The following was translated using ChatGPT
1 Sam 3:1“Now Samuel was ministering to the Lord before Eli”
For the third time the ministry of Samuel is mentioned, in order to narrate his perseverance—how Samuel was steadfastly continuing in the holy office. “And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision.” The word of the Lord is not said to be saleable but precious, just as precious things are not despised as cheap, but are dear to us.
The reason why the word of the Lord was precious at that time is immediately added: because there was no open vision. From this you see that it is said of the prophetic word that it was precious, and not of the word of doctrine, for an “open vision” pertains to prophecy. At that time, therefore, there were indeed apparitions in dreams, and ecstasies in waking, and internal inspirations, but not visions such as would be manifest divine revelations.
1 Sam 3:2 “And it came to pass one day that Eli was lying down in his place, and his eyes had begun to grow dim”
According to the Hebrew, it reads: “and his eyes had begun to grow dim”—not full blindness, but an incipient obscuring of sight is signified.
“He was not able to see the lamp.” Because this phrase is variously connected, it should be referred as it stands in the Hebrew: “He was not able to see, and the lamp of God had not yet been extinguished” (1 Sam 3:3). And “Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was.”
Prudent reader, note how many copulative conjunctions there are, and that lamp has no article indicating its case; then choose whichever construction you prefer. To me it seems that the dimming of Eli’s eyes is explained by what follows, namely, that he was not able to see even the lamp of God when it was close to being extinguished—that is, although he could see it when it was fully burning and bright, he could not see it when it was burning more faintly and shining less, as it was near extinction.
In this there is nothing superfluous, and it stands in contrast to the obscuring of Eli’s eyes narrated in chapter four at the end of his life. Moreover, when it is said that Samuel was sleeping in the temple, this does not mean that he was lying inside the sanctuary itself, but within the dwelling adjacent to the temple; for even Levites were not permitted to enter the sanctuary itself.
1 Sam 3:4-6 “And the Lord called Samuel, and he answered, ‘Here I am.’ And he ran to Eli and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ But he said, ‘I did not call you; return and sleep.’ And he went and slept. “And the Lord called Samuel again. And Samuel rose and went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ But he answered, ‘I did not call you, my son; return and sleep’”
From the fact that Samuel did not discern from whom he was being called, it is implied that he was being called while asleep, and that he was awakened from sleep by the voice of the caller speaking his proper name. And because he went to Eli as to the one calling him, it is implied that the divine voice sounded to him like the voice of Eli calling.
1 Sam 3:7 “Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, nor had the word of the Lord yet been revealed to him”
The author adds this both to show that this was the first divine revelation made to Samuel, and to give the reason why Samuel was mistaken, thinking that he was being called by Eli. To “not yet know the Lord” does not mean ignorance in the sense of belief, but lack of experiential knowledge; for Samuel had not yet experienced the Lord speaking to him, although he had heard and believed that God had spoken to Moses and the prophets. And the reason for this lack of experience is added: because the divine word had not yet been revealed to him.
1 Sam 3:8 “And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he rose and went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ And Eli understood that the Lord was calling the boy”
“And Eli said to Samuel, ‘Go and sleep; and if He calls you again, you shall say: Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears.’” From the fact that Eli does not say “and if I call you”, it is implied that Eli now understood and made it known to Samuel that it was the Lord who had called him; and therefore he says “if He calls you.”
1 Sam 3:9-10 “So Samuel went and lay down in his place. And the Lord came and stood”
Unless He had called him three times in passing, this fourth time would not be described as standing. “And He called as He had called before.” According to the Hebrew: “and He called as time in time,” that is, as on each previous occasion. This signifies that the manner of calling was similar to the earlier ones, namely, that He called him in the manner of awakening him from sleep.
Then immediately follows: “Samuel, Samuel.” Although the manner was similar to the earlier calls, the doubling of the proper name is proper to this fourth calling.
“And Samuel said, ‘Speak, for Your servant hears.’”
Not only from the similar manner of calling, but also from Samuel’s obedience in carrying out Eli’s instruction, it is implied that Samuel answered while awake. For if he had been asleep, he would have lacked the free use of will to answer as Eli had commanded. Therefore, having been awakened, Samuel, now awake, said to God with an audible voice: “Speak, for Your servant hears.”
“And the Lord said to Samuel…”
Because later in this same chapter this divine speech is called a vision, this divine speaking was internal—so that to Samuel, while awake, God spoke not with an external sensible voice, but by an internal appearance, in the manner in which someone seems to speak to us while we are asleep.
From this we perceive from how great an excellence of prophecy Samuel’s prophetic grace began. For it is a lofty degree of prophecy for a man while awake to see and hear God speaking to him inwardly.
1 Sam 3:11 “Behold, I am doing a thing in Israel, at which whoever hears it, both his ears shall tingle.” Because of the nearness of its execution, the present tense is used.
1 Sam 3:12 “In that day I will raise up against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, by the man of God whom I sent to Eli. I will begin and I will complete”
It matters little that the Hebrew reads “beginning and finishing,” so that it is understood that He would not only execute it swiftly by beginning it, but that He would also carry it through to the very end.
1 Sam 3:13 “For I declared to him that I would judge his house forever because of his iniquity, because he knew that his sons were acting disgracefully.” According to the Hebrew it reads: “And I will declare to him that I am judging his house forever for the iniquity which he knew, because his sons were blaspheming.”
The sacrileges of the sons, previously described with respect to the divine sacrifices, are here called blasphemies. And the pronoun to him (Hebrew: eis) shows that they were directly insulting him: for the priests were inflicting great dishonor—almost a blasphemy—upon the priesthood itself.
“And he did not restrain them.” The Hebrew expression signifies to prohibit, setting aside consideration for the honor of the one to whom the prohibition is directed. In this Eli sinned: although he reproved his sons, he did not do so in such a way that he placed the honor of God before the honor of his sons. For he did not wish to disgrace his sons, as the words spoken earlier by the prophet to Eli testify. And therefore it follows:
1 Sam 3:14 “Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli, that the iniquity of the house of Eli shall not be expiated by sacrifice or offering forever”
To show the immutability of the divine sentence, the oath is written. Why does God swear?—to manifest the firmness and irrevocability of His judgment.
1 Sam 3:15 “Now Samuel slept until morning and opened the doors of the house of the Lord” (v. 15). Understand this as the doors of the court in which the altar of holocausts stood; for these doors were to be opened so that the continual sacrifice might be offered in the morning.
“And Samuel feared to tell the vision to Eli.” Thus also in the Hebrew, and the revelation made to Samuel is expressly called a vision.
1 Sam 3:16-17 “And Eli called Samuel and said, ‘Samuel, my son.’ And he answered, ‘Here I am.’ And he said, ‘What is the word that He spoke to you? I beg you, do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and add so, if you hide from me anything of all the words that He spoke to you’”
It matters little that the Hebrew has: “Thus shall Elohim do to you, and thus shall He add, if you hide from me a word of all the words that He spoke to you.” For the interpreter often changes thus into this, and these are the words of one adjuring with an imprecation, as men are accustomed to speak when they bind another by oath.
1 Sam 3:18 “And Samuel told him all the words and did not hide them from him. And he said: ‘It is the Lord.’” According to the Hebrew: “It is Yahweh; let Him do what is good in His eyes”
These are words of the best patience. For he acknowledges God to be the source of all being, and humbly confesses that whatever is judged good by the divine judgment must be endured. This is true and excellent patience.
1 Sam 3:19 “And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and none of his words fell to the ground”
Having narrated the beginning of prophetic grace in Samuel, the author of the book then goes on to describe that prophetic grace in him after he had grown, summarily stating that God was with him, and that his prophetic words were fulfilled and took effect.
1 Sam 3:20 Hence follows the consequence of this glory: “And all Israel knew, from Dan to Beersheba, that Samuel was established as a faithful prophet of the Lord”
The Hebrew expresses this more clearly, indicating that Samuel was faithful to the Lord (in the dative case). In contrast to false prophets, who speak falsely in the name of God, Samuel was recognized as faithful in the office of prophet in relation to the Most High God—that is, he did not deceive by claiming to have divine revelation when it was not truly divine. This effect followed precisely from the fact that all of Samuel’s prophecies were fulfilled.+
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