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 vision.

1 SAMUEL 3:1KJV
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1 Samuel 3:1 (KJV)

What does 1 Samuel 3:1 mean?

1 Samuel 3:1 describes how the young Samuel served God under Eli’s supervision at a time when messages from God were rare and clear visions were not happening. The verse highlights both Samuel’s faithful service and the spiritual dryness of that period in Israel’s history.

This verse is set in the early years of Samuel’s life, while he was living at the tabernacle in Shiloh under the priest Eli. The statement that “the word of the LORD was precious” means that God was not speaking often to His people, and “there was no open vision” means that public, clear revelations from God were not happening. This sets the stage for the importance of Samuel’s later calling.

The Hebrew behind 1 Samuel 3:1

  • “precious” (יָקָר, yaqar) means rare or valuable. Here, it emphasizes that God’s direct communication was uncommon, making any word from Him especially significant.
  • “open” (פָּרַץ, parats) carries the idea of something being widespread or breaking out. The verse says there was no “open vision,” meaning prophetic visions were not happening in a public or frequent way.
  • “vision” (חָזוֹן, chazon) refers to a prophetic revelation or message from God. The lack of “chazon” shows that God was not revealing His will through prophets at this time.

Why 1 Samuel 3:1 matters

  • This verse helps readers understand the spiritual climate of Israel before Samuel’s prophetic ministry began—God’s guidance was not readily available, and people were not receiving new messages from Him.
  • The verse sets up the significance of Samuel’s later experiences, showing that his calling and the messages he would receive from God would be something new and important for Israel.
  • By mentioning Samuel’s service “before Eli,” the verse connects Samuel’s faithfulness to the transition from Eli’s leadership to Samuel’s role as a prophet.

Where else these words appear

“Eli” Hebrew H5941 · used in 30 verses

  • 1 Samuel 1:3 And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, were there.
  • 1 Samuel 2:20 And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, The LORD give thee seed of this woman for the loan which is lent to the LORD. And they went unto their own home.
  • 1 Samuel 3:15 And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision.

“vision” Hebrew H2377 · used in 34 verses

  • 1 Chronicles 17:15 According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.
  • Ezekiel 12:22 Son of man, what is that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth?
  • Daniel 8:26 And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days.

“precious” Hebrew H3368 · used in 36 verses

  • 2 Samuel 12:30 And he took their king's crown from off his head, the weight whereof was a talent of gold with the precious stones: and it was set on David's head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city in great abundance.
  • 2 Chronicles 9:1 And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to prove Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem, with a very great company, and camels that bare spices, and gold in abundance, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.
  • Proverbs 6:26 For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.

“open” Hebrew H6555 · used in 48 verses

  • Genesis 28:14 And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
  • 1 Chronicles 4:38 These mentioned by their names were princes in their families: and the house of their fathers increased greatly.
  • Job 1:10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.