1 Samuel 2:18

1 Samuel 2:18 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But Samuel ministered before the Lord, being a child, girded with a linen ephod.
• New International Version (NIV)But Samuel was ministering before the Lord—a boy wearing a linen ephod.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Samuel was ministering before the Lord, a boy clothed with a linen ephod.
• New King James Version (NKJV)But Samuel ministered before the Lord, even as a child, wearing a linen ephod.

Context of 1 Samuel 2:18

16Sometimes, the person said, ‘We must burn the fat first. Then you can take any meat that you want.’ The servant would reply, ‘No. Give the meat to me now, or I will take it from you anyway.’ 17The Lord knew what Eli's sons were doing. They did not respect the sacrifices that people were offering to the Lord. The Lord saw that their sin was very bad. But Samuel served the Lord faithfully, as a young boy. He wore a linen ephod. 19Every year, Samuel's mother made a little coat for him. She took it to him when she went to Shiloh. She and her husband went there every year to offer their sacrifice to God. 20Each year, Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife. He said, ‘I pray that the Lord will give you more children to take the place of Samuel. Hannah has given her son to serve the Lord, so may she give birth to other children too.’ Then they would return to their own home.

1 Samuel 2:18 word by word

וּשְׁמוּאֵ֕ל מְשָׁרֵ֖ת אֶת־פְּנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה נַ֕עַר חָג֖וּר אֵפ֥וֹד בָּֽד׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• But Samuelשְׁמוּאֵלshemû'êl · SamuelH8050
• ministeredשָׁרַתshârath · to ministerH8334
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• a childנַ֫עַרna‛ar · youthH5288
• girdedחָגַרchâgar · to girdH2296
• with a linenבַּדbad · linenH906
• ephodאֵפוֹד'êphôd 'êphôd · ephodH646

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 2:18

• 1 Samuel 2:11Then Elkanah went back to his home at Ramah with his family. But the young boy, Samuel, stayed in Shiloh. He served the Lord there, while Eli the priest took care of him.
• 1 Samuel 3:1The boy Samuel continued to serve the Lord. Eli the priest taught him what to do. In those days, the Lord did not often give his messages to people. He did not often show things to them in visions.
• 1 Samuel 22:18So the king said to Doeg, ‘You must kill the priests.’ So Doeg, the man from Edom, killed the priests that same day. He killed 85 priests who wore linen ephods.
• Exodus 28:4These are the clothes that they must make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a long shirt, a linen hat, and a long belt of cloth. They must make these special clothes for your brother Aaron and for his sons. Then Aaron and his sons will serve me as my priests.
• Leviticus 8:7Moses put a shirt on Aaron and he tied a belt round Aaron. He put a robe and an ephod on him. He tied the ephod with its special belt.
• 2 Samuel 6:14David was wearing a linen ephod. He danced with all his strength to worship the Lord.

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 2:18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18Girded with a linen ephod - This the Targum translates דבוץ כרדוט אסיר asir cardut debuts, "Girded with a cardit of byssus, or fine linen." The word cardut they seem to have borrowed from the Greek , a tunic, having , i.e., sleeves that came down to, or covered, the hands. This was esteemed an effeminate garment among the Romans. See Buxtorf's Talmudic Lexicon.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18Girded with a linen ephod - This was the usual dress of the priests. It does not appear whether Levites wore an ephod properly. Possibly it was a mark of Samuel‘s special dedication to the Lord‘s service that he wore one. (See the marginal reference). The ephod was sometimes used as an idolatrous implement Judges 8:27.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-26Verses 11-26 Samuel, being devoted to the Lord in a special manner, was from a child employed about the sanctuary in the services he was capable of. As he did this with a pious disposition of mind, it was called ministering unto the Lord. He received a blessing from the Lord. Those young people who serve God as well as they can, he will enable to improve, that they may serve him better. Eli shunned trouble and exertion. This led him to indulge his…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 18The phrase Samuel served the Lord refers to the religious duties of Levites and priests (see, for example, Numbers 3:4; 8:19, 24; Deuteronomy 18:7). Samuel, like Eli's sons, was a Levite (see study note on 1 Samuel 1:1). However, unlike Eli's sons, Samuel performed his duties well. He wore a linen garment similar to what priests wore when serving in the sanctuary (see study note on 1 Samuel 22:18).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1818. But Samuel ministered before the Lord, being a child--This notice of his early services in the outer courts of the tabernacle was made to pave the way for the remarkable prophecy regarding the high priest's family. girded with a linen ephod--A small shoulder-garment or apron, used in the sacred service by the inferior priests and Levites; sometimes also by judges or eminent persons, and hence allowed to Samuel, who, though not a Levite, was devoted to…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 2:18

• Children
• Ephod
• Hannah
• Hophni
• Samuel

In the dictionaries

• Samuel
• Crouch
• Custom
• Dunghill
• Dust
• Ephod
• Esteem
• Fleshhook
• Hannah
• Hire

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings