See note 1 Sam. 4:11¹, par. 1.

The picture in vv. 2-6 shows a people returning to God, and a man, Samuel, who was one with God on earth. As the acting God on earth, the representative of the very God in heaven to rule over His people on earth, Samuel began to minister.

Samuel, who was by nature a Levite born of one of the descendants of the great rebel Korah (1 Chron. 6:33-38; cf. Num. 16:1-33), ministered in five statuses:
1) as a Nazarite consecrated to God absolutely for God’s fulfillment of His economy, a volunteer to replace any official and formal serving ones of God (1 Sam. 1:11, 28a);
2) as a priest faithful to act on behalf of God, even to appoint and establish kings for the divine government on earth (1 Sam. 2:35);
3) as a prophet established by God (1 Sam. 3:20) to assist the kings appointed by him as a priest, to speak the word of God to replace the teaching of the word of God by the old priesthood;
4) as a judge (vv. 15-17) established by God to carry out God’s governmental administration, to replace the judging of the people by the old priesthood;
5) as a man of prayer who prayed for God’s elect, the children of Israel (vv. 3-14; 8:6; 15:11b; cf. 1 Sam. 12:23), that they would be kept in the way of God, would be one with God, would not be ensnared by the idols of the nations, and would enjoy God as Ebenezer (v. 12) that God’s desire in His will regarding His elect might be fulfilled.
God admitted to Jeremiah that Samuel, like Moses, was a man standing before Him for His people (Jer. 15:1). Moses was a priest (Exo. 29), a prophet (Deut. 18:15, 18), and a judge (Exo. 18:13, 16), and he always prayed for God’s people (e.g., Exo. 32:11-13, 31-32). In these matters Samuel was the same. In the Old Testament only Moses and Samuel were qualified to participate fully in the priesthood, the prophethood, and the judgeship.

Meaning the stone of help.