It happened at that time as Eli was lying down in his place (now his eyesight had begun to grow dim and he could not see well)
Chat with our AI personalities
The way that's common among men... old age.
"...Now Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were dim, that he could not see." (I Sam.4:15)
Eli was a priest in the temple and he was not a prophet, he was there when the mother of Samuel , gave him as a baby in the temple. Eli was very old and could have had weak eyes.