1 Samuel 3:1

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

¶ 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.

Complete Jewish Bible:

The child Sh'mu'el continued ministering to ADONAI under 'Eli's direction. Now, in those days ADONAI rarely spoke, and visions were few.

Berean Standard Bible:

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.

American Standard Version:

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 with Strong’s Numbers:

And the child^{H5288} Samuel^{H8050} ministered^{H8334} unto the LORD^{H3068} before^{H6440} Eli^{H5941}. And the word^{H1697} of the LORD^{H3068} was precious^{H3368} in those days^{H3117}; there was no open^{H6555} vision^{H2377}.

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Commentary for 1 Samuel 3:1

1 Samuel 3:1 sets the stage for a pivotal moment in the history of Israel, marking a transition in divine communication and spiritual leadership. The verse introduces us to Samuel, a child serving in the tabernacle under the aging priest Eli. Samuel's role as a minister to the Lord underscores the religious context of the time, where service in the sanctuary was a significant duty.

The phrase "the word of the Lord was precious in those days" suggests that divine revelations were rare and highly valued. This scarcity of direct communication from God, indicated by "no open vision," highlights a period of spiritual decline in Israel. The people were experiencing a famine of sorts—not of food, but of hearing clearly from the Lord. This absence of prophetic insight contrasts sharply with the frequent and explicit encounters with God that characterized earlier periods in Israel's history, such as the times of Moses and Joshua.

Historically, this verse is situated in a time when the Philistines were a dominant force, and the Israelites were often oppressed by their neighbors. The spiritual malaise reflected in the lack of prophetic activity contributed to the nation's broader challenges. The significance of Samuel's upcoming encounter with God, as hinted at by this verse, is magnified by the religious and historical context—it signifies a new era of prophetic activity and a revitalization of the spiritual leadership that would guide Israel through tumultuous times ahead. Samuel's own journey from a servant in the temple to a revered prophet and leader begins to unfold with this verse, setting the scene for God to speak into the silence and restore a clear prophetic voice to His people.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

1. Strong's Number: H5288
   There are 221 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: נַעַר
   Transliteration: naʻar
   Pronunciation: nah'-ar
   Description: from נָעַר; (concretely) a boy (as active), from the age of infancy to adolescence; by implication, a servant; also (by interch. of sex), a girl (of similar latitude in age); babe, boy, child, damsel (from the margin), lad, servant, young (man).
   
2. Strong's Number: H8050
   There are 120 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: שְׁמוּאֵל
   Transliteration: Shᵉmûwʼêl
   Pronunciation: sehm-oo-ale'
   Description: from the passive participle of שָׁמַע and אֵל; heard of God; Shemuel, the name of three Israelites; Samuel, Shemuel.
   
3. Strong's Number: H8334
   There are 92 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: שָׁרַת
   Transliteration: shârath
   Pronunciation: shaw-rath'
   Description: a primitive root; to attend as a menial or worshipper; figuratively, to contribute to; minister (unto), (do) serve(-ant, -ice, -itor), wait on.
   
4. Strong's Number: H3068
   There are 5521 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: יְהֹוָה
   Transliteration: Yᵉhôvâh
   Pronunciation: yeh-ho-vaw'
   Description: from הָיָה; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God; Jehovah, the Lord. Compare יָהּ, יְהֹוִה.
   
5. Strong's Number: H6440
   There are 1890 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: פָּנִים
   Transliteration: pânîym
   Pronunciation: paw-neem'
   Description: plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun פָּנֶה; from פָּנָה); the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.); [phrase] accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, [idiom] as (long as), at, [phrase] battle, [phrase] because (of), [phrase] beseech, countenance, edge, [phrase] employ, endure, [phrase] enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, [idiom] him(-self), [phrase] honourable, [phrase] impudent, [phrase] in, it, look(-eth) (-s), [idiom] me, [phrase] meet, [idiom] more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), [idiom] on, open, [phrase] out of, over against, the partial, person, [phrase] please, presence, propect, was purposed, by reason of, [phrase] regard, right forth, [phrase] serve, [idiom] shewbread, sight, state, straight, [phrase] street, [idiom] thee, [idiom] them(-selves), through ([phrase] -out), till, time(-s) past, (un-) to(-ward), [phrase] upon, upside ([phrase] down), with(-in, [phrase] -stand), [idiom] ye, [idiom] you.
   
6. Strong's Number: H5941
   There are 30 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: עֵלִי
   Transliteration: ʻÊlîy
   Pronunciation: ay-lee'
   Description: from עָלָה; lofty; Eli, an Israelite highpriest; Eli.
   
7. Strong's Number: H1697
   There are 1290 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: דָּבָר
   Transliteration: dâbâr
   Pronunciation: daw-baw'
   Description: from דָבַר; a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause; act, advice, affair, answer, [idiom] any such (thing), because of, book, business, care, case, cause, certain rate, [phrase] chronicles, commandment, [idiom] commune(-ication), [phrase] concern(-ing), [phrase] confer, counsel, [phrase] dearth, decree, deed, [idiom] disease, due, duty, effect, [phrase] eloquent, errand, (evil favoured-) ness, [phrase] glory, [phrase] harm, hurt, [phrase] iniquity, [phrase] judgment, language, [phrase] lying, manner, matter, message, (no) thing, oracle, [idiom] ought, [idiom] parts, [phrase] pertaining, [phrase] please, portion, [phrase] power, promise, provision, purpose, question, rate, reason, report, request, [idiom] (as hast) said, sake, saying, sentence, [phrase] sign, [phrase] so, some (uncleanness), somewhat to say, [phrase] song, speech, [idiom] spoken, talk, task, [phrase] that, [idiom] there done, thing (concerning), thought, [phrase] thus, tidings, what(-soever), [phrase] wherewith, which, word, work.
   
8. Strong's Number: H3368
   There are 36 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: יָקָר
   Transliteration: yâqâr
   Pronunciation: yaw-kawr'
   Description: from יָקַר; valuable (objectively or subjectively); brightness, clear, costly, excellent, fat, honourable women, precious, reputation.
   
9. Strong's Number: H3117
   There are 1931 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: יוֹם
   Transliteration: yôwm
   Pronunciation: yome
   Description: from an unused root meaning to be hot; a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb); age, [phrase] always, [phrase] chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), [phrase] elder, [idiom] end, [phrase] evening, [phrase] (for) ever(-lasting, -more), [idiom] full, life, as (so) long as (... live), (even) now, [phrase] old, [phrase] outlived, [phrase] perpetually, presently, [phrase] remaineth, [idiom] required, season, [idiom] since, space, then, (process of) time, [phrase] as at other times, [phrase] in trouble, weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), [idiom] whole ([phrase] age), (full) year(-ly), [phrase] younger.
   
10. Strong's Number: H6555
    There are 48 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: פָּרַץ
    Transliteration: pârats
    Pronunciation: paw-rats'
    Description: lemma פּרַץ missing vowel, corrected to פָּרַץ; a primitive root; to break out (in many applications, direct and indirect, literal and figurative); [idiom] abroad, (make a) breach, break (away, down, -er, forth, in, up), burst out, come (spread) abroad, compel, disperse, grow, increase, open, press, scatter, urge.
    
11. Strong's Number: H2377
    There are 34 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: חָזוֹן
    Transliteration: châzôwn
    Pronunciation: khaw-zone'
    Description: from חָזָה; a sight (mentally), i.e. a dream, revelation, or oracle; vision.