1. The child Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli. the Lord’s word was rare in those days. There were not many visions, then.
2. At that time, when Eli was laid down in his place (now his eyes had begun to grow dim, so that he could not see),
3. and God’s lamp hadn’t yet gone out, and Samuel had laid down in the Lord’s temple, where God’s ark was;
4. the Lord called Samuel; and he said, “Here I am.”