Matthew Poole and continuators on 1 Samuel 3

AND the child Samuel ministred unto the LORD before Eli : and the word of the LORD was precious in those days: there was no open vision .

i. e. Under his inspection and direction, which, being so young, he needed.

To wit, the word of Prophesie, or the Revelation of Gods will to and by Prophets.

i. e. Rare or Scarce, such things being most Precious in Mens esteem, whereas common things are generally despised.

God did not impart his mind by way of Vision or Revelation openly, or to any publick Person, to whom others might resort for satisfaction, though he might or did privately reveal himself to some Pious Persons for their particular Direction. This is here premised, as a reason why Samuel understood not, when God called him once or twice.

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 ,

In the Court of the Tabernacle.

To wit, clearly and distinctly. This is added, as an Evidence of his Old Age, partly to shew 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.

3 And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep :

Before the Lights of the Golden Candlestick were put out, i. e. in the Night-season, or before the Morning, when they were put out, as they were Lighted in the Evening, Exod. 27. 21. Levit. 24. 3. 2 Chron. 13. 11.

i. e. In a place nigh to the Tabernacle, the Particle in being oft used for near, as hath been shewed formerly; for in the Tabernacle or Temple none might lie.

Not that this happened when he first lay down, but whilst he was lying there.

5 And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I, for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down.

Shewing his great Faithfulness and Diligence in the Service, either of the Lord, or of his Master Eli.

7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD , neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him.

Either, First, He was not acquainted with God in that Extraordinary or Prophetical way. Or rather, Secondly, He did not yet understand, any more than before, that it was not Eli, but God, who spake to him. And this ignorance of Samuel's served Gods Design, that his simplicity might give Eli the better assurance of the truth of Gods call, and message to Samuel.

Marginal references: Or, thus did Samuel before he knew the LORD, and before the word of the LORD was revealed unto him.

8 And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose, and went to Eli , and said, Here am I, for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child.

He persists in the same readiness to obey and serve him, and was not discouraged or driven from his Duty by his double mistake and disappointment.

By the consideration of Samuel's Piety, of the Sanctity of the place adjoyning, from whence God had oft-times spoken, and of the Solitude of the place, where there was no human Person besides himself, who could or would have called Samuel in that manner.

9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down ▪ and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak LORD, for thy servant heareth . So Samuel went, and lay down in his place.

i. e. I am ready to hear what thou speakest, and to do what thou requirest.

10 And the LORD came , and stood , and called as at other times , Samuel, Samuel . Then Samuel answered, Speak, for thy servant heareth.

Before, he spake to him at a distance, even from the Holy Oracle between the Cherubims; but now, to prevent all further mistakes, the Voice came near to him, as if the Person speaking had been present with him.

Before the Voice passed by him, now the speaker fixeth his abode with him for a time, till he had uttered his whole mind to him.

As he had done before.

His Name is here doubled, to engage him to the more speedy and diligent attention.

11 ¶ And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it, shall tingle .

Those things which are related in the next Chapter, which though done by the Philistines, God here ascribes to himself, because he was the first and chief cause of it, by withdrawing his helping hand from Israel, and by delivering the Ark, and Eli's two Sons, and the rest of the People, into his and their Enemies hands.

Which will be so terrible, that not only those that feel it shall groan under it, but those that only hear the report of it, shall be struck with such Amazement and Horror, which will make their Heads and Hearts ake. A Metaphor from him, who being surprized with some great and hideous Noise, such as Thunder or great Guns, his head is much affected with it, and the Sound or Tingling of it abides in his Ears a good while after it. This Phrase is used also, 2 King. 21. 12. Ier. 19. 3.

Marginal references: 2 King. 21. 12.

12 In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end .

In that time which I have appointed for this work, which was about Twenty or Thirty Years after this threatning. So long space of Repentance God allows to this wicked Generation, to make their peace with God, and prevent the Execution, as others did in like cases.

By that Prophet, chap. 2. 27.

Though this Vengeance may and shall be delayed for a season, to manifest my patience, and inci[illegible: 1+ letters] them to Repentance; yet when once I begin to Inflict, I shall certainly go on with it, and not desist till I have made a full end.

Marginal references: Heb. establish.; Chap. 2. [illegible: 1+ letters]0.; Heb. beginning and ending.

13 For I have told him, that I will judge his house for ever , for the iniquity which [illegible: 1+ letters]e knoweth : because his sons made themselves vile and he restrained them not .

i. e. Condemn, and Punish or Destroy, as the word Iudge is oft used, as Gen. 15. 14. Ioh. 3. 18. and 16. 11.

His Children, and Posterity, as is manifest by the Story; as the word House is frequently taken, as 2 Sam. 7. 11. 1 King. 21. 29. So the House of Iudah, of Aaron, of David, are oft taken for their Posterity. And to Build an House in Scripture use, is to encrease their Posterity, as Exod. 1. 21. Deut. 25. 9. Ruth 4. 11. Compare Gen. 16. 2. and 30. 3.

Till they be utterly rooted out: or, for a long time, as that Phrase is oft used.

Either by the information of the Prophet, chap. 2. v. 27, &c. or by his own guilty and self-accusing Conscience. But these, and the foregoing and following words, may well be, and are rendred thus, for this iniquity, because he knew (both by common Fame, and by his own observation) that his Sons, &c. He cannot pretend ignorance, or want of proof of their wickedness, which aggravates his Sin.

Not only hateful to God, but contemptible to all the People, whereby they also brought their Sacred Office, and Gods Holy Ordinances into contempt. Heb. Cursed themselves, or made themselves Execrab[illegible: 1+ letters]e or Accursed, both to God and men: by their Lewd and Cursed Practices, they put themselves under the Curse of God, by such a gross Violation of Gods Commands; Compare Ios. 6. 18. and 7. 12, 13. This expression may be used by way of reflection upon their Father, because be did not denounce the Curse of God against them, nor put them out of the Priesthood, as Accursed Persons, although they were so Vile, that they had prevented their Fathers censure, and Meritoriously cast themselves out, and cut themselves off from the Priesthood and Congregation of the Lord, which their Father should have done Judicially.

He contented himself with a cold and gentle reproof, and did not severely rebuke, and punish, and effectually restrain them from their abominable Courses, nor use that Authority which God had given him, as a Father, as an High-Priest, and as a Judge, or Chief Magistrate, against them, as by the Law of God he was obliged to do.

Marginal references: Or, and I will tell him, &c.; Chap. 2. 29, 30, 31, &c.; Or, accursed.; Heb. frowned not upon them▪

14 And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice, nor offering for ever.

Which might be done before, though it be mentioned here only. Or, I do swear: the past Tense being common [illegible: 1+ letters]y put for the pre[illegible: 1+ letters]ent in the Hebrew Tongue.

Or, concerning, as the Praefix Lame[illegible: 1+ letters] is oft used, as Exod. 14. 3. and 18. 7. 2 Sam. 11. 7. Psal. 91. 11. compare with Matth. 4. 6. i i. e. The punishment threatned against Eli and his Family, shall not be prevented or hindred by all their Sacrifices, as they fondly imagine, but shall Infallibly be Executed.

15 And Samuel lay until morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD : and Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision .

Although the Tabernacle, whilst it was to be removed from place to place in the Wilderness, had no Doors, but consisted only of Curtains, and had only Hangings before the entrance, instead of Doors; yet when it was settled in one place, as now it was in Shiloh, where it had been for a long time, it is more than probable, both from this place, and by comparing 1 Sam. 1. 9. and 2 Sam. 6. 17. and from the Nature and Reason of the thing, that it was inclosed within some solid Building, which had Doors, and Posts, and other Parts belonging to it.

i. e. The matter of the Vision or Revelation, partly from the Reverence and Respect he bore to his Person, to whom he was loath to be a messenger of such sad tidings; partly, lest if he had been hasty to utter it, Eli might think him Guilty of Arrogancy or secret Complacency in his Calamity, which was like to tend to Samuel's advancement. And not being commanded by God to acquaint Eli herewith, he prudently suspended the publication of it, till a fit occasion were offered, which he might reasonably expect in a very little time, knowing that Eli would be greedy to know the matter of that Revelation, the Preface whereof he was acquainted with; and that it would be less offensive, and therefore more useful to Eli, when he saw that Samuel was not puffed up with it, nor forward to vent it, until Eli forced it from him.

17 And he said, What is the thing that the LORD hath said unto thee? I pray thee, hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also , if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that he said unto thee.

God inflict the same Evils upon thee, which I suspect he hath pronounced against me, and greater Evils too. Or, God do so, i. e. let God deal with thee so severely, as I cannot or am loath to express. So it is a kind of Aposiopesis usual in Oaths, and in Adjurations. The same Phrase is in Ruth 1. 17. Thus he adjures him to utter the whole truth, as was usual among the Hebrews, as 1 King. 22. 16. Matth. 26. 63.

Marginal references: Heb. [illegible: 1+ letters]o add; Or, word.

18 And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the LORD : Let him do what seemeth him good.

This severe Sentence is from the Sovereign Lord of the World, who hath an absolute Power and Right to dispose of me and all his Creatures as he pleaseth; to whose good pleasure I therefore freely submit: from Israel's God, who was known by this Name of Iehovah, who is in a special manner the Ruler of the People of Israel, to whom it properly belongs to punish all mine offences; whose Chastisement I therefore accept.

Marginal references: Heb. all the things, or words.

19 ¶ And Samuel grew , and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground .

As in Stature, so in Wisdom and Piety, and God's Favour, and Reputation with the People.

i. e. Want its effect or success: God made good all his Predictions. A Metaphor from precious Liquors, which when they are spilt upon the Ground, are altogether useless and ineffectual. This Phrase is oft used, as Ios. 21. 45. Esth. 6. 10, &c.

Marginal references: 1 King. 8. 56.

20 And all Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba , knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD.

Through the whole Land, from the Northern Bound Dan, to the Southern, Beer-sheba; which was the whole length, and largest extent of the Land. See Iudg. 20. 1, 2. 2 Sam. 17. 11.

Both by Eli's Testimony, and particular Relation of the [illegible: 1 word] going History, to the People that came from all Parts; [illegible: 1 word] by succeeding Revelations made to him, whereof mention is made in the next Verse, which though placed after, might be done before.

Marginal references: Or, faithful.

21 And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh, by the word of the LORD .

Or, did use to Reveal his mind to Samuel.

i. e. By his word, the Noun for the Pronoun, which is frequent, as Levit. 14. 15, &c. by his word of command, which he chose to deliver to Israel by his Mouth, as it h[illegible: 1+ letters]e follows; or by his word of Prophesie concerning future events.