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Scriptural Text [& Editorial]
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Commentary & Explanation
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Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
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CHAPTER 4
The Lord calls Samuel—House of Eli not purged by sacrifices and
offerings—Samuel recognized as a prophet by all Israel—The Lord
appears to him.
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1 AND the child Samuel
ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in
those days; there was no open avision.
2 And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was
laid down in his place, and his aeyes began to wax dim,
that he could not see;
3 And ere the alamp of God went out
in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was
laid down to sleep;
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4 That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.
5 And 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.
6 And 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.
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7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him.
8 And 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.
9 Therefore 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.
10 And the LORD came, and astood,
and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak;
for thy bservant heareth.
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11 ¶ And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will
do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it
shall atingle.
12 In that day I will perform
aagainst Eli all things which I have spoken
concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end.
13 For I have told him that I will
ajudge his house for ever for the iniquity which he
knoweth; because his bsons made themselves vile, and he
crestrained them not.
14 And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli,
that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor
offering for evera.
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14a the iniquity of Eli's house shall not
be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever This is a strong
pronouncement, to place one outside of the mercy, repentance and redemption of
the Lord. What great blasphmy might the sons of Eli performed that they would
not be forgiven forever? Only such as the sin against the Holy Ghost bears
such a strong judgment. This seems to be more than immoratlity and more than
even mishandling the sacrificial offering, as great as that might be in the
eyes of the Lord. And it brings us back to such as the blasphmy of speaking
as God when one knows that they are NOT speaking as God to the people and to
the end of leading Israel to the end of destroying a tribe out of the tribes
of Israel, such as that which lead Israel in the name of God falsely against
Benjamin to the end of the tribe of Benjamin's destruction. In my opinion this
is the sins of the sons of Eli which warranted their names being blotted out
of the Book of Life as previously explained.
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15 ¶ And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened
the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel afeared to
shew Eli the vision.
16 Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here am I.
17 And he said, What is the thing that the LORD hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that he said unto thee.
18 And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good.
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19 ¶ And Samuel agrew, and the
bLORD was cwith him, and did let none of
his words dfall to the ground.
20 And all Israel from Dan even to Beer-sheba knew
that Samuel was aestablished to be a prophet
of the LORD.
21 And the LORD aappeared again in
bShiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh
by the cword of the LORD.
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