The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Samuel — Section 45

EXPOSITION. SAMUEL'S MINISTRATIONS AT SHILOH But neither does custom. give the sense; for {vers. 11-21). Ver. 11.-The child did the Heh. has not priest's (sing.) as the A. V., minister; Left by his parents at Shiloh, but of the prii!$ts, of all priests generally, and Samuel ministered unto the Lord ; that is, not of Eli merely anJ. his sons. The right certain duties were allotted him to perform translation is that given by the Sept., Syriac, suited to his age; but few at first, when he was and Chaldee, namely, "the due of the priests but three years old, but increasing in import- from the people," on which see Lev. vii. ance as time went on ; for the words refer to 31-35. In the original this is put absolutely the whole period of his service, until Eli's " And as to the priests' due from the people, death. At first Samuel would be butascholar, when," &c., but our language requires some for, as we have mentioned on eh. i. 21, there insertion to make it read more smoothly. were, no doubt, regulations for the training " And as to the due of the priests from the of children devoted to the service of the sanc- people, the manner of its exaction was as tuary. The peculiarity about Samuel ,vas follows : When," &c. But besides the due that he was devoted for life, for possibly it and legal portion, which, nevertheless, they was a not Ullcommon practice .for young :per- took in an illegal way, they demanded e. sons to receive some training at Shiloh; JUst part of the flesh reserved for the feast of as we find that Samuel himself.subsequently the offerer, aml to which they bad abso- gathered youths round him at Naioth in lutely no right (sec Lev. viii. 31 ; 2 Chron. Ramah for educational purposes. Learning XXXV. 13). practically .wa·~ confined to the priesthood, The legal ,lue of the priest was the right and we can scarcely imagine that the know- shoulder and the wave breast; but before he ledge which Phinehas and the family of took them they were to be consecrated to Aaron brought 1Vith them out .of Egypt God by the burning of the fat upon the altar would be allowed to perish. Samuel certainly (Lev. iii. 5; vii. 31, 34). It is worth observing had himself received careful instruction (see that the people seem well acquainted "'ith on eh. x. 25), and this could scarcely have the words. of the Law, and are indignant happened if. the training of young persons because the priests, its proper guardians, do had not been part of the priests' duties at not abide literally by them. This contempt Shiloh. This then explains why Samuel of the Law distressed their religious suscep- .was brought to Eli at so tender an age, and tibilites, while the cupidity of Eli's sons why the charge of so young a child wns offended their moral nature. Alld so men undertaken without a murmur. Before Eli e.bhorred. the olf'ering of Jehove.h. Lit. it means under his general supe,rintendence. is the minchah, the unbloody sncrifice, or Everything done at Shiloh was done before meat offering, but it is put he.re for every Eli, as being the chief ruler there. kind of sacrificial offering. Ver. 12.-Nowthe sons of Eli were sons Ver. 18.-But Samuel ministered. ""hile of Belia}, i. e. worthless men (see on eh. the misconduct of Eli's sons was thus bring- i. 16). They knew not lehovah. He had ing religion into contempt, and sapping the never been revealed to their consciences, nation's morals, Samuel was advancing in and so his fear had no influence upon their years and piety, and was gaining that educa- lives. The next words, in ver. 13, are diffi- tion which made him fit to retrieve the evil cult, but lit. mean, "The legal right of the of their doings. He is still styled na'ar, ll priests towards, or as respects, the people." boy ; for the word, according to the Rabbins, On this account the Vulgato and several com- may be used up to fifteen years (eh. i. 24). mentators couple the sentence with what pre- In the sense of servant there is no limit of cedes: "they knew neither Jehovah, nor their age; and as it is the word translated "young own legal rights." But tho word also in ver. men" in ver. 17, it prolmbly means there 15 is incompatible with this rendcl'ing; for if not Eli's sons, bn t tho serv,mts by whose what is mentioned there bo illegal, so must instrumentality tl,cit· orders were actually also the practice be which is recorded here. carried out. Samuel's dress, an ephou of 4.G THE FrnST 1300K 01'' SAMUEL. [(JR. II. 11-26.