Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, 1 Samuel · Chapter 3
CHAP. III.
Verſ. 1. ANd the child Samuel miniſtred unto the Lord before Eli:] See the note, chap. 2.11.
Verſ. 3. And the word of the Lord was precious in thoſe dayes, &c.] That is, rare; for ſo this word is uſed elſewhere, Eſa. 13.12. I will make a man more precious then fine gold: and ſo it is explained here in the following clauſe, The word of the Lord was precious in thoſe dayes, there was no open viſion: That is, there was not a known Prophet in thoſe dayes, there was not a man openly known, to whom the Lord appeared in viſions, as afterwards he did to his Prophets, or whom the Lord did ſend forth among the people with a word of prophecie in his mouth. Now this is thus expreſſed, partly to ſhew how the Lord hereby puniſhed the profaneneſſe of theſe times: many of the Prieſts were grown in theſe dayes deſperately wicked, and by their means the worſhip of God grew into contempt; (for men abhorred the offerings of the Lord, chap. 2.17.) and ſo by degrees, idolatrie and all other ſinnes grew rife amongſt them; as is evident by the reformation following immediately after this, when Samuel came to be their Judge, chap. 7.3, 4. Now hereupon, as theſe words implie, the Lord hid himſelf in a great meaſure from his people, and did not reveal his will by his Prophets to them as at other times, according to that which is threatned, Amos 8.11. I will ſend a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirſt for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord: and that complaint of the Church, Pſal. 74.9. We ſee not our ſignes, there is no more any Prophet, &c. and then again it is expreſſed partly for the honour of Samuel, by and in whom the Lord was pleaſed to reeſtabliſh in his Church this propheticall office; whence it is, that often in the Scripture Samuel is mentioned as the firſt of the Prophets, as 2. Chron. 35.18. And there was no Paſſeover like to that, kept in Iſrael from the dayes of Samuel the Prophet: and Acts 3.24. Yea and all the Prophets from Samuel and thoſe that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewiſe foretold of theſe dayes; and ſo alſo Heb. 11.32.
Verſ. 2. And it came to paſſe at that time when Eli was laid down in his place, &c.] Here the time is ſet down when the Lord appeared firſt to Samuel: firſt, more generally, that it was in thoſe dayes when the word of the Lord was ſo precious, ſo rare; for to this in the words immediately foregoing, I conceive this clauſe may beſt be referred, And it came to paſſe at that time; though indeed others referre it to that which is related in the foregoing chapter, verſ. 27. concerning a meſſage that was brought unto Eli by a man of God that was ſent unto him, to wit, that at that time, when the aforeſaid Prophet had ſpoke unto Eli, then alſo the Lord appeared to Samuel, and told him of the judgements that ſhould fall upon Eli and his houſe: and then, ſecondly, more particularly; as firſt, that it was in the night, when Eli was laid down in his place, that is, when he was gone to bed, and laid down to his reſt, to wit, in ſome lodging of the houſe, wherein the Tabernacle was kept; of which ſee the note before, chap. 19. and ſecondly, that it was towards morning, verſ. 3. ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord, where the Ark of God was; that is, before the lamps that were in the golden candleſtick in the Tabernacle were gone out, the oyl being waſted: (for in the evening the lamps were lighted, and ſo burnt all night till they went out in the morning: concerning which ſee the note Exod. 30.7. whence it is ſaid, 2. Chron. 13.11. that the lamps of the golden candleſtick were to burn every evening) as for that clauſe verſ. 2. concerning the dimneſſe of Elies eyes, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim that he could not ſee; that is inſerted either to implie alſo the time when the Lord appeared to Samuel; namely, that it was when Eli was now grown very old, inſomuch that he began to be blind with age; or elſe rather to implie beforehand the reaſon why Samuel, ſuppoſing that Eli had called him, when the Lord ſpake to him, was ſo ready even in the night time to run to him; namely, becauſe Eli could not ſee, and therefore often wanted help, in regard whereof Samuel, who now in his young years attended upon Eli, was wont to riſe and go to him if he heard him call, though it were at midnight.
Verſ. 7. Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, &c.] That is, he was not yet acquainted with Gods manner of revealing himſelf to his Prophets by viſions.
Verſ. 8. And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child.] By this we may perceive the reaſon why the Lord ſuffered Samuel ſo often to miſtake the voice that he heard, and run to Eli, to wit, that Eli might certainly be aſſured when he heard Gods meſſage from him, that indeed the Lord had appeared to him.
Verſ. 10. And the Lord came, and ſtood, and called, &c.] This proves not that God appeared in a viſible ſhape; rather it is a ſpeech of God after the manner of men, yet happely withall to implie, either that whereas before the voice he heard was as of one afarre off, now it was as of one that ſtood near by him; or elſe that whereas before the Lord onelyonly called him, now he did not onelyonly call him, but alſo proceeded to make known what he had to ſay to him.
Verſ. 11. Behold, I will do a thing in Iſrael, at which both the eares of every one that heareth it ſhall tingle.] That is, at the hearing whereof they ſhall be ſtricken with horrour and aſtoniſhment. The ſame expreſſion is uſed 2. Kings 21.12. in threatning the evil that was to come upon Jeruſalem and Judah, becauſe of the ſinnes of Manaſſeh; and it is a figurative expreſſion taken from the ſinging and dizzineſſe which ſome ſudden terrible noiſe, as a clap of thunder, or the roring of a cannon, will make in the head of a man that is near to it. How this was accompliſhed in Eli, and the wife of Phinehas, we may reade in the following chapter, verſ. 18, 19, &c. where we ſhall find, that upon the report of the judgement now threatned, Eli fell down and brake his neck, and his daughter in law the wife of Phinehas fell preſenty into the pains of travell and died.
Verſ. 12. When I begin I will alſo make an end.] That is, as ſure as I begin, ſo ſure will I make an end; though it may be ſome time ere I begin, yet aſſuredly all ſhall come upon them which I have threatned.
Verſ. 13. For I have told him, that I will judge his houſe for ever, for the iniquitie which he knoweth.] This is added by way of aggravating Elies ſinne, that it was not ignorantly done, but wittingly: he knew what his ſonnes did, and that the Lord was diſpleaſed at it (for he had by his meſſenger, chap. 2.27. threatned him for it) and yet he would not reſtrain them.
Becauſe his ſonnes made themſelves vile, and he reſtrained them not.] The word here tranſlated vile, may be alſo rendered accurſed, as it is in the margin of our bibles; and indeed let the word be taken either way, the ſonnes of Eli had deſerved this cenſure; vile, they were in regard of their baſe ſinnes, which made them even to ſtink, and to be abhorred amongſt the people; every one loathed them for their abominable lives: and accurſed they were in regard of the curſe of God, that is in a ſpeciall manner denounced againſt thoſe, that preſumptuouſly walk in ſuch groſſe and deteſtable ſinnes; and it might well be ſaid, that they made themſelves vile, or accurſed, becauſe it was merely by their own wilfull chooſing to walk in ſuch lewd wayes, that they had brought ſuch ſhame upon themſelves, and expoſed themſelves to the curſe of God according to that of the Prophet, O Iſrael, thou hast deſtroyed thy ſelf, Hoſ. 13.9.
Verſ. 14. I have ſworn unto the houſe of Eli▪ that the iniquitie of Elies houſe ſhall not be purged with ſacrifice, nor offering for ever.] Two things are included in this decree of the Lord, concerning Elies houſe: firſt, concerning his wicked ſonnes, that the Lord delivering them up to a reprobate ſenſe, they ſhould continue in their infidelity, impenitency, and hardneſſe of heart, unto their dying day, and ſo then it was not their ſacrifices and offerings that ſhould do them any good: ſecondly, concerning their poſterity, that the temporall puniſhment which God had threatned to bring upon them, ſhould not by any means be kept off, to wit, that the dignity of the high prieſts office, ſhould be taken from them, &c.
Verſ. 15. And Samuel lay untill the morning, and opened the doores of the houſe of the Lord.] By this and ſome other places it ſeems probable, that though the Tabernacle whilſt it was in the deſert, for the better tranſporting and carrying it from place to place, had no other covering nor fence, then the curtains and hangings appointed by Moſes, yet afterwards it was ſome other way ſhut in; yea as it is moſt probable houſed; whence there is mention here of the doores of the houſe of the Lord, ſee the notes chap. 1.9. The office of opening the doores belonged to the Levites, as afterward in the Temple, 1. Chron. 23.5. and ſo Samuel now did it. And obſervable indeed it is, that Samuel was not puffed up ſo by the Lords appearing to him, as to deſpiſe that which might ſeem for a Prophet a mean imployment.
And Samuel feared to ſhew Eli the viſion.] Though the Lord had not commanded Samuel to acquaint Eli with that he had revealed to him, concerning the heavy judgement that ſhould befall his houſe, yet his own reaſon ſuggeſted, that it was not fit that a ſecret that ſo nearly concerned him, ſhould be kept from him; onelyonly ſaith the text, Samuel feared to ſhew Eli the viſion, to wit, either becauſe, firſt, ſuch ſad tydings he knew would wound his heart, and therefore being loth to grieve him, he was afraid to let him know it; or ſecondly, becauſe he doubted it might ſeem arrogancy in him, as a meſſenger ſent from God, to denounce ſuch terrible things againſt his aged Tutour and governour; or thirdly, becauſe he feared Elies diſpleaſure, as knowing well that ancient men, and men in authority, cannot eaſily brook, to have the judgement of God denounced againſt them, eſpecially by thoſe that are for years, or otherwiſe, inferiour to them.
Verſ. 17. God do ſo to thee and more alſo, if thou hide any thing from me, &c.] By this importunity of Eli in conjuring Samuel ſo earneſtly to tell him all that God had ſaid unto him, it is evident that ſo ſoon as Eli conceived that the Lord had appeared to Samuel, he preſently feared that ſomething was revealed to him concerning him and his ſonnes. Guilty conſciences will ſtill be ſuggeſting terrours and fears upon every occaſion; and ſo it was here with Eli; being conſcious to himſelf of his ſonnes lewdneſſe, and his own indulgence towards them, no ſooner was he perſwaded in his mind, that the Lord had appeared in a viſion to Samuel, but preſently he apprehended ſome heavy ſentence pronounced againſt him; and this made him now ſo eager to know what it was; as for this manner of adjuration, God do ſo to thee and more alſo, ſee the note, Ruth. 1.17.
Verſ. 18: And he ſaid, It is the Lord: let him do what ſeemeth him good.] God hath abſolute power over all his creatures, to do with them what ſeemeth good in his own eyes, neither is he to render an account of his actions: and beſides, he is moſt wiſe, and faithfull, and juſt, ſo that though men cannot comprehend the reaſon of his judgements, yet they may be ſure there can be nothing faulty in them: and to his children withall his goodneſſe and love is ſo great, that unleſſe it were needfull he would not, and beyond what is needfull he will not afflict them. In all which regards it might well be, that Eli alledged this as a reaſon why he could not but ſubmit to what was threatned; namely, becauſe it was the Lord that had ſaid it. It is the Lord: let him do what ſeemeth him good.
Verſ. 20. And all Iſrael, even from Dan to Beerſheba, knew that Samuel was establiſhed to be a Prophet of the Lord.] To wit, by the accompliſhment, not onelyonly of that which he had now ſaid unto Eli, but alſo of other things revealed to him by the Lord at other times; in regard whereof that is added which follows in the next verſe, the Lord appeared again in Shiloh,, to wit, to Samuel.
Verſ. 21. For the Lord revealed himſelf to Samuel in Shiloh, by the word of the Lord.] That is, by Chriſt, the word of his Father, or by revealing his will and word unto him, which afterwards was to be delivered by him to others, to wit, by propheticall revelation, and not by any corporall or viſible apparition.