I Samuel 3:2-10 · Bible study
1 Samuel 3:2-10 Commentary: Eli's Dim Eyes and Samuel's Call
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why does the narrator include Eli's fading eyesight in Samuel's call? A study connecting this detail to discernment and hearing God's voice.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God initiates contact with the young Samuel, who learns to respond in obedience, marking the beginning of a new prophetic era.
- Key words: 'lamp of God' (ner Elohim), the tabernacle candlestick; 'call' (qara), summon, commission; 'hear' (shama), listen attentively, obey.
- Main debate: Whether Eli's dim eyesight is purely literal (explaining Samuel's confusion) or also symbolic of Israel's spiritual blindness. Both readings are supported by the text.
- Theological theme: Divine initiative in revelation; the necessity of discernment; the role of spiritual mentorship.
- Best use: A guide for teaching on vocation, listening prayer, and the process of learning to recognize God's voice.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
2And at that time Eli, whose eyesight had grown so dim that he could not see, was lying in his room.
3Before the lamp of God had gone out, Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was located.
4Then the LORD called to Samuel, and he answered, “Here I am.”
5He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you have called me.” “I did not call,” Eli replied. “Go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.
6Once again the LORD called, “Samuel!” So Samuel got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you have called me.” “My son, I did not call,” Eli replied. “Go back and lie down.”
7Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, because the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.
8Once again, for the third time, the LORD called to Samuel. He got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you have called me.” Then Eli realized that it was the LORD who was calling the boy.
9“Go and lie down,” he said to Samuel, “and if He calls you, say, ‘Speak, LORD, for Your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10Then the LORD came and stood there, calling as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
2At that time, when Eli was laid down in his place (now his eyes had begun to grow dim, so that he could not see),
3and God’s lamp hadn’t yet gone out, and Samuel had laid down in Yahweh’s temple where God’s ark was,
4Yahweh called Samuel. He said, “Here I am.”
5He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; for you called me.” He said, “I didn’t call. Lie down again.” He went and lay down.
6Yahweh called yet again, “Samuel!” Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; for you called me.” He answered, “I didn’t call, my son. Lie down again.”
7Now Samuel didn’t yet know Yahweh, neither was Yahweh’s word yet revealed to him.
8Yahweh called Samuel again the third time. He arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; for you called me.” Eli perceived that Yahweh had called the child.
9Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down. It shall be, if he calls you, that you shall say, ‘Speak, Yahweh; for your servant hears.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10Yahweh came, and stood, and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak; for your servant hears.”
KJV King James Version 1769
2And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see;
3And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep;
4That the Lord called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.
5And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down.
6And the Lord called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again.
7Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him.
8And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child.
9Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
2And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place (now his eyes had begun to wax dim, so that he could not see),
3and the lamp of God was not yet gone out, and Samuel was laid down to sleep, in the temple of Jehovah, where the ark of God was;
4that Jehovah called Samuel: and he said, Here am I.
5And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down.
6And Jehovah called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again.
7Now Samuel did not yet know Jehovah, neither was the word of Jehovah yet revealed unto him.
8And Jehovah called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And Eli perceived that Jehovah had called the child.
9Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, Jehovah; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10And Jehovah came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel said, Speak; for thy servant heareth.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
2And it cometh to pass, at that time, that Eli is lying down in his place, and his eyes have begun to be dim--he is not able to see.
3And the lamp of God is not yet extinguished, and Samuel is lying down in the temple of Jehovah, where the ark of God is ,
4and Jehovah calleth unto Samuel, and he saith, `Here am I.'
5And he runneth unto Eli, and saith, `Here am I, for thou hast called for me;' and he saith, `I called not; turn back, lie down;' and he goeth and lieth down.
6And Jehovah addeth to call again Samuel, and Samuel riseth and goeth unto Eli, and saith, `Here am I, for thou hast called for me;' and he saith, `I have not called, my son, turn back, lie down.'
7And Samuel hath not yet known Jehovah, and the word of Jehovah is not yet revealed unto him.
8And Jehovah addeth to call Samuel the third time, and he riseth and goeth unto Eli, and saith, `Here am I, for thou hast called for me;' and Eli understandeth that Jehovah is calling to the youth.
9And Eli saith to Samuel, `Go, lie down, and it hath been, if He doth call unto thee, that thou hast said, Speak, Jehovah, for Thy servant is hearing;' and Samuel goeth and lieth down in his place.
10And Jehovah cometh, and stationeth Himself, and calleth as time by time, `Samuel, Samuel;' and Samuel saith, `Speak, for Thy servant is hearing.'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
2And it came to pass at that time, when Eli lay in his place (now his eyes began to grow dim, he could not see),
3and the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel lay in the temple of Jehovah, where the ark of God was,
4that Jehovah called to Samuel. And he said, Here am I.
5And he ran to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I did not call: lie down again. And he went and lay down.
6And Jehovah called again, Samuel! And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I did not call, my son: lie down again.
7Now Samuel did not yet know Jehovah, neither had the word of Jehovah yet been revealed to him.
8And Jehovah called again the third time, Samuel! And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And Eli perceived that Jehovah was calling the boy.
9And Eli said to Samuel, Go, lie down; and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, Jehovah, for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10And Jehovah came, and stood, and called as at the other times, Samuel, Samuel! And Samuel said, Speak, for thy servant heareth.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
2And it came to pass one day when Heli lay in his place, and his eyes were grown dim, that he could not see:
3Before the lamp of God went out, Samuel slept in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was.
4And the Lord called Samuel. And he answered: Here am I.
5And he ran to Heli, and said: Here am I: for thou didst call me. He said: I did not call: go back and sleep. And he went and slept.
6And the Lord called Samuel again. And Samuel arose and went to Heli, and said: Here am I: for thou calledst me. He answered: I did not call thee, my son: return and sleep.
7Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither had the word of the Lord been revealed to him.
8And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose up and went to Heli,
9And said: Here am I: for thou didst call me. Then Heli understood that the Lord called the child, and he said to Samuel: Go, and sleep: and if he shall call thee any more, thou shalt say: Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went, and slept in his place.
10And the Lord came, and stood, and he called, as he had called the other times, Samuel, Samuel. And Samuel said: Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · I Samuel 3:2
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this passage records God's first prophetic call to Samuel, set just before dawn when the tabernacle lamps were to be extinguished (Gill, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown). Barnes notes that Eli's dim eyesight is the literal reason Samuel ran to him, a blind, elderly man likely needed help during the night. Keil and Delitzsch emphasize that the Lord's coming and standing (v.10) shows an objective, personal presence rather than a mere dream. Samuel 'did not yet know the Lord' in the sense of receiving prophetic revelation (Wesley, Gill), which explains his confusion. Eli's eventual perception (v.8) and instruction (v.9) shape Samuel's response: 'Speak, for your servant hears.' All sources agree the call is audible, divine, and marks the beginning of Samuel's prophetic office.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Eli's dim eyesight as literal detail: Explains Samuel's actions; supported by Barnes and Gill who connect it to Eli's age and need for help.
- Eli's dim eyesight as symbolic of spiritual blindness: Context of Eli's failure to restrain his sons and the rarity of visions; narrative contrast with Samuel's newfound sight.
What is clear: That God initiated a genuine, personal call to Samuel, and Samuel responded with obedience after receiving guidance from Eli.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Eli's dim eyesight | It is a literal detail that explains why Samuel thought Eli had called him, an old blind man would need assistance. | Some see it also as a symbol of the spiritual blindness of Eli's house and the nation. Others restrict it to the narrative's realistic setting. |
| Nature of the divine call | The call was an objective, audible revelation from God, not a dream or subjective impression. Barnes and Keil emphasize the personal presence in v.10. | A minority tradition interprets the call as an inner voice or prophetic intuition rather than an external sound, though most ancient and modern commentators affirm an audible voice. |
| Samuel's age and awareness | Samuel was a child serving in the tabernacle, unfamiliar with direct prophetic revelation (v.7). | The exact age is unspecified; Josephus says twelve, but the text only calls him a 'lad' (na'ar). This affects how we read the 'innocence' of his responses. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The setting is the sanctuary at Shiloh, where the tabernacle housed the ark of the covenant. By Samuel's day, the tabernacle was often called the 'temple' (heikhal, v.3), though it remained a tent structure. Eli, now very old (98 years according to 1 Samuel 4:15), served as high priest. His eyes had grown so dim he could not see, a detail that echoes other aging patriarchs like Isaac and Jacob (Genesis 27:1, 48:10) and points to physical decline.
The 'lamp of God' refers to the seven-branched candlestick that burned from evening to morning (Exodus 27:20). Gill and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown note that its light would go out at sunrise, so v.3 places the scene in the last hours of darkness. This was the time of deepest night, just before dawn, when even the sanctuary's perpetual light was nearly spent.
Samuel served as a boy ministering before Eli (1 Samuel 3:1). According to Josephus (cited by Cambridge Bible), Samuel was about twelve years old, the age at which a Jewish boy became responsible for the law. But verse 7 makes clear that he had never yet experienced a direct revelation from God: the word of the Lord was rare in those days, and visions were not widespread (v.1). This spiritual drought makes the call all the more significant.
Eli's sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were corrupt priests (1 Samuel 2:22). Their sins and Eli's failure to restrain them had brought divine judgment. Into this crumbling religious establishment, God begins a new work through a child.
Textual Notes
The consulted commentaries note no significant textual variants in 1 Samuel 3:2-10. The passage is consistent across Hebrew manuscripts and ancient versions, including the Septuagint and Vulgate. A minor difference appears in the Greek Old Testament (LXX), which adds 'again' at v.4, but this does not affect the meaning. The Hebrew text is well preserved.
Reception History
This passage has been treasured in Christian tradition as a paradigm for how God calls His servants, often through patient repetition and with the help of spiritual mentors. The response 'Speak, for your servant hears' appears in many prayer books as a model for listening to God. Early church writers such as Origen used the story to illustrate the stages of spiritual growth: from ignorance to recognition to willing service. During the Reformation, it was cited to emphasize the primacy of Scripture over human tradition, God's word breaks through where religious structures have grown dim. In modern liturgical use, it is often read on the feast of the Epiphany (the calling of nations) and in services for baptism and confirmation, highlighting God's call to all ages.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Setting: Spiritual Darkness and Dim Sight. Eli's physical blindness mirrors the rare visions and moral failure in Israel. The lamp burning low signals that the old order is ending.
- The Mistake: Misunderstanding the Voice. Samuel assumes the call is from Eli. He runs to a human source because he does not yet know how to recognize God.
- The Response: Learning to Listen. Eli finally discerns the truth and teaches Samuel a posture of openness: 'Speak, for your servant hears.' Samuel obeys, and God speaks.
Five-point outline
- Night: The time of waiting. The lamp has not yet gone out, there is still light, but it is fading.
- Mistaking: Samuel confuses the divine voice for a human one. He runs to Eli three times, faithful but mistaken.
- Persistence: God calls again and again. He is not put off by our confusion.
- Guidance: Eli, flawed yet perceptive, provides the key: a simple instruction to listen and respond.
- Surrender: Samuel says, 'Speak, for your servant hears.' He submits to whatever God will say, even though the message will be hard (v.11-14).
Illustration hooks
- A child waking a parent at night. A young child hears a noise, assumes it is Dad calling, and runs to the parent's room. The parent gently tells them what to do next time, a model of learning through relationship.
- A junior employee checking with the boss. New hires often over-ask for confirmation. Over time, they learn the boss's tone and expectations. Samuel needed practice to distinguish the Lord's voice from his duties to Eli.
- A student tuning a radio. At first the signal is weak and full of static. With the right guidance (the teacher's help), the student learns to dial in the clear frequency. Samuel needed Eli's help to 'tune' his response.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How can I tell if God is speaking to me or if it's just my own thoughts?
- Why does it seem easier for people in the Bible to hear God than it is for me?
- What do I do when I'm confused about God's leading? Who can help me discern like Eli helped Samuel?
Leading a Discussion
This passage offers a close look at how God speaks and how we learn to listen. Samuel did not recognize the voice at first, he needed time, repetition, and a guide. As a group, we will walk through the text, notice the details, and ask what it means for our own spiritual hearing.
Discussion questions
- Observation: What time of day is it? What do we learn about the physical setting from verses 2-3? (Consider the lamp, the ark, and where each person is lying.)
- Observation: How many times does the Lord call Samuel before Eli understands what is happening? What does Samuel do each time?
- Interpretation: Why does the narrator tell us that 'Samuel did not yet know the Lord' (v.7)? In what sense did he not know Him?
- Interpretation: How does Eli's response change from the first call to the third? What does he finally perceive, and what does he teach Samuel?
- Interpretation: Compare the first three calls (vv.4-8) with the fourth (v.10). What is different about the Lord's action in v.10? What effect does this have on Samuel?
- Application: Have you ever mistaken a human voice or circumstance for God's leading? What helped you sort out the confusion?
- Application: Who has been an 'Eli' in your life, someone who helped you learn to listen to God? How can you become that person for someone else?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 27:1 | When Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his elder son, and said to him, “My son?” He said to him, “Here I am.” |
| Genesis 48:10 | Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he couldn’t see well. Joseph brought them near to him; and he kissed them, and embraced them. |
| Genesis 48:19 | His father refused, and said, “I know, my son, I know. He also will become a people, and he also will be great. However, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his offspring will become a multitude of nations.” |
| I Samuel 2:22 | Now Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons did to all Israel, and how that they slept with the women who served at the door of the Tent of Meeting. |
| I Samuel 4:15 | Now Eli was ninety-eight years old. His eyes were set, so that he could not see. |
| Psalms 90:10 | The days of our years are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty years; yet their pride is but labor and sorrow, for it passes quickly, and we fly away. |
| Ecclesiastes 12:3 | in the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those who look out of the windows are darkened, |
| Exodus 27:20 | “You shall command the children of Israel, that they bring to you pure olive oil beaten for the light, to cause a lamp to burn continually. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke pictures the scene as a practical domestic arrangement: Samuel and Eli lay in apartments near the tabernacle, and the Lord’s voice likely came from the holy place nearby. He explains that “the lamp of God” was still burning before sunrise, and Samuel had never received a direct revelation before. The phrase “Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth” was the standard prophetic response when God gave special communication.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes insists the passage describes a distinct personal divine presence, not a mere voice or inward impression. He notes that Eli's blindness explains why Samuel thought the old man had called him, and that "did not yet know the Lord" refers specifically to unfamiliarity with supernatural revelation.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentary emphasizes that God's word was rare in that era, with no publicly acknowledged prophet. It notes the specific timing shortly before daybreak, when the sanctuary lamp still burned, and explains Samuel mistook the divine call for Eli because the aged priest's dim eyesight led the boy to expect his summons.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill emphasizes the transition of prophecy from Eli to Samuel. Eli's dim eyes, both physical and spiritual, show the Spirit departing from him. Samuel, too young and inexperienced to recognize direct revelation, mistakes God's voice for Eli's repeated calls, until Eli finally understands and instructs the boy how to respond.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch stress that God's word grew rare in Israel because revelation requires human readiness. Unbelief and disobedience could restrain God's promise to send prophets, and He might withdraw His word to punish idolatry. When the priesthood was deeply corrupt, God called Samuel in an objective, not dreamlike, encounter.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry draws a sharp contrast: while Eli's grown sons rebelled against the Lord, the child Samuel faithfully served Him. The boy's obedience shamed the older men, highlighting how genuine devotion can outshine those in higher positions.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes that Samuel's ignorance of God's prophetic voice was by design, so his simple honesty would give Eli firm assurance of the message's truth. The voice first spoke from a distance at the holy oracle, then came near to Samuel, removing all further confusion.