1 Samuel 3:1 BSB — MannaFest

1 Samuel 3:1

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.

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

And the child Samuel ministered unto Jehovah before Eli. And the word of Jehovah was precious in those days; there was no frequent vision.

KJV

And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision.

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Commentary

2 voices

Albert Barnes

1798–1870

Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)

See the margin reference note. Josephus says that Samuel’s call to the prophetic office happened when he had just completed his twelfth year (compare Luk 2:42). Was precious - (or rare) The song of Hannah, and the prophecy of the “man of God” (1Sa 2:27 note), are the only instances of prophecy since Deborah. Samuel is mentioned as the first of the series of prophets Act 3:24. No open vision - Better rendered, “There was no vision promulgated or published.” (Compare 2Ch 31:5.)

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

Perhaps the impiety and impurity that prevailed in the tabernacle, and no doubt corrupted the whole nation, had provoked God, as a token of his displeasure, to withdraw the Spirit of prophecy, till the decree had gone forth for the raising up of a more faithful priest, and then, as an earnest of that, this faithful prophet was raised up.

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

16 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
וְהַנַּ֧עַר	ve.ha.Na.'ar	and the lad	H5288 →
שְׁמוּאֵ֛ל	she.mu.'El	Samuel	H8050 →
מְשָׁרֵ֥ת	me.sha.Ret	[was] serving	H8334 →
אֶת־	'et-	<obj.>	H853 →
יְהוָ֖ה	Yah.weh	Yahweh	H3068 →
לִפְנֵ֣י	lif.Nei	<to> before	H6440 →
עֵלִ֑י	'e.Li	Eli	H5941 →
וּדְבַר־	u.de.var-	and [the] word of	H1697 →
יְהוָ֗ה	Yah.weh	Yahweh	H3068 →
הָיָ֤ה	ha.Yah	it was	H1961 →
יָקָר֙	ya.Kar	rare	H3368 →
בַּיָּמִ֣ים	bai.ya.Mim	in the days	H3117 →
הָהֵ֔ם	ha.Hem	<the> those	H1992 →
אֵ֥ין	'ein	not	H369 →
חָז֖וֹן	cha.Zon	vision	H2377 →
נִפְרָֽץ׃ ס	nif.Ratz	[was] spread out	H6555 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
Psalms 74:9
There are no signs for us to see. There is no longer any prophet. And none of us knows how long this will last.
leads to
- Amos 8:11
  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…
- Ezekiel 7:26
  Disaster upon disaster will come, and rumor after rumor. Then they will seek a vision from a prophet, but instruction from the priests will perish, as will counsel from the elders.
Through
1 Samuel 2:18
Now Samuel was ministering before the LORD—a boy wearing a linen ephod.
leads to
- Exodus 28:4
  These are the garments that they shall make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a woven tunic, a turban, and a sash. They are to make these holy garments for your brother Aaron and…
- 1 Samuel 2:11
  Then Elkanah went home to Ramah, but the boy began ministering to the LORD before Eli the priest.
- 2 Samuel 6:14
  And David, wearing a linen ephod, danced with all his might before the LORD,
Through
1 Samuel 3:21
And the LORD continued to appear at Shiloh, because there He revealed Himself to Samuel by His word.
leads to
- Genesis 12:7
  Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring.” So Abram built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.
- 1 Samuel 3:4
  Then the LORD called to Samuel, and he answered, “Here I am.”
Through
1 Samuel 2:11
Then Elkanah went home to Ramah, but the boy began ministering to the LORD before Eli the priest.
leads to
- 1 Samuel 2:18
  Now Samuel was ministering before the LORD—a boy wearing a linen ephod.

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01Commentary

The record, by era

Voices on this verse

02Original language & word study

03The walk

Where the connections lead

04Related verses

05Featured studies on this passage

06About 1 Samuel

The record, by era

Where the connections lead

Commentary

Original language & word study

The walk

Related verses

Featured studies on this passage

About 1 Samuel