And the boy Samuel ministered to the LORD before Eli.Samuel, a young boy dedicated to God by his mother Hannah, served in the tabernacle at Shiloh under the guidance of Eli, the high priest. This service was a fulfillment of Hannah's vow to dedicate her son to the Lord (
1 Samuel 1:11, 28). Samuel's role as a minister to the Lord signifies his early dedication and the beginning of his prophetic ministry. The phrase "before Eli" indicates that Samuel was under Eli's mentorship and authority, learning the duties of priesthood and service to God. This setting in Shiloh, a central place of worship before the establishment of the temple in Jerusalem, highlights the importance of Samuel's role in Israel's spiritual life.
Now in those days the word of the LORD was rare,
During this period, Israel was experiencing a spiritual decline, marked by the scarcity of divine revelation. The rarity of God's word suggests a time of moral and spiritual darkness, where prophetic messages were infrequent. This scarcity can be attributed to the corruption of Eli's sons, Hophni and Phinehas, who were priests but acted wickedly (1 Samuel 2:12-17). The lack of prophetic guidance left the nation without clear direction from God, emphasizing the need for a faithful prophet like Samuel.
and visions were scarce.
Visions, as a means of divine communication, were uncommon during this time, further illustrating the spiritual barrenness of Israel. In the Old Testament, visions were often used by God to reveal His will and guidance to His people (e.g.,Genesis 15:1,Daniel 7:1). The scarcity of visions indicates a period where God was not actively revealing Himself to His people, possibly due to their disobedience and the corruption of the priesthood. This context sets the stage for Samuel's significant role as a prophet who would restore the communication between God and Israel, ultimately leading to the anointing of kings and the establishment of a united monarchy.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
SamuelA young boy dedicated to the Lord by his mother, Hannah, serving in the temple under the priest Eli. Samuel is significant as he will become a major prophet and judge in Israel.
2.
EliThe high priest and judge of Israel at the time. He is responsible for mentoring Samuel in the ways of the Lord, though his own sons are corrupt.
3.
The TempleThe place where Samuel serves, which is a central location for worship and sacrifice in Israel.
4.
The Word of the LORDRefers to divine communication from God, which was infrequent during this period, indicating a spiritual drought in Israel.
5.
VisionsSupernatural revelations from God, which were also rare at this time, highlighting the lack of prophetic guidance.
Teaching Points
Spiritual DroughtRecognize the signs of spiritual drought in our own lives and communities. Just as the word of the Lord was rare in Samuel's time, we must seek God earnestly to avoid spiritual dryness.
Faithfulness in ServiceLike Samuel, who ministered faithfully despite the scarcity of divine revelation, we are called to serve God diligently, even when we do not see immediate results or hear His voice clearly.
Mentorship and InfluenceEli's role in Samuel's life reminds us of the importance of godly mentorship. We should seek to mentor others in faith and be open to being mentored ourselves.
The Value of God's WordCherish and prioritize the Word of God in our lives. Unlike the scarcity in Samuel's time, we have access to the Scriptures and should not take this for granted.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of 1 Samuel 3:1?
2.How can we ensure we are receptive to God's voice like Samuel was?
3.Why was "the word of the LORD rare" during Samuel's time?
4.What steps can we take to hear God's voice in our daily lives?
5.How does 1 Samuel 3:1 connect with God's communication in Hebrews 1:1-2?
6.What role does spiritual mentorship play in recognizing God's calling, as seen with Eli?
7.Why was the word of the LORD rare in 1 Samuel 3:1?
8.How does 1 Samuel 3:1 reflect God's communication with humanity?
9.What historical context explains the scarcity of visions in 1 Samuel 3:1?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from 1 Samuel 3?
11.1 Samuel 3 – Is there any archaeological support for Samuel’s early prophetic ministry, or is it solely dependent on this biblical narrative?
12.What does the Bible say about Jesus' visions?
13.1 Samuel 3:1 – How can “the word of the Lord” be rare when earlier biblical accounts suggest ongoing divine revelations?
14.What does the Bible say about lacking vision?What Does 1 Samuel 3:1 Mean
And the boy Samuel ministered to the LORD before Eli• “The boy Samuel ministered to the LORD before Eli” (1 Samuel 3:1) shows a child already engaged in priestly service, echoing earlier notes that he “ministered before the LORD, wearing a linen ephod” (1 Samuel 2:18).
• His service demonstrates that God values willing hearts regardless of age—like little Samuel, Jesus Himself “kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men” (Luke 2:52).
• Samuel’s obedience stands in stark contrast to Eli’s corrupt sons (1 Samuel 2:12-17, 22-25). God places a bright light in a dark setting, reminding us that “those who honor Me I will honor” (1 Samuel 2:30).
Now in those days the word of the LORD was rare• The rarity of God’s word points to a spiritual drought similar toAmos 8:11, where the Lord warns of “a famine… of hearing the words of the LORD.”
• Israel had drifted into moral compromise; leadership failures left the people without clear revelation (Judges 21:25;Proverbs 29:18).
• God’s silence is never due to inability but often tied to human rebellion (Isaiah 59:1-2). Yet He is preparing to speak through Samuel, affirming His promise never to abandon His covenant people (Deuteronomy 31:6).
and visions were scarce• Prophetic visions—God’s chosen medium for guidance (Numbers 12:6)—had become uncommon. Second Chronicles 15:3 describes a similar era “without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without law.”
• Scarcity heightens the significance of what is about to happen. When God does break through, His message carries unmistakable weight, as later events prove (1 Samuel 3:19-21).
• The situation stirs anticipation: divine revelation is about to move from scarcity to abundance through Samuel, preparing the nation for kingship and covenant renewal (Acts 3:24).
summarySamuel’s quiet faithfulness in a corrupt environment sets the stage for God to end a season of silence. Though “the word of the LORD was rare, and visions were scarce,” the Lord sovereignly raises up one devoted child to re-open the pipeline of prophetic truth. God’s purposes march on, ensuring that even in the darkest times His voice will be heard and His plan fulfilled.
(1)
The child Samuel ministered unto the Lord.--The writer of this history, although well aware of the great revolution accomplished in Israel by the prophet whose life and work the Holy Spirit bade him record, gives us but the simplest and shortest possible account of the child-days of him who was only second to Moses in his influence on the eventful story of the chosen people. But short and devoid of detail though the record be, it is enough to show us that the atmosphere in which the child lived was a pure and holy one; the boy was evidently kept apart from Hophni, Phinehas, and their impious self-seeking party. The high priestly guardian was evidently fully conscious of the importance of his charge, and he watched over his pupil with a tender watchful care. Perhaps his sad experiences with his evil headstrong sons had taught the old man wisdom; certainly the training he gave to Samuel was one that educated the boy well for his after-life of stirring public work. The notices of the childhood and boyhood are indeed brief. The first contrasts sharply the lawless profligacy of the priestly houses with the pure holy childhood passed in the sanctuary courts, probably always in the company of the old man. Hophni and Phinehas,
the grown menprostituted the holy work to their own vile worldly ends:
the childministered before the Lord in his little white robe; and while in the home life of his own mother and father in Ramah, his brothers and sisters were growing up with the sorrows and joys of other Hebrew children, "the child Samuel grew before the Lord" amid the stillness and silence and the awful mystery of the Divine protection, which seems ever, even in the darkest days of the history of Israel, to have surrounded the home of the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord. It was amidst this silent, sacred mystery, apart from the disorders of his priestly sons, that Eli taught the boy the story of his ancestors, with only the dark curtains of the sanctuary hanging between master and pupil and the mystic golden throne of God, on which His glory was sometimes pleased to rest.
The writer wrote his gloomy recital of the wild unbridled life of the wicked priests, wrote down the weak, sorrowful remonstrances of the father and high priest, foreshadowing, however, their certain doom; and then, again, with their life of shame sharply contrasts the pure child-life of the little pupil of the old sorrow-stricken high priest--the boy whom all men loved. "And the boy Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the Lord, and also with men."
Once more Eli, now weak with age, is warned of the sure consequences which would follow the evil licence and the irreligion of his priestly sons; and again the boy Samuel and his life, guided by Eli, his guardian and teacher, is contrasted with the wild, unchecked lawlessness of the priestly sons of Eli perpetually dishonouring religion and the sanctuary--a lawlessness which had just been denounced by the nameless prophet (1Samuel 2:27-36).
Josephus tells us that Samuel, when the Lord first called him, was twelve years old. This was the age of the child Jesus when He disputed with the doctors in the Temple.
Was precious in those days.--Precious, that is,rare."The word of the Lord" is the will of the Lord announced by a prophet, seer, or man of God. Between the days of Deborah and the nameless man of God who came with the awful message to Eli, no inspired voice seems to have spoken to the chosen people.
The "open vision"refers to such manifestations of the Divinity as were vouchsafed to Abraham, Moses, Joshua, and Manoah, and in this chapter to Samuel. There may possibly be some reference to the appearance of Divine glory which was connected with the Urim and Thummim which were worn by the high priest. This significant silence on the part of the invisible King the writer dwells on as a result of the deep corruption into which the priests and, through their evil example, a large proportion of the nation, had fallen.
Verse 1. -
The word of the Lord was precious in those days. Or rather
rare; it came but seldom, and there was no proper order of persons from whose ranks the "speakers for God" would naturally step forth. It was this which made the revelation of Jehovah's will to Samuel an event so memorable both for the Jewish nation and for the Church; for he was called by the providence of God to be the founder of prophecy as an established institution, and henceforward, side by side with the king and priest, the prophet took his place as one of the three factors in the preparation for the coming of him who is a king to rule, a Priest to make atonement, and also a Prophet to teach his people and guide them into all the truth.
There was no open vision. Literally, "no vision that broke forth" (see
2 Chronicles 31:5, where it is used of the publication of a decree). The meaning is, that though prophecy was an essential condition of the spiritual life of Israel, yet that hitherto it had not been promulgated and established as a fact. The gift had not absolutely been withheld, but neither had it been permanently granted as a settled ordinance. There are in Hebrew two words for
vision: the one used here,
hazon, refers to such sights as are revealed to the tranced eye of the seer when in a state of ecstasy; while the other,
march, is a vision seen by the natural eye. From the days, however, of Isaiah onward,
hazon became the generic term for all prophecy.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
And the boyוְהַנַּ֧עַר(wə·han·na·‘ar)Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5288:A boy, lad, youth, retainerSamuelשְׁמוּאֵ֛ל(šə·mū·’êl)Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 8050:Samuel -- 'name of God', a prophet of Israelministeredמְשָׁרֵ֥ת(mə·šā·rêṯ)Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 8334:To attend as a, menial, worshipper, to contribute totoאֶת־(’eṯ-)Direct object marker
Strong's 853:Untranslatable mark of the accusative casethe LORDיְהוָ֖ה(Yah·weh)Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068:LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israelbeforeלִפְנֵ֣י(lip̄·nê)Preposition-l | Noun - common plural construct
Strong's 6440:The faceEli.עֵלִ֑י(‘ê·lî)Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 5941:Eli -- a priest at ShilohNow in thoseהָהֵ֔ם(hā·hêm)Article | Pronoun - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1992:Theydaysבַּיָּמִ֣ים(bay·yā·mîm)Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3117:A daythe wordוּדְבַר־(ū·ḏə·ḇar-)Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1697:A word, a matter, thing, a causeof the LORDיְהוָ֗ה(Yah·weh)Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068:LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israelwasהָיָ֤ה(hā·yāh)Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961:To fall out, come to pass, become, berareיָקָר֙(yā·qār)Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 3368:Precious, rare, splendid, weightyand visionsחָז֖וֹן(ḥā·zō·wn)Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2377:A sight, a dream, revelation, oraclewereאֵ֥ין(’ên)Adverb
Strong's 369:A non-entity, a negative particlescarce.נִפְרָֽץ׃(nip̄·rāṣ)Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 6555:To break through
Links
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1 Samuel 3:1 BibleApps.com1 Samuel 3:1 Biblia Paralela1 Samuel 3:1 Chinese Bible1 Samuel 3:1 French Bible1 Samuel 3:1 Catholic Bible
OT History: 1 Samuel 3:1 The child Samuel ministered to Yahweh before (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa) 
