1 Samuel 3:18

18 And Samuel showed to him all the words, and hid not (anything) from him. And Eli answered, He is the Lord; do he that, that is good in his eyes.

1 Samuel 3:18 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 3:18

And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him
And so approved himself to be a faithful prophet of God, and man of God, as he is afterwards called; the whole counsel of God is to be declared by his servants the prophets, and the ministers of his word; nothing is to be concealed, which it is the will of God should be made known, whether it be pleasing or displeasing to man:

and he said, it is the Lord;
that has said it, and there is nothing to be said against it, and that will do it; and there is no resisting him: or "the Lord is he" F23; who has a sovereign right to all his creatures, and may dispose of them as he pleases; he is all wise, and does all things well; he is holy and righteous in all his ways and works, and there is no unrighteousness in him; he is faithful to his word, whether in a way of promise or threatening; and all he does to his people is in love, mercy, and kindness:

let him do what seemeth him good;
not what seems good to men, or is so in their esteem, but what seems good to the Lord, who knows what is best for his people, and can do nothing but what is good; all is good he does; there is nothing but goodness in him, and nothing but goodness comes from him; he does good, and nothing else, and even when he afflicts his people; all he does is well done in creation, providence, and grace: and Eli's desire is, that he would fulfil the good pleasure of his will; he appears to be in an excellent temper, not surly and morose, taking it ill that such a message should be sent him by a child; nor was he unaffected with the case of his family, but humbly submitted to the will of God, and acquiesces in it as good, and neither arraigns his justice, nor murmurs at his providences.


FOOTNOTES:

F23 (awh hwhy) (kuriov autov) , Sept. "Dominus ipse", Montanus.

1 Samuel 3:18 In-Context

16 Therefore Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered and said, I am ready (And he answered, I am here).
17 And Eli asked him, What is the word that the Lord hath spoken to thee? I pray thee, hide it not from me; God do to thee these things, and increase these things, if thou hidest from me a word of all [the] words that be said to thee.
18 And Samuel showed to him all the words, and hid not (anything) from him. And Eli answered, He is the Lord; do he that, that is good in his eyes.
19 Forsooth Samuel increased (And so Samuel grew up), and the Lord was with him, and none of all his words felled into [the] earth, that is, (were) in vain, for all was (ful)filled.
20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew, that faithful Samuel was a prophet of the Lord. (And all Israel knew, from Dan to Beersheba, that truly Samuel was a prophet of the Lord.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.