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and God’s lamp hadn’t yet gone out, and Samuel had laid down in Yahweh’s temple, where God’s ark was;
1 Samuel 3:3 · World English Bible
Parallel translations
  • KJV And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep;
  • BSB Before the lamp of God had gone out, Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was located.
  • NKJV and before the lamp of God went out in the tabernacle of the Lord where the ark of God was, and while Samuel was lying down,
  • NASB and 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 was,
  • NLT The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the Tabernacle near the Ark of God.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 8

  • Lev 24:2–4“Command the children of Israel, that they bring to you pure olive oil beaten for the light, to cause a lamp to burn continually.
  • Ps 27:4One thing I have asked of Yahweh, that I will seek after: that I may dwell in Yahweh’s house all the days of my life, to see Yahweh’s beauty, and to inquire in his temple.
  • Ps 5:7But as for me, in the abundance of your loving kindness I will come into your house. I will bow toward your holy temple in reverence of you.
  • Exod 27:20–21“You shall command the children of Israel, that they bring to you pure olive oil beaten for the light, to cause a lamp to burn continually.
  • Ps 29:9Yahweh’s voice makes the deer calve, and strips the forests bare. In his temple everything says, “Glory!”
  • 1 Sam 1:6Her rival provoked her severely, to irritate her, because Yahweh had shut up her womb.
  • 2 Chr 13:11and they burn to Yahweh every morning and every evening burnt offerings and sweet incense. They also set the show bread in order on the pure table; and the lamp stand of gold with its lamps, to burn every evening; for we keep the instruction of Yahweh our God, but you have forsaken him.
  • Exod 30:7–8Aaron shall burn incense of sweet spices on it every morning. When he tends the lamps, he shall burn it.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (5)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — 1 Samuel videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on 1 Samuel 3:3YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on 1 SamuelMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

The rise of the anointed king after Israel's failed first choice points to the true Anointed One (Messiah means 'anointed'), the shepherd-king after God's own heart from Bethlehem.

How 1 Samuel 3:3 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.