fulfilled prophecies about Eli and his sons (3:11-14 ag). 4:1b ah the Philistines: See profile for The Philistines at end of chapter.• The exact location of Ebenezer is unknown. It was probably just east of Aphek (see also 1 Sam 7:12 ai and corresponding study note).
• Aphek was west of Shiloh, well inland and well north of Philistine territory. By camping there, the Philistines might have been trying to seize more Israelite territory.
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