1 Samuel 3:2

1Sa 3:2 And it came to pass at that time, when Eli [was] laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, [that] he could not see;

Ver. 2. At that time.] Much about that time that the aforesaid prophet had spoken to Eli, {1Sa 2:27-36} or not long after. Clouds cluster against a storm. Or rather, At that time when the word of God was precious.

That he could not see.] Tηλαυγες, clearly, and far off. The Rabbins interpret it of the eyes of his mind also, as that he had lost the gift of prophecy: and do therefore note a special providence, that when one light failed, God set up another, viz., Samuel.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Sa_3:2-14

And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place.

The character of Eli

Eli and Samuel.

1. They are contrasted in point of years: for the one is a boy, the other a grey-headed old man; and if it were for only this, the chapter would be one of deep interest. For it is interesting always to see a friendship between the old and the young. It is striking to see the aged one retaining so much of freshness and simplicity as not to repel the sympathies of boyhood. It is surprising to see the younger one so advanced and thoughtful, as not to find dull the society of one who has outlived excitability and passion.

2. They are contrasted again in point of office Both are judges of Israel. But Eli is a judge rendering up his trust, and closing his public career. Samuel is a judge entering upon his office. The venerable judge of forty years is sentenced by the judge elect.

3. Still more striking is the contrast in point of character. Here the difference of inferiority is on the wrong side. It is the young who is counselling, supporting, admonishing the old

4. Once more, we have here the contrast between sludge by office and a judge by Divine call. It is wise after an earthly sort to have an appointed succession. Hereditary judges, hereditary nobles, hereditary sovereigns: without them human life would run into inextricable confusion. Nevertheless, such earthly arrangements only represent the heavenly order. The Divine order of Government is the rule of the Wise and Good. From time to time, one who has qualifications direct from God is made, in Scripture, to stand side by side with one who has his qualifications only from office or earthly appointment; and then the contrast is marvellous indeed. And thus by the side of Eli, the judge by office, stands Samuel, the judge by Divine call: qualified by wisdom, insight, will, resting on obedience, to guide and judge Gods people Israel. Very instructive are the contrasts of this chapter.

I. Elis character.

II. Elis doom. Elis character has two sides; we will take the bright side first. The first point remarkable in him is the absence of envy. Eli furthers Samuels advancement, and assists it to his own detriment. Gods priest and Gods judge, to whom so fitly as to him could God send a message? But, another is preferred: the inspiration comes to Samuel, and Eli is superseded and disgraced. Gods message for all Israel comes to a boy: to one who had been Elis pupil, to one beneath him, who had performed for him servile offices. This was the bitter cup put into his hand to drink. And yet Eli assists him to attain this dignity. He perceives that God has called the child. He does not say in petulance--Then, let this favoured child find out for himself all he has to do, I will leave him to himself. Consider how difficult this conduct of Elis was. Remember how difficult it is to be surpassed by a younger brother, and bear it with temper. It is hard to give information which we have collected with pains, but which we cannot use, to another who can make use of it Where is the professional man, secular or clerical, who will so speak of another of the same profession, while struggling with him in honourable rivalry, or so assist him, as to ensure that the brightest lustre shall shine upon what he really is? Whoever will ponder these things will feel that Elis was no common act. It was easy for Eli to have instructed anyone else how to approach God. But the difficulty was how to instruct Samuel. Samuel alone, in all Israel, crossed his path. And yet Eli stood the test. He was unswervingly just. He threw no petty hindrances in his way.

2. Remark the absence of all priestly pretensions. Eli might with ease have assumed the priestly tone. When Samuel came with his strange story that he bad beard a voice calling to him in the dark, Eli might bare fixed upon him a clear, cold unsympathising eye, and said, This is excitement--mere enthusiasm. I am the appointed channel of Gods communications; I am the priest Hear the Church. Unordained, unanointed with priestly oil, a boy, a child, it is presumption from you to pretend to communications from Jehovah! A layman has no right to bear Voices; it is fanaticism. On the other hand, Eli might have given his own authoritative interpretation to Samuel, of that word of God which he had heard. But suppose that interpretation had been wrong? Eli did neither of these things. He sent Samuel to God. He taught him to inquire for himself There are two sorts of men who exercise influence. The first are those who perpetuate their own opinions, bequeath their own names, form a sect, gather a party round them who speak their words, believe their belief Such men were the ancient Rabbis. And of such men, in and out of the Church, we have abundance now. It is the influence most aimed at and most loved The second class is composed of those who stir up faith, conscience, thought, to do their own work. Such men propagate not many views; but they propagate Life itself in inquiring minds and earnest hearts. Now this is Gods real best work. Men do not think so They like to be guided. They ask, what am I to think? and what am I to believe? and what am I to feel? Save me the trouble of reflecting and the anguish of inquiring. And this is the Ministry and its work--not to drill hearts, and minds, and consciences, into right forms of thought and mental postures, but to guide to the Living God who speaks. To bring the soul face to face with God, and supersede ourselves, that is the work of the Christian ministry.

3. There was in Eli a resolve to know the whole truth. What is the thing that the Lord hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God do so to thee, end more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that He said unto thee. Eli asked in earnest to know the worst. It would be a blessed thing to know what God thinks of us. But next best to this would be to sea ourselves in the light in which we appear to others: other mens opinion is a mirror in which we learn to see ourselves. Therefore it is a blessing to have a friend like Samuel, who can dare to tell us truth, judicious, candid, wise. True friendship will not retail tormenting trifles; but what we want is one friend at least, who will extenuate nothing, but with discretion tell the worst, using unflinchingly the sharp knife which is to cut away the fault.

4. There was pious acquiescence in the declared Will of God. When Samuel had told him every whit, Eli replied, It is the Lord. The highest religion could say no more. Free from envy, free from priestcraft, earnest, humbly submissive--that is the bright side of Elis character, and the side least known or thought of. There is another side to Elis character. He was a wavering, feeble, powerless man, with excellent intentions, but an utter want of will; and if we look at it deeply, it is will that makes the difference between man sod man; not knowledge, not opinions, not devoutness, not feeling, but will--the power to be. Let us look at the causes of this feebleness. There are apparently two

1. A recluse life--he lived in the temple. And such are the really fatal men in the work of life, those who look out on human life from e cloister, or who know nothing of men except through hooks. Doubtless there is a danger in knowing too much of the world. But, beyond all comparison, of the two extremes the worst is knowing too little of life.

2. That feebleness arose out of original temperament, in sentiment Eli might be always trusted: in action he was forever false, because he was a weak, vacillating man. Therefore his virtues were all of a negative character.

Let us look at the result of such a character

1. It had no influence. Eli was despised by his own sons He was not respected by the nation.

2. It manifested incorrigibility. Eli was twice warned; once by a prophet, once by Samuel. Both times he was warned in vain. There are persons who go through life sinning and sorrowing--sorrowing and sinning. No experience teaches them, Torrents of tears flow from their eyes. They are full of eloquent regrets. But tears, heart breaks, repentance, warnings, are ell in vain. Where they did wrong once, they do wrong again.

3. It resulted in misery to others. (F. W. Robertson, M. A.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Sa 3:2-4. At that time — After the man of God, mentioned in the foregoing chapter, (1Sa 2:27,) had been with Eli; perhaps the very night after he had delivered his message: when Eli was laid down in his place — In the court of the tabernacle, where there were divers rooms for several uses of the priests, as there were afterward at the temple. That he could not see — Clearly to do his duty, after it became duskish. This, it is likely, made him go to bed betimes, and leave directions with Samuel what to do, till it was time for him also to repose himself. Ere the lamp of God went out — Before the lights of the gold en candlestick were put out in the morning. It has been inferred by some, from Exo 27:20-21, that the lamp in the great shaft of this candlestick, which bent toward the most holy place, never went out. Some others of them, however, did go out, or were put out when it was morning. The meaning, therefore, here is, that ere it was day the Lord called Samuel, which, it appears, he did, out of the most holy place. So the Targum, A voice was heard out of the temple of the Lord. He answered, Here am I — It is likely Eli lay nearer the tabernacle than Samuel did. It appears, however, he heard nothing, the voice passing by him to Samuel, to whom it was directed, and who alone heard it.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

3:2 Eli was almost blind, both physically and spiritually (3:1).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

In the Court next to the Tabernacle.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 2. Eli was laid down in his place] It is very likely that as the ark was a long time at Shiloh, they had built near to it certain apartments for the high priest and others more immediately employed about the tabernacle. In one of these, near to that of Eli, perhaps under the same roof, Samuel lay when he was called by the Lord.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

2. at that time] This rendering is possible, but the Heb. literally means on that day, the memorable day which left such a deep mark upon Samuel’s life. So the LXX. and Vulg.

The words from ‘when Eli’ to ‘was laid down to sleep’ form a parenthesis, describing the circumstances under which Samuel’s call took place. (1) Eli was lying down in his place. (2) His eyes had begun to grow dim so that he could not see. These clauses serve to explain why Samuel ran to Eli when he heard the Voice. He would naturally suppose that the infirm and half-blind old man required some assistance. (3) The lamp of God was not yet extinguished. This marks the time of night as shortly before daybreak, when the sacred light in the Sanctuary would burn dim or be put out. (4) Samuel was lying down in the temple of Jehovah, where the ark of God was. The order of the Hebrew requires this translation. The term ‘temple’ includes the buildings round the Tabernacle (see note on 1Sa_1:9), in some of the chambers of which Eli and Samuel were sleeping, not of course in the Tabernacle itself. The Ark is expressly mentioned because it was the visible symbol of the Presence of Him from whom the Voice proceeded.

to wax] i.e. to grow, from A. S. weaxan, Germ. wachsen. The word has passed out of general use in modern English. Wiclif has ‘Biholde ye the lilies of the feeld hou thei wexen.’

the lamp of God] The seven-branched golden candlestick, now mentioned for the last time, stood on the south side of the Holy Place, opposite the Table of Shewbread (Exo_25:31-37). It was lighted every evening (Exo_27:20-21; Exo_30:7-8), and was extinguished in the morning. In Solomon’s temple it was superseded by ten separate candlesticks, but in the second temple the single candlestick was restored. It was carried to Rome by Titus after the capture of Jerusalem, and figures conspicuously among the trophies sculptured on his triumphal arch, from which the familiar representation of it is derived.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And it came to pass at that time,.... When the word of the Lord was scarce and precious, and there was no open vision; or, as Ben Gersom, the same day the man of God came to Eli at night, the following affair happened:

when Eli was laid down in his place; on his bed to sleep, in one of the chambers or apartments of the tabernacle; for as there were such in the temple for the priests, so in that:

and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see; to help himself to anything he might want when in bed; which seems to be the reason Samuel lay near him, and why, when he heard his voice, he immediately ran to him, supposing he needed his assistance. Some, as Kimchi and others, understand this not of the eyes of his body, but of his mind; and that the Holy Spirit, as a spirit of prophecy, was departing from him, because of his connivance at the sins of his sons; and so the following prophecy came not to him, but to Samuel.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The passage should be rendered thus: “And it came to pass at that time that Eli was sleeping in his place; and his eyes had begun to grow dim; he could not see. And the lamp of God was not yet gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the Lord where the ark of God was; and the Lord called Samuel, etc.” Eli’s old age and dimness of sight is probably mentioned as the reason why Samuel thought Eli had called him. Being a blind and feeble old man, he was likely to do so if he wanted anything, either for himself, or for the service of the temple.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

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 reason why Samuel so readily ran to him upon the first call, because his great age made him more to need his servants’ help.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

2. It came to pass at that time — Not the night following the day on which the man of God appeared to Eli, (1Sa_2:27,) as Drusius, Patrick, and others suppose, for, as a part of this call of God to Samuel contained a prophecy against Eli, it is probable that some considerable time had elapsed since the man of God delivered his message; but the words at that time (Hebrews, in that day) refer more naturally to the period designated by those days in the first verse, when the word of God was rare, than to any particular day or part of a day.

In his place — In his sleeping apartment, either in the court of the tabernacle or near by it.

His eyes began to wax dim — By reason of old age. This statement seems to be introduced here to explain why Samuel ran so hastily to Eli when he heard his name called, as though he supposed the high priest, being partially blind, needed his assistance.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

His place - In the court of the tabernacle.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.