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Texts -- 1 Samuel 3:12-21 (NET)

Context
3:12 On that day I will carry out against Eli everything that I spoke about his house – from start to finish ! 3:13 You should tell him that I am about to judge his house forever because of the sin that he knew about. For his sons were cursing God, and he did not rebuke them. 3:14 Therefore I swore an oath to the house of Eli , ‘The sin of the house of Eli can never be forgiven by sacrifice or by grain offering .’” 3:15 So Samuel lay down until morning . Then he opened the doors of the Lord’s house . But Samuel was afraid to tell Eli about the vision . 3:16 However, Eli called Samuel and said , “Samuel , my son !” He replied , “Here I am.” 3:17 Eli said , “What message did he speak to you? Don’t conceal it from me. God will judge you severely if you conceal from me anything that he said to you!” 3:18 So Samuel told him everything . He did not hold back anything from him. Eli said , “The Lord will do what he pleases .” 3:19 Samuel continued to grow , and the Lord was with him. None of his prophecies fell to the ground unfulfilled . 3:20 All Israel from Dan to Beer Sheba realized that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the Lord . 3:21 Then the Lord again appeared in Shiloh , for it was in Shiloh that the Lord had revealed himself to Samuel through the word of the Lord .

Pericope

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Bible Dictionary

  • Samuel

    [ebd] heard of God. The peculiar circumstances connected with his birth are recorded in 1 Sam. 1:20. Hannah, one of the two wives of Elkanah, who came up to Shiloh to worship before the Lord, earnestly prayed to God that she might...
    [smith] was the son of Elkanah and Hannah, and was born at Ramathaim-zophim, among the hills of Ephraim. [RAMAH No. 2] (B.C. 1171.) Before his birth he was dedicated by his mother to the office of a Nazarite and when a young child, 1...
    [nave] SAMUEL Miraculous birth of, 1 Sam. 1:7-20. Consecrated to God before his birth, 1 Sam. 1:11, 22, 24-28. His mother's song of thanksgiving, 1 Sam. 2:1-10. Ministered in the house of God, 1 Sam. 2:11, 18, 19. Blessed of Go...

  • Eli

    [ebd] ascent, the high priest when the ark was at Shiloh (1 Sam. 1:3, 9). He was the first of the line of Ithamar, Aaron's fourth son (1 Chr. 24:3; comp. 2 Sam. 8:17), who held that office. The office remained in his family till t...
    [smith] (ascension), a descendant of Aaron through Ithamar, the youngest of his two surviving sons. (Leviticus 10:1,2,12) comp. 1Kin 2:27 with 2Sam 8:17; 1Chr 24:3 (B.C. 1214-1116.) he was the first of the line of Ithamar who held th...
    [nave] ELI High priest, 1 Sam. 1:25; 2:11; 1 Kin. 2:27. Judge of Israel, 1 Sam. 4:18. Misjudges and rebukes Haah, 1 Sam. 1:14. His benediction upon Haah, 1 Sam. 1:17, 18; 2:20. Officiates when Samuel is presented at the taberna...

  • Israel

    [nave] ISRAEL 1. A name given to Jacob, Gen. 32:24-32; 2 Kin. 17:34; Hos. 12:3, 4. 2. A name of the Christ in prophecy, Isa. 49:3. 3. A name given to the descendants of Jacob, a nation. Called also Israelites, and Hebrews, Gen. 4...

  • Religion

    [nave] RELIGION. False Deut. 32:31-33. See: Idolatry; Intolerance; Teachers, False. Family See: Family. National Supported by taxes, Ex. 30:11-16; 38:26. Priests supported by the State, 1 Kin. 18:19; 2 Chr. 11:13-15. Subve...

  • Children

    [nave] CHILDREN In answer to prayer: To Abraham, Gen. 15:2-5, with Gen. 21:1, 2; Isaac, Gen. 25:21; Leah, Gen. 30:17-22; Rachel, Gen. 30:22-24; Haah, 1 Sam. 1:9-20; Zacharias, Luke 1:13. Treatment of, at birth, Ezek. 16:4-6; Luke ...

  • Hophni

    [ebd] pugilist or client, one of the two sons of Eli, the high priest (1 Sam. 1:3; 2:34), who, because he was "very old," resigned to them the active duties of his office. By their scandalous conduct they brought down a curse on t...
    [smith] (pugilist) and PHINEHAS (brazen mouth), the two sons of Eli, who fulfilled their hereditary sacerdotal duties at Shiloh. Their brutal rapacity and lust, (1 Samuel 2:12-17,22) filled the people with disgust and indignation,...
    [nave] HOPHNI Son of Eli, 1 Sam. 1:3. Sin of, 1 Sam. 2:12-36; 3:11-14. Death of, 1 Sam. 4:4, 11, 17.

  • HOPHNI AND PHINEHAS

    [isbe] HOPHNI AND PHINEHAS - hof'-ni, fin'-e-as, -az (chophni, "pugilist" (?), pinechac, probably "face of brass"): Sons of Eli, priests of the sanctuary at Shiloh. Their character was wicked enough to merit the double designation ...

  • Afflictions and Adversities

    [nave] AFFLICTIONS AND ADVERSITIES. List of Sub-Topics Miscellany of Minor Sub-Topics; Unclassified Scriptures Relating to; Benefits of; Benefits of, Illustrated; Consolation in; Deliverance from; Design of; Despondency in; Dispe...

  • Wicked

    [nave] WICKED Compared with: Abominable branches, Isa. 14:19; ashes under the feet, Mal. 4:3; bad fishes, Matt. 13:48; beasts, Psa. 49:12; 2 Pet. 2:12; the blind, Zeph. 1:17; Matt. 15:14; bronze and iron, Jer. 6:28; Ezek. 22:18; br...

  • Prophets

    [nave] PROPHETS Called Seers, 1 Sam. 9:19; 2 Sam. 15:27; 24:11; 2 Kin. 17:13; 1 Chr. 9:22; 29:29; 2 Chr. 9:29; 12:15; 29:30; Isa. 30:10; Mic. 3:7. Schools of, 1 Kin. 20:35; 2 Kin. 2:3-15; 4:1, 38; 9:1. Kept the chronicles, 1 Chr....

  • Coivance

    [nave] COIVANCE. Prov. 10:10; 1 Sam. 3:11-13 See: Collusion; Complicity; Conspiracy.

  • Parents

    [nave] PARENTS Covenant benefits of, entailed on children, Gen. 6:18; Ex. 20:6; Psa. 103:17. Curses entailed, Ex. 20:5; Lev. 20:5; Isa. 14:20; Jer. 9:14; Lam. 5:7; Ezek. 16:44, 45. Involved in children's wickedness, 1 Sam. 2:27-3...

  • Unpardonable Sin

    [nave] UNPARDONABLE SIN, 2 Kin. 24:4; Matt. 12:31, 32; Luke 12:10; Heb. 6:4-6; 1 John 5:16. See: Hardness of Heart; Reprobacy. Instances of Israel, Num. 14:26-45. Eli's house, 1 Sam. 3:14.

  • Reprobacy

    [nave] REPROBACY. Gen. 6:5-7; Gen. 19:13; Deut. 28:15-68; Deut. 31:17, 18; Psa. 81:11, 12; Prov. 1:24-28; Isa. 6:9, 10; Isa. 22:12-14; Isa. 28:13; Isa. 29:9-12; Isa. 65:12; Jer. 6:30; Jer. 7:16; Jer. 15:1; Hos. 5:6; Matt. 13:14, 1...

  • Resignation

    [nave] RESIGNATION. Job 5:17; Job 34:31; Psa. 4:4; Psa. 46:10; Prov. 3:11; Prov. 18:14; Jer. 51:50; Lam. 3:39; Mic. 6:9; Matt. 6:10 Luke 11:2. Luke 21:19; Rom. 12:12; Phil. 2:14; Phil. 4:11-13; Col. 1:11; 1 Thess. 3:3; 2 Tim. 2:3;...

  • Sin

    [nave] SIN. Index of Sub-Topics Miscellany of Minor Sub-Topics; Unclassified Scriptures Relating to, Defining, and Illustrating; Confession of; Consequences of, Entailed Upon Children; Conviction of; Forgiveness of; Fruits of; Kn...

  • Imprecation

    [nave] IMPRECATION. Instances of Ruth, Ruth 1:17. Samuel, 1 Sam. 3:17. David, 2 Sam. 1:21; 3:28, 29. Shimei, 2 Sam. 16:5, 13. See: Prayer, Miscellany of Minor Sub-topics.

  • PROPHECY; PROPHETS, 1

    [isbe] PROPHECY; PROPHETS, 1 - prof'-e-si, prof'-e-si, prof'-ets: I. THE IDEA OF BIBLICAL PROPHECY 1. The Seer and Speaker of God 2. Prophetical Inspiration 3. Relation to Dreams 4. Freedom of Inspiration 5. Supernatural Visions of...

  • PRIESTS AND LEVITES

    [isbe] PRIESTS AND LEVITES - (kohen, "priest"; nothing is definitely known as to the origin of the word; Lewi, "Levite," on which see LEVI): I. DIFFERENT VIEWS OF THE HISTORY 1. The Old View 2. The Graf-Wellhausen View 3. Mediating...

  • SHILOH (2)

    [isbe] SHILOH (2) - (The most usual form is shiloh, but it appears 8 times as shilo, and 3 times as Shilow; Selo, Selom): A town in the lot of Ephraim where Israel assembled under Joshua at the close of the war of conquest (Josh 18...
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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • Statements in the Book of Samuel imply that someone who had witnessed at least some of the events recorded wrote it. However the original writer must have written most of it after Samuel's death (i.e., -1 Sam. 25-2 Sam. 24) a...
  • I. Eli and Samuel chs. 1-3A. The change from barrenness to fertility 1:1-2:101. Hannah's condition 1:1-82. Hannah's vow 1:9-183. Hannah's obedience 1:19-284. Hannah's song 2:1-10B. The contrast between Samuel and Eli's sons 2...
  • Samuel's innocence and the godlessness of Eli's sons contrast strongly in this pericope (section). Samuel would succeed and become a channel of God's blessing. Eli's sons would fail, would become a source of frustration to El...
  • In the previous paragraphs two statements about the main characters described them and framed the paragraph: they did not regard the Lord, and they despised the Lord's offerings (vv. 12, 17). Likewise in this one the writer d...
  • The rest of the chapter explains why God would put Eli's sons to death (v. 25). The specific criticism that the man of God (a prophet, cf. 9:9-10) directed against Eli and his sons was two-fold. They had not appreciated God's...
  • The Hebrew word used to describe Samuel in verse 1 (naar) elsewhere refers to a young teenager (cf. 17:33). Consequently we should probably think of a boy in his early teens as we read this section. At this time in Israel's h...
  • These verses summarize Samuel's continuing ministry as a prophet in Israel. Samuel qualified for this privilege by his faithful obedience to God's will as he knew it. God sovereignly chose Samuel for this ministry, but his di...
  • "In the short pericope 13:7b-15a obedience was the stone on which Saul stumbled; here it is the rock that crushes him."147Chapter 15 records one of the battles Saul had with the Amalekites, Israel's enemy to the south (cf. 14...
  • The writer's attention focused next on Saul's activities. He used the literary device of focusing on David, then on Saul, then on David, etc. He used the same technique in chapters 1-3 with Samuel and Eli's sons to contrast S...
  • Ackroyd, Peter R. The First Book of Samuel. Cambridge Bible Commentary on the New English Bible series. Cambridge, Eng.: University Press, 1971._____. "The Verb Love--'Aheb in the David-Jonathan Narratives--A Footnote."Vetus ...
  • This message demonstrates a structure that is quite typical of many others in the Book of Jeremiah (cf. 11:1-17; 17:19-27; 34:8-22). First there is an explanation of Yahweh's will (word, law; vv. 1-7), then a description of I...
  • 2:20 The Lord gave Haggai a second message on the same day as the previous message (v. 10), the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month (Kislev 24, December 18).2:21 Haggai was to tell Zerubbabel that Yahweh was going to shake t...
  • This section contains material unique in Luke. The only repeated statement occurs in Luke 2:39 and Matthew 2:23. Other unique features are Luke's alternating the reader's attention between John and Jesus, and the joy that sev...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

  • 1 Samuel 3:1-14The opening words of this passage are substantially repeated from 1 Samuel 2:11-18. They come as a kind of refrain, contrasting the quiet, continuous growth and holy service of the child Samuel with the black n...
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