The lamp of God refers to the ornate golden lampstand that was meant to be kept burning throughout the night in the outer compartment of the tabernacle (cf. Exodus 25:31–40; Exodus 27:20; Exodus 30:7–8; Leviticus 24:1–4). The fact that it had not gone out means that it was still night and not yet dawn.1 Some commentators argue that there is a suggestion of a metaphor with this phrase. Despite the darkness that characterized Shiloh, there was a glimmer of hope to come in Samuel. Indeed, the use of a lamp as a metaphor of hope and promise is common elsewhere in Scripture (cf. 2 Samuel 21:17; 2 Samuel 22:29; 1 Kings 11:36; 1 Kings 15:4; Job 18:5; Psalm 132:17; Proverbs 13:9).2
3 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.