1 Samuel 2 · Verse 18

1 Samuel 2:18

But Samuel ministered before the Lord, being a child, girded with a linen ephod.
1 Samuel 2:18, King James Version

1 Samuel 2:18 in other translations

BSBNow Samuel was ministering before the LORD—a boy wearing a linen ephod.
WEBBut Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child, clothed with a linen ephod.
ASVBut Samuel ministered before Jehovah, being a child, girded with a linen ephod.
YLTAnd Samuel is ministering in the presence of Jehovah, a youth girt with an ephod of linen;
DARBYAnd Samuel ministered before Jehovah, a boy girded with a linen ephod.
BBEBut Samuel did the work of the Lord's house, while he was a child, dressed in a linen ephod.
WebsterBut Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child, girded with a linen ephod.

What does 1 Samuel 2:18 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
18. 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 God from his birth.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 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.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Samuel 2:11-26

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…

Read the full comment on 1 Samuel 2:11-26 →

1 Samuel 2:18 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וּשְׁמוּאֵ֕לu.she.mu.'Eland SamuelH8050
מְשָׁרֵ֖תme.sha.Ret[was] servingH8334
אֶת\־'et-withH854
פְּנֵ֣יpe.Nei[the] presence ofH6440
יְהוָ֑הYah.wehYahwehH3068
נַ֕עַרNa.'ara ladH5288
חָג֖וּרcha.GurgirdedH2296
אֵפ֥וֹד'e.Fodan ephod ofH646
בָּֽד\׃BadlinenH906

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 Samuel 2:18

  • Exodus 28:4

    And these are the garments which they shall make; a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office.

  • 1 Samuel 3:1

    And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision.

  • 1 Samuel 2:11

    And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister unto the Lord before Eli the priest.

  • 2 Samuel 6:14

    And David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.

  • 1 Samuel 22:18

    And the king said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen ephod.

  • 1 Chronicles 15:27

    And David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, and all the Levites that bare the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the master of the song with the singers: David also had upon him an ephod of linen.

  • 1 Samuel 2:28

    And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel?

  • Leviticus 8:7

    And he put upon him the coat, and girded him with the girdle, and clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod upon him, and he girded him with the curious girdle of the ephod, and bound it unto him therewith.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
ministered.
11; 3:1
a linen ephod.
22:18; Ex 28:4; Le 8:7; 2Sa 6:14

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 1 Samuel 2:17

    Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord: for men abhorred the offering of the Lord.

  • 1 Samuel 2:18

    But Samuel ministered before the Lord, being a child, girded with a linen ephod.

  • 1 Samuel 2:19

    Moreover his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.

Read all of 1 Samuel 2

1 Samuel 2:18 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y el joven Samuel ministraba delante de Jehová, vestido de un ephod de lino.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Samuel servait devant l’ Éternel, jeune garçon, ceint d’un éphod de lin.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Samuel diente vor Jehova, ein Knabe, umgürtet mit einem leinenen Ephod.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Samuel autem ministrabat ante faciem Domini, puer accinctus ephod lineo.