1 Kings 3:1
Now the child Samuel ministered to the Lord before Heli, and the word of the Lord was precious in those days, there was no manifest vision.
The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Puer autem Samuel ministrabat Domino coram Heli, et sermo Domini erat pretiosus in diebus illis : non erat visio manifesta.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- Καὶ τὸ παιδάριον Σαμουὴλ ἦν λειτουργῶν τῷ κυρίῳ ἐνώπιον Ἠλεὶ τοῦ ἱερέως· καὶ ῥῆμα Κυρίου ἦν τίμιον ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις, οὐκ ἦν ὅρασις διαστέλλουσα.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- וְהַנַּ֧עַר שְׁמוּאֵ֛ל מְשָׁרֵ֥ת אֶת יְהוָ֖ה לִפְנֵ֣י עֵלִ֑י וּדְבַר יְהוָ֗ה הָיָ֤ה יָקָר֙ בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֔ם אֵ֥ין חָז֖וֹן נִפְרָֽץ
Haydock's commentary
Before. Chaldean, "in the days of Heli." The young Levite slept in an adjoining chamber, to wait on the high priest, not far from the sanctuary.
Precious; that is, rare: (Challoner) as such things are generally more esteemed, (Haydock) which are granted to few. (Worthington)
Some prophets had appeared under the former judges: but they were not so common as they were from the days of Samuel, till a little after the captivity. St. Peter ranks Samuel in the first place, Acts iii. 24. (Calmet)
Vision. No prophet was publicly recognized, to whom the people might have recourse. (Menochius)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St Ignatius of Antioch Epistle to the Magnesians: Shorter and, Chapter III. Honour your youthful
Now it becomes you also not to despise the age of your bishop, but to yield him all reverence, according to the will of God the Father, as I have known even holy presbyters do, not having regard to the manifest youth [of their bishop], but to his knowledge in God; inasmuch as “not the ancient are [necessarily] wise, nor do the aged understand prudence; but there is a spirit in men.” For Daniel the wise, at twelve years of age, became possessed of the divine Spirit, and convicted the elders, who in vain carried their grey hairs, of being false accusers, and of lusting after the beauty of another man’s wife. Samuel also, when he was but a little child, reproved Eli, who was ninety years old, for giving honour to his sons rather than to God. …
St John Chrysostom The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-3
And again to Jeremiah, who suffered less from the commandments of God, but more from their wickedness, what does He say? “Seest thou not what these do?” ( Jer. vii. 17 .) “Yea,” he says, “they do so, but do Thou do it for my sake.” On this account He says to him, “Though Moses and Samuel stood.” Their first lawgiver, who often delivered them from dangers, who had said, “If now thou forgivest their sins, forgive it; but if not, blot me out also.” ( Ex. xxxii. 32 , Sept.) If therefore he were now alive, and spoke thus, he would not have prevailed, nor would Samuel, again, who himself also delivered them, and who from his earliest youth was admired. For to the former indeed I said, that I conversed with him as a friend with a friend, and not by dark sayings. …