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Read the Bible

Young's Literal Translation

1 Samuel 2:18

And Samuel is ministering [in] the presence of Jehovah, a youth girt [with] an ephod of linen;

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Children;   Ephod;   Hannah;   Hophni;   Samuel;   Thompson Chain Reference - Children;   Ephod;   Helpful Children;   Home;   Samuel;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Ephod, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Ephod;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Eli;   Ephod;   Hannah;   Samuel;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Samuel, First and Second, Theology of;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Prayer;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Ephod;   Linen;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ephod;   Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Dress;   Linen;   Magic, Divination, and Sorcery;   Mary;   Priests and Levites;   Samuel, Books of;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Ephod;   Hannah ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Hannah;   Hophni;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Abner;   Eli;   Ephod;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Samuel the Prophet;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Abiathar;   David;   Dress;   Elkanah;   Ephod (1);   Images;   Linen;   Samuel;   Samuel, Books of;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Ephod;   Flax;   Priest;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Samuel served in the Lord’s presence—this mere boy was dressed in the linen ephod.
Hebrew Names Version
But Shemu'el ministered before the LORD, being a child, girded with a linen efod.
King James Version
But Samuel ministered before the Lord , being a child, girded with a linen ephod.
Lexham English Bible
Now Samuel was serving before Yahweh, as a boy wearing a linen ephod.
English Standard Version
Samuel was ministering before the Lord , a boy clothed with a linen ephod.
New Century Version
But Samuel obeyed the Lord . As a boy he wore a linen holy vest.
New English Translation
Now Samuel was ministering before the Lord . The boy was dressed in a linen ephod.
Amplified Bible
Now Samuel was ministering before the LORD, as a child dressed in a linen ephod [a sacred item of priestly clothing].
New American Standard Bible
Now Samuel was ministering before the LORD, as a boy wearing a linen ephod.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Now Samuel being a yong childe ministred before the Lord, girded with a linen Ephod.
Legacy Standard Bible
Now Samuel was ministering before Yahweh, as a young boy girded with a linen ephod.
Contemporary English Version
The boy Samuel served the Lord and wore a special linen garment
Complete Jewish Bible
But Sh'mu'el ministered in the presence of Adonai , wearing a linen ritual vest even though he was only a child.
Darby Translation
And Samuel ministered before Jehovah, a boy girded with a linen ephod.
Easy-to-Read Version
But Samuel served the Lord . He was a helper who wore the linen ephod.
George Lamsa Translation
But the boy Samuel ministered before the LORD, and he wore a linen ephod.
Good News Translation
In the meantime the boy Samuel continued to serve the Lord , wearing a sacred linen apron.
Literal Translation
And Samuel was serving before Jehovah, a boy girded with an ephod of linen.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But Samuel was a mynister before the LORDE, and the childe was gyrded with an ouer body cote of lynnen.
American Standard Version
But Samuel ministered before Jehovah, being a child, girded with a linen ephod.
Bible in Basic English
But Samuel did the work of the Lord's house, while he was a child, dressed in a linen ephod.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
But the childe Samuel ministred before the Lorde, girded with a linnen Ephod.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
But Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child, girded with a linen ephod.
King James Version (1611)
But Samuel ministred before the Lord, being a child, girded with a linnen Ephod.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Samuel ministered before the Lord, a child girt with a linen ephod.
English Revised Version
But Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child, girded with a linen ephod.
Berean Standard Bible
Now Samuel was ministering before the LORD-a boy wearing a linen ephod.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
`Forsothe Samuel, a child gird with a lynnun clooth, mynystride bifor the face of the Lord.
Update Bible Version
But Samuel ministered before Yahweh, being a lad, girded with a linen ephod.
Webster's Bible Translation
But Samuel ministered before the LORD, [being] a child, girded with a linen ephod.
World English Bible
But Samuel ministered before Yahweh, being a child, girded with a linen ephod.
New King James Version
But Samuel ministered before the LORD, even as a child, wearing a linen ephod.
New Living Translation
But Samuel, though he was only a boy, served the Lord . He wore a linen garment like that of a priest.
New Life Bible
Now Samuel was serving the Lord, even as a boy, wearing a linen vest.
New Revised Standard
Samuel was ministering before the Lord , a boy wearing a linen ephod.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But, as for Samuel, he was ministering before Yahweh, - a boy girded with an ephod of linen.
Douay-Rheims Bible
But Samuel ministered before the face of the Lord: being a child girded with a linen ephod.
Revised Standard Version
Samuel was ministering before the LORD, a boy girded with a linen ephod.
THE MESSAGE
In the midst of all this, Samuel, a boy dressed in a priestly linen tunic, served God . Additionally, every year his mother would make him a little robe cut to his size and bring it to him when she and her husband came for the annual sacrifice. Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, " God give you children to replace this child you have dedicated to God ." Then they would go home.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Now Samuel was ministering before the LORD, as a boy wearing a linen ephod.

Contextual Overview

11 And Elkanah goeth to Ramath, unto his house, and the youth hath been serving Jehovah, [in] the presence of Eli the priest; 12 and the sons of Eli [are] sons of worthlessness, they have not known Jehovah. 13 And the custom of the priests with the people [is]: any man sacrificing a sacrifice -- then hath the servant of the priest come in when the flesh is boiling, and the hook of three teeth in his hand, 14 and hath struck [it] into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the hook bringeth up doth the priest take for himself; thus they do to all Israel who are coming in, there, in Shiloh. 15 Also before they make perfume with the fat -- then hath the priest's servant come in, and said to the man who is sacrificing, `Give flesh to roast for the priest, and he doth not take of thee flesh boiled, but raw;' 16 and the man saith unto him, `Let them surely make a perfume (as to-day) with the fat, then take to thee as thy soul desireth;' and he hath said to him, `Surely now thou dost give; and if not -- I have taken by strength.' 17 And the sin of the young men is very great [in] the presence of Jehovah, for the men have despised the offering of Jehovah. 18 And Samuel is ministering [in] the presence of Jehovah, a youth girt [with] an ephod of linen; 19 and a small upper coat doth his mother make to him, and she hath brought it up to him from time to time, in her coming up with her husband to sacrifice the sacrifice of the time. 20 And Eli blessed Elkanah, and his wife, and said, `Jehovah doth appoint for thee seed of this woman, for the petition which she asked for Jehovah;' and they have gone to their place.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

ministered: 1 Samuel 2:11, 1 Samuel 3:1

a linen ephod: 1 Samuel 22:18, Exodus 28:4, Leviticus 8:7, 2 Samuel 6:14

Reciprocal: Judges 11:31 - shall surely Judges 11:39 - to his vow 1 Samuel 1:22 - and there 1 Kings 18:12 - from my youth 1 Chronicles 15:27 - a robe 2 Chronicles 34:1 - eight years Ecclesiastes 12:1 - Remember Hosea 3:4 - ephod Matthew 11:25 - and hast Matthew 19:14 - Suffer Matthew 20:2 - he sent Luke 1:66 - And the Luke 2:40 - the child Acts 3:24 - Samuel 2 Timothy 3:15 - from Hebrews 11:32 - Samuel

Cross-References

Genesis 1:31
And God seeth all that He hath done, and lo, very good; and there is an evening, and there is a morning -- day the sixth.
Genesis 2:7
And Jehovah God formeth the man -- dust from the ground, and breatheth into his nostrils breath of life, and the man becometh a living creature.
Genesis 2:9
and Jehovah God causeth to sprout from the ground every tree desirable for appearance, and good for food, and the tree of life in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
Genesis 2:11
the name of the one [is] Pison, it [is] that which is surrounding the whole land of the Havilah where the gold [is],
Genesis 2:12
and the gold of that land [is] good, there [is] the bdolach and the shoham stone;
Genesis 2:13
and the name of the second river [is] Gibon, it [is] that which is surrounding the whole land of Cush;
Genesis 3:12
and the man saith, `The woman whom Thou didst place with me -- she hath given to me of the tree -- and I do eat.'
Ruth 3:1
And Naomi her mother-in-law saith to her, `My daughter, do not I seek for thee rest, that it may be well with thee?
Proverbs 18:22
[Whoso] hath found a wife hath found good, And bringeth out good-will from Jehovah.
1 Corinthians 7:36
and if any one doth think [it] to be unseemly to his virgin, if she may be beyond the bloom of age, and it ought so to be, what he willeth let him do; he doth not sin -- let him marry.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But Samuel ministered before the Lord,.... The ministration of Samuel, though a child, is observed both before and after the account of the ill behaviour and wickedness of Eli's sons; partly to the shame and disgrace of them, and as serving to aggravate their sin, and make it appear the more black and heinous; and partly to his honour and reputation, that he was not corrupted and turned aside from God by their evil practices. The phrase here used is different from that in 1 Samuel 2:11 there he is said to minister before Eli, under his direction and guidance, but here before the Lord; being now engaged in higher services, and which he could perform without the assistance of Eli, as in the presence of God more immediately; it seems to have respect to him when more grown in age, stature, knowledge, and experience, though here related: yet still being "a child"; not got out of his childhood, or arrived to manhood:

girded with a linen ephod; such as priests used to wear, but not Levites in common, nor extraordinary persons on extraordinary occasions, see 1 Samuel 22:18. This seems to be a peculiar favour, and a special honour which Eli granted to Samuel when so very young, on account of the grace of God bestowed on him in a wonderful manner; and because brought up in the tabernacle as a holy person, and a Nazarite; and because his birth was foretold, and he asked of God, as his name signified, as Procopius Gazaeus observes.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Girded 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.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 2:18. Girded with a linen ephod — This the Targum translates אסיר כרדוט דבוץ asir cardut debuts, "Girded with a cardit of byssus, or fine linen." The word cardut they seem to have borrowed from the Greek χειριδωτος, a tunic, having χειριδας, 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.


 
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