1 Samuel 3
3
The Prophetic Call to Samuel
1Now the boy Samuel was attending to the service of the Lord #3:1 Lit before.under the supervision of Eli. The word of the Lord was rare and precious in those days; visions [that is, new revelations of divine truth] were not widespread.
2Yet it happened at that time, as Eli was lying down in his own place (now his eyesight had begun to grow dim and he could not see well). 3and the [oil] 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, 4that the Lord called Samuel, and he answered, “Here I am.” 5He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But Eli said, “I did not call you; lie down again.” So he went and lay down. 6Then the Lord called yet again, “Samuel!” So Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But Eli answered, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” 7Now Samuel did not yet know [or personally experience] the Lord, and the word of the Lord was not yet revealed [directly] to him. 8So the Lord called Samuel a third time. And he stood and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you did call me.” Then Eli understood that it was the Lord [who was] calling the boy. 9So Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down, and it shall be that if He calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10Then the Lord came and stood and called as at the previous times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.” 11The Lord said to Samuel, “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will ring. 12On that day I will carry out against Eli everything that I have spoken concerning his house (family), from beginning to end. 13Now I have told him that I am about to judge his house forever for the sinful behavior which he knew [was happening], because his sons were bringing a curse on themselves [dishonoring and blaspheming God] and he did not rebuke them. 14Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the sinful behavior of Eli’s house (family) shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.”
15So Samuel lay down until morning. Then he opened the doors of the Lord’s house. But Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. 16But Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.” And he answered, “Here I am.” 17Then Eli said, “What is it that He said to you? Please do not hide it from me. May God do the same to you, and more also, if you hide from me anything of all that He said to you.” 18So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. And Eli said, “It is the Lord; may He do what seems good #3:18 Lit in His eyes.to Him.”
19Now Samuel grew; and the Lord was with him and He let none of his words #3:19 Lit fall to the ground.fail [to be fulfilled]. [Josh 23:14] 20And all Israel from Dan [in the north] to Beersheba [in the south] knew that Samuel was appointed as a prophet of the Lord. 21And the Lord continued to appear in Shiloh, for the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord.
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1 Samuel 3
3
Samuel’s Call
1The boy Samuel served the Lord in Eli’s presence.#1Sm 2:11,18 In those days the word of the Lord was rare and prophetic visions were not widespread.#Ps 74:9; Ezk 7:26; Am 8:11–12
2One day Eli, whose eyesight was failing,#1Sm 4:15 was lying in his usual place. 3Before the lamp of God had gone out,#Ex 27:20–21 Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was located.
4Then the Lord called Samuel,#3:4 DSS, LXX read called, “Samuel! Samuel!” and he answered, “Here I am.” 5He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
“I didn’t call,” Eli replied. “Go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.
6Once again the Lord called, “Samuel!”
Samuel got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
“I didn’t call, my son,” he replied. “Go back and lie down.”
7Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, because the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. 8Once again, for the third time, the Lord called Samuel. He got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
Then Eli understood that the Lord was calling the boy. 9He told Samuel, “Go and lie down. If he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10The Lord came, stood there, and called as before, “Samuel, Samuel!”
Samuel responded, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
11The Lord said to Samuel, “I am about to do something in Israel that will cause everyone who hears about it to shudder.#3:11 Lit about it, his two ears will tingle; Hb obscure#2Kg 21:12; Jr 19:3 12On that day I will carry out against Eli everything I said about his family, from beginning to end.#1Sm 2:27–36 13I told him that I am going to judge his family forever because of the iniquity he knows about: his sons are cursing God,#3:13 LXX, Old Lat; MT reads them and he has not stopped them.#Dt 17:12; 21:18 14Therefore, I have sworn to Eli’s family: The iniquity of Eli’s family will never be wiped out by either sacrifice or offering.”#Lv 15:31; Is 22:14
15Samuel lay down until the morning; then he opened the doors of the Lord’s house. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, 16but Eli called him and said, “Samuel, my son.”
“Here I am,” answered Samuel.
17“What was the message he gave you?” Eli asked. “Don’t hide it from me. May God punish you and do so severely if you hide anything from me that he told you.”#2Sm 3:35 18So Samuel told him everything and did not hide anything from him. Eli responded, “He is the Lord. Let him do what he thinks is good.”#Ex 34:5–7; Lv 10:3; Jb 2:10; Is 39:8
19Samuel grew.#1Sm 2:21 The Lord was with him,#Gn 21:22; 28:15 and he fulfilled everything Samuel prophesied.#3:19 Lit he let none of his words fall to the ground#1Sm 9:6 20All Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was a confirmed prophet of the Lord.#1Sm 2:35 21The Lord continued to appear in Shiloh, because there he revealed himself to Samuel by his word.#1Sm 3:10
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