What is the meaning of 1 Samuel 3:2?

And at that time

“In those days the word of the LORD was rare; visions were scarce” (1 Samuel 3:1). That backdrop matters:

• Israel was living with minimal prophetic direction, recalling the chaotic climate of Judges 21:25.

• God’s silence highlights the significance of what He is about to do through young Samuel.

• The phrase anchors the story in real history—this is not myth but an exact moment when God chose to break the silence.

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Eli

Eli is the elderly high priest and judge (1 Samuel 4:18).

• He has served faithfully for years, yet he has tolerated the sin of his sons (1 Samuel 2:12, 22–25).

• His mixed legacy parallels leaders like Gideon, who finished less brightly than they began (Judges 8:27).

• God had already warned him through a prophet (1 Samuel 2:27–36), so every detail of his life here foreshadows coming judgment.

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whose eyesight had grown so dim that he could not see

The statement is literal—Eli’s physical eyes are failing with age, much like Isaac’s before he blessed Jacob (Genesis 27:1).

• Scripture often links physical blindness with diminished discernment; Jesus later rebukes the Pharisees as “blind guides” (Matthew 23:16).

• Yet the narrative never denies the literal fact: Eli simply cannot see. This tangible weakness mirrors his declining spiritual perception of Israel’s condition (1 Samuel 2:29).

• By contrast, “Moses was 120 years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak” (Deuteronomy 34:7), underscoring how obedience can preserve both vision and insight.

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was lying in his room

• It is nighttime in the tabernacle area; Samuel sleeps near the ark “before the lamp of God had gone out” (1 Samuel 3:3).

• Eli’s position shows routine—he is off-duty and unaware—just as Samson slept before losing strength (Judges 16:19).

• God often chooses quiet, ordinary settings to speak, whether to Samuel here or to Joseph in a dream (Matthew 1:20).

• Eli’s lying down contrasts with the LORD’s active word that will soon stand Samuel on his feet (1 Samuel 3:10).

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summary

Every phrase in 1 Samuel 3:2 is precise and purposeful. In a time when revelation was scarce, an aging priest with fading sight rests in darkness, embodying Israel’s spiritual drift. God will pierce that darkness by calling Samuel, proving once again that His word is living, literal, and unstoppable.