One verse. Three ways to understand.
The young boy Samuel served the LORD under Eli's guidance. In those days, the word of the LORD was rare and precious; God didn't speak to people through visions very often.
This verse shows us that Samuel was faithfully serving God as a child, even during a time when God seemed quiet and wasn't speaking to people much.
These are AI-assisted adaptations, not separate Bible editions. Compare them with the KJV source and read our methodology. How these readings are made →
Read the KJV source
King James Version · EnglishAnd 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.Ask the AI Assistant
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📚 Historical Context
In the biblical narrative of 1 Samuel, this verse is set during the period of the judges in ancient Israel, a time of moral and spiritual decline before the establishment of the monarchy. Samuel, a young boy dedicated to God by his mother Hannah, was serving as an assistant to the high priest Eli at the tabernacle in Shiloh. God's word being "precious" or rare indicated a scarcity of direct divine revelations, reflecting the nation's unfaithfulness and the failures of Eli's priesthood.