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וְהַנַּ֧עַר שְׁמוּאֵ֛ל מְשָׁרֵ֥ת אֶת־יְהוָ֖ה לִפְנֵ֣י עֵלִ֑י וּדְבַר־יְהוָ֗ה הָיָ֤ה יָקָר֙ בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֔ם אֵ֥ין חָז֖וֹן נִפְרָֽץ׃ ס        2 וַֽיְהִי֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא וְעֵלִ֖י שֹׁכֵ֣ב בִּמְקֹמ֑וֹ וְעֵינוֹ הֵחֵ֣לּוּ כֵה֔וֹת לֹ֥א יוּכַ֖ל לִרְאֽוֹת׃ 3 וְנֵ֤ר אֱלֹהִים֙ טֶ֣רֶם יִכְבֶּ֔ה וּשְׁמוּאֵ֖ל שֹׁכֵ֑ב בְּהֵיכַ֣ל יְהוָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־שָׁ֖ם אֲר֥וֹן אֱלֹהִֽים׃ פ
4 וַיִּקְרָ֧א יְהוָ֛ה אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵ֖ל וַיֹּ֥אמֶר הִנֵּֽנִי׃ 5 וַיָּ֣רָץ אֶל־עֵלִ֗י וַיֹּ֤אמֶר הִנְנִי֙ כִּֽי־קָרָ֣אתָ לִּ֔י וַיֹּ֥אמֶר לֹֽא־קָרָ֖אתִי שׁ֣וּב שְׁכָ֑ב וַיֵּ֖לֶךְ וַיִּשְׁכָּֽב׃ ס  

Vocabulary

Verse 1

            יקר  adjective: “rare” (BDB, 429)

            חזון  noun: “vision” (BDB, 302)

            פרץ  verb (Niphal participle ms): “spread” (BDB, 829)

Syntax & Miscellaneous

•  The proper name, שְׁמוּאֵ֛ל, is in apposition to the word נער “boy.”
• The verbal construction of the first clause is periphrastic (מְשָׁרֵ֥ת Piel participle).
• The adjective, יקר, is functioning as a substantive.
• One would expect a waw to precede the final clause, אֵ֥ין חָז֖וֹן נִפְרָֽץ.  The lack of a connector, called asyndeton, can indicate an epexegetical comment explaining the previous remarks.  Answering the question: “Why was the word of the Lord rare in those days?”  Because “visions were not spread” (i.e. they were infrequent). 

Vocabulary

Verse 2

            הֵחֵ֣לּוּ  verb (Hiphil perfect 3mpl חלל): “defile, profane”

            כהה  “dim” (BDB, 462)

Verse 3

            נר  “lamp” (BDB, 632)

            טרם  “not yet” (BDB, 382)

            כבה  “extinguish” (BDB, 459)

            היכל  “temple”

Verse 4

            הִנֵּֽנִי  exclamation (הנה + 1cs pronoun) : “Here am I”

Verse 5

            רוץ  verb (Qal waw-consecutive imperfect 3ms): “run”

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 2

• The waw in the second clause should be understood as continuative from the previous phrase, “that.”
• The clause, וְעֵלִ֖י שֹׁכֵ֣ב בִּמְקֹמ֑וֹ, is periphrastic.
• The Kethib reads a singular subject with a plural verb: “His eye (were defiled);” whereas, the Qere reads a plural subject and verb: וְעֵינָיו֙ “His eyes were defiled.”
• The final clause exhibits asyndeton indicating an epexegetical (explanative) remark.

Verse 3

• The first clause begins with a disjunctive waw (waw plus non-verb).
• The relative particle, אֲשֶׁר, plus שָׁ֖ם is understood as “where.”
• This verse may cause some confusion if one does not distinguish correctly the position, or relevance, of each clause within the overall structure.  Translating this verse word-for-word results in the following English rendering: “Now the lamp of God had not yet gone out and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord where the ark of God resided.”  This understanding seems to indicate that Samuel was sleeping in the place of the ark of God!  A more careful reading of the text, however, demonstrates a very different story.  The clause, וּשְׁמוּאֵ֖ל שֹׁכֵ֑ב, is a disjunctive phrase functioning as a parenthetical comment that is place in the middle of one idea.  The verse should be understood thusly: “Now the lamp of God had not yet gone out in the temple of the Lord where the ark of God resided; yet Samuel was asleep.”  The point of the text is not that Samuel slept in the Most Holy place, but that he was asleep before the lamp in the temple burned out.

Verse 4

• The Lord calls out and Samuel responds.

Verse 5

• The small פ indicates an open paragraph (i.e. space was left at the end of the line) in the Leningradensis B19^a Codex.  The small ס indicates a closed paragraph (i.e. only a small gap was left at the end of the paragraph before the next paragraph began on the same line).

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וְהַנַּ֧עַר שְׁמוּאֵ֛ל מְשָׁרֵ֥ת אֶת־יְהוָ֖ה לִפְנֵ֣י עֵלִ֑י וּדְבַר־יְהוָ֗ה הָיָ֤ה יָקָר֙ בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֔ם אֵ֥ין חָז֖וֹן נִפְרָֽץ׃ ס        2 וַֽיְהִי֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא וְעֵלִ֖י שֹׁכֵ֣ב בִּמְקֹמ֑וֹ וְעֵינוֹ הֵחֵ֣לּוּ כֵה֔וֹת לֹ֥א יוּכַ֖ל לִרְאֽוֹת׃ 3 וְנֵ֤ר אֱלֹהִים֙ טֶ֣רֶם יִכְבֶּ֔ה וּשְׁמוּאֵ֖ל שֹׁכֵ֑ב בְּהֵיכַ֣ל יְהוָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־שָׁ֖ם אֲר֥וֹן אֱלֹהִֽים׃ פ
4 וַיִּקְרָ֧א יְהוָ֛ה אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵ֖ל וַיֹּ֥אמֶר הִנֵּֽנִי׃ 5 וַיָּ֣רָץ אֶל־עֵלִ֗י וַיֹּ֤אמֶר הִנְנִי֙ כִּֽי־קָרָ֣אתָ לִּ֔י וַיֹּ֥אמֶר לֹֽא־קָרָ֖אתִי שׁ֣וּב שְׁכָ֑ב וַיֵּ֖לֶךְ וַיִּשְׁכָּֽב׃ ס  

Vocabulary

Verse 1

            יקר  adjective: “rare” (BDB, 429)

            חזון  noun: “vision” (BDB, 302)

            פרץ  verb (Niphal participle ms): “spread” (BDB, 829)

Syntax & Miscellaneous

•  The proper name, שְׁמוּאֵ֛ל, is in apposition to the word נער “boy.”
• The verbal construction of the first clause is periphrastic (מְשָׁרֵ֥ת Piel participle).
• The adjective, יקר, is functioning as a substantive.
• One would expect a waw to precede the final clause, אֵ֥ין חָז֖וֹן נִפְרָֽץ.  The lack of a connector, called asyndeton, can indicate an epexegetical comment explaining the previous remarks.  Answering the question: “Why was the word of the Lord rare in those days?”  Because “visions were not spread” (i.e. they were infrequent). 

Vocabulary

Verse 2

            הֵחֵ֣לּוּ  verb (Hiphil perfect 3mpl חלל): “defile, profane”

            כהה  “dim” (BDB, 462)

Verse 3

            נר  “lamp” (BDB, 632)

            טרם  “not yet” (BDB, 382)

            כבה  “extinguish” (BDB, 459)

            היכל  “temple”

Verse 4

            הִנֵּֽנִי  exclamation (הנה + 1cs pronoun) : “Here am I”

Verse 5

            רוץ  verb (Qal waw-consecutive imperfect 3ms): “run”

Syntax & Misc.

Verse 2

• The waw in the second clause should be understood as continuative from the previous phrase, “that.”
• The clause, וְעֵלִ֖י שֹׁכֵ֣ב בִּמְקֹמ֑וֹ, is periphrastic.
• The Kethib reads a singular subject with a plural verb: “His eye (were defiled);” whereas, the Qere reads a plural subject and verb: וְעֵינָיו֙ “His eyes were defiled.”
• The final clause exhibits asyndeton indicating an epexegetical (explanative) remark.

Verse 3

• The first clause begins with a disjunctive waw (waw plus non-verb).
• The relative particle, אֲשֶׁר, plus שָׁ֖ם is understood as “where.”
• This verse may cause some confusion if one does not distinguish correctly the position, or relevance, of each clause within the overall structure.  Translating this verse word-for-word results in the following English rendering: “Now the lamp of God had not yet gone out and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord where the ark of God resided.”  This understanding seems to indicate that Samuel was sleeping in the place of the ark of God!  A more careful reading of the text, however, demonstrates a very different story.  The clause, וּשְׁמוּאֵ֖ל שֹׁכֵ֑ב, is a disjunctive phrase functioning as a parenthetical comment that is place in the middle of one idea.  The verse should be understood thusly: “Now the lamp of God had not yet gone out in the temple of the Lord where the ark of God resided; yet Samuel was asleep.”  The point of the text is not that Samuel slept in the Most Holy place, but that he was asleep before the lamp in the temple burned out.

Verse 4

• The Lord calls out and Samuel responds.

Verse 5

• The small פ indicates an open paragraph (i.e. space was left at the end of the line) in the Leningradensis B19^a Codex.  The small ס indicates a closed paragraph (i.e. only a small gap was left at the end of the paragraph before the next paragraph began on the same line).

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