The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Samuel — Section 71

CH.APTER III. to the trauceJ eye of the seer when in 11 state of ecstasy ; while the other, mareh, is THE CALL OF SAMUEL (vers. 1-10). Ver. a vision seen by the natural eye. From the 1.-The word of the Lord was precious in days, however, of Isaiah onward, hazon be- those days. Or rather rare; it came but came the generic term for all prophecy. seldom, and there was no proper order of Ver. 2.-Eli . . . could not see. J. e. persons from whose ranks the "speakers for clearly. His sight was fast failing him, and God" would naturally step forth. It was this Samuel, still called a child, na'ai-, but pro- which made the revelation of Jehovah's will bably, as Josephus states(' .Antiq. ,' v. 10, 4), to Samuel an event so memorable both for now fully twelve years old, was in constant the Jewish nation and for the Church; for attendance upon him because of his increas- he was called by the providence of God to ing infirmities. Both were sleeping in the be the founcler of prophecy as nn established temple ; for literally the words are, And institution, and henceforward, side by side Samuel was sleepmg in the temple oJ with the king and priest, the prophet took Jehovah, where the ai·k of Goel was. Of his pluce as one of the three• factors in the course neither Eli nor Samuel were in the preparation for the coming of him who is a holy place ; but, ns in eh. i. 9, the word King to rule, a Priest to make atonement, temple is used in its proper seuse of the whole aml also a Prophet to teach his people and palace oflsrncl's spiritual King, in which "ere guide them into all the truth. There was no chambers provided for the use of th~ ltiglt open vision. Literally, "no vision thut broke priest and th.Qse in attendalJL'e upon him. forth" (see 2 Chron. xxxi. 5, where it is In ver. 3 the lamp is mentioned as fixi;i_c: used of the publication of a decree). The the exact tiwe. Though it is said that tlw meanin" is, that though prophecy was an seven-branched candelabrum was "to burn essential cundition of the spiritual life of nlwnys" (Exod. xxvii. 20), yet this appar- 18racl, yet that hitherto it had not been ently was to be by perpetually relighting it 1>romulgak,l and established as a fact. The ('ibid. xxx. 7, 8); and as Aaron was com- gift had not absolutely been withheld, but manded to dress nnd light it every morniu~ neither had it been permanently granted as and evening, nnd supply it with oil, th~ a settled ordinance. There are in Hebrew night would be far advanced and morning two words for vision : the one used here, near before it went out. In the stillness. Aazon, refers to such sights ns are revealed then of the lnte night ~,1mucl, suu1,; in henvy l SA)!, t' liG THE FIIlST BOOK OP SA)[UJ~L. [CH. III, 1-21