1 Samuel — Chapter 3

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1And 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.

2And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see;

3And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep;

4That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.

5And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down.

6And the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again.

7Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him.

8And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child.

9Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

10And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.

11And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle.

12In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end.

13For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.

14And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever.

15And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision.

16Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here am I.

17And he said, What is the thing that the LORD hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that he said unto thee.

18And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good.

19And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.

20And all Israel from Dan even to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD.

21And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.

1And the child Samuel ministered unto Jehovah before Eli. And the word of Jehovah was precious in those days; there was no frequent vision.

2And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place (now his eyes had begun to wax dim, so that he could not see),

3and the lamp of God was not yet gone out, and Samuel was laid down [to sleep], in the temple of Jehovah, where the ark of God was;

4that Jehovah called Samuel; and he said, Here am I.

5And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down.

6And Jehovah called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again.

7Now Samuel did not yet know Jehovah, neither was the word of Jehovah yet revealed unto him.

8And Jehovah called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And Eli perceived that Jehovah had called the child.

9Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, Jehovah; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

10And Jehovah came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel said, Speak; for thy servant heareth.

11And Jehovah said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle.

12In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from the beginning even unto the end.

13For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever, for the iniquity which he knew, because his sons did bring a curse upon themselves, and he restrained them not.

14And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli`s house shall not be expiated with sacrifice nor offering for ever.

15And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of Jehovah. And Samuel feared to show Eli the vision.

16Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he said, Here am I.

17And he said, What is the thing that [Jehovah] hath spoken unto thee? I pray thee, hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide anything from me of all the things that he spake unto thee.

18And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is Jehovah: let him do what seemeth him good.

19And Samuel grew, and Jehovah was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.

20And all Israel from Dan even to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of Jehovah.

21And Jehovah appeared again in Shiloh; for Jehovah revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of Jehovah.

1Now the boy Samuel continued serving the Lord under Eli’s supervision. Receiving a message from the Lord was rare in those days; revelatory visions were infrequent.

2Eli’s eyes had begun to fail, so that he was unable to see well. At that time he was lying down in his place,

3and the lamp of God had not yet been extinguished. Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord as well; the ark of God was also there.

4The Lord called to Samuel, and he replied, “Here I am!”

5Then he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But Eli said, “I didn’t call you. Go back and lie down.” So he went back and lay down.

6The Lord again called, “Samuel!” So Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But Eli said, “I didn’t call you, my son. Go back and lie down.”

7Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord; the Lord’s messages had not yet been revealed to him.

8Then the Lord called Samuel a third time. So he got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me!” Eli then realized that it was the Lord who was calling the boy.

9So Eli said to Samuel, “Go back and lie down. When he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went back and lay down in his place.

10Then the Lord came and stood nearby, calling as he had previously done, “Samuel! Samuel!” Samuel replied, “Speak, for your servant is listening!”

11The Lord said to Samuel, “Look! I am about to do something in Israel; when anyone hears about it, both of his ears will tingle.

12On that day I will carry out against Eli everything that I spoke about his house—from start to finish!

13You should tell him that I am about to judge his house forever because of the sin that he knew about. For his sons were cursing God, and he did not rebuke them.

14Therefore I swore an oath to the house of Eli, ‘The sin of the house of Eli can never be forgiven by sacrifice or by grain offering.’”

15So Samuel lay down until morning. Then he opened the doors of the Lord’s house. But Samuel was afraid to tell Eli about the vision.

16However, Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son!” He replied, “Here I am.”

17Eli said, “What message did he speak to you? Don’t conceal it from me. God will judge you severely if you conceal from me anything that he said to you!”

18So Samuel told him everything. He did not hold back anything from him. Eli said, “The Lord will do what he pleases.”

19Samuel continued to grow, and the Lord was with him. None of his prophecies fell to the ground unfulfilled.

20All Israel from Dan to Beer Sheba realized that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the Lord.

21Then the Lord again appeared in Shiloh, for it was in Shiloh that the Lord had revealed himself to Samuel through a message from the Lord.

1The child Samuel ministered to Yahweh before Eli. Yahweh’s word was precious in those days. There were not many visions, then.

2At that time, when Eli was laid down in his place (now his eyes had begun to grow dim, so that he could not see),

3and God’s lamp hadn’t yet gone out, and Samuel had laid down in Yahweh’s temple, where God’s ark was;

4Yahweh called Samuel; and he said, “Here I am.”

5He ran to Eli, and said, “Here I am; for you called me.” He said, “I didn’t call. Lie down again.” He went and lay down.

6Yahweh called yet again, “Samuel!” Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am; for you called me.” He answered, “I didn’t call, my son. Lie down again.”

7Now Samuel didn’t yet know Yahweh, neither was Yahweh’s word yet revealed to him.

8Yahweh called Samuel again the third time. He arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am; for you called me.” Eli perceived that Yahweh had called the child.

9Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down. It shall be, if he calls you, that you shall say, ‘Speak, Yahweh; for your servant hears.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

10Yahweh came, and stood, and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak; for your servant hears.”

11Yahweh said to Samuel, “Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of everyone who hears it will tingle.

12In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from the beginning even to the end.

13For I have told him that I will judge his house forever, for the iniquity which he knew, because his sons brought a curse on themselves, and he didn’t restrain them.

14Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be removed with sacrifice or offering forever.”

15Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of Yahweh’s house. Samuel feared to show Eli the vision.

16Then Eli called Samuel, and said, “Samuel, my son!” He said, “Here I am.”

17He said, “What is the thing that he has spoken to you? Please don’t hide it from me. God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the things that he spoke to you.”

18Samuel told him every bit, and hid nothing from him. He said, “It is Yahweh. Let him do what seems good to him.”

19Samuel grew, and Yahweh was with him, and let none of his words fall to the ground.

20All Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of Yahweh.

21Yahweh appeared again in Shiloh; for Yahweh revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by Yahweh’s word.

Summary
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
Commentary
Videos
Reflection

Summary

God calls young Samuel by name in the night, and Samuel receives his first prophetic word: judgment on Eli's house. Samuel is established as a prophet of the LORD, and all Israel knows God speaks through him.

Authorship & Background

Author: Unknown, traditionally attributed to Samuel (for the early chapters), Nathan, and Gad (1 Chronicles 29:29). Originally one book with 2 Samuel in the Hebrew Bible. Written approximately 1050-950 BC. The book covers the transition from the judges to the monarchy — from the birth of Samuel through the death of Saul (approximately 1105-1010 BC). Key themes: God's sovereignty in raising and removing leaders, the danger of rejecting God's rule, the contrast between Saul (man's choice) and David (God's choice), and the principle that 'man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart' (16:7).
Historical Context: Chapter 3 records one of the most significant moments in Israel's history — God breaks His silence. The opening verse establishes the spiritual famine: "the word of the LORD was precious [rare] in those days; there was no open vision" (v.1). God had not spoken through prophetic revelation for an extended period. The priesthood was corrupt, the people were spiritually adrift, and heaven seemed closed. Into this silence, God speaks — not to the aged priest Eli, but to a boy. Samuel's call marks the beginning of the prophetic office that will dominate Israel's history from this point forward. The setting is rich with symbolism: it is night, the lamp of God "had not yet gone out" (v.3) — the lamp in the tabernacle was to burn from evening to morning (Exodus 27:20-21). The fact that it had "not yet" gone out suggests it is the darkest part of the night, just before dawn. Spiritually, Israel is in its darkest hour, but the light has not been fully extinguished — and God is about to speak. Samuel sleeps near the ark of God — the place of God's presence. God calls him by name three times before Eli perceives what is happening. The message God delivers is devastating: judgment on Eli's house is confirmed and irreversible. Samuel's faithfulness in delivering this hard word establishes his prophetic credentials. By chapter's end, "all Israel from Dan even to Beer-sheba" recognizes Samuel as God's prophet. The prophetic word has returned to Israel.
The Word of the LORD Was Rare (vv.1-3): The chapter opens with a statement of spiritual desolation. "Precious" (KJV) translates Hebrew "yaqar" — meaning rare, scarce, valuable precisely because uncommon. "No open vision" means no prophetic revelation was being given. This is not God's normal way with His people — He desires to speak (Amos 3:7). The silence reflects the spiritual condition of the leadership. Eli's physical blindness (v.2 — "his eyes began to wax dim") mirrors his spiritual blindness. He cannot see physically, and he has not seen spiritually — no vision has come through him. The lamp "not yet gone out" is both literal (it is late night) and symbolic (God's presence has not fully departed, though it is flickering). Samuel sleeps "in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was" — he is positioned in God's presence, available for God's voice.
God Calls Samuel (vv.4-10): God calls "Samuel" — and the boy assumes it is Eli. Three times he runs to Eli; three times Eli sends him back. Verse 7 explains: "Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him." He served God faithfully but had not yet experienced direct divine communication. On the third call, Eli "perceived that the LORD had called the child" (v.8). Despite his failures, Eli still has enough spiritual discernment to recognize God's activity. His instruction is perfect: "Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth" (v.9). The fourth time, God "came, and stood" (v.10) — a theophany, a physical manifestation of divine presence. He calls "Samuel, Samuel" — the double name indicating urgency and intimacy (compare Genesis 22:11; Exodus 3:4; Acts 9:4). Samuel responds with the posture of a prophet: "Speak; for thy servant heareth."
The Message of Judgment (vv.11-14): God's message concerns Eli's house. It will make ears "tingle" (v.11) — a phrase used only of shocking, devastating news (2 Kings 21:12; Jeremiah 19:3). The judgment is comprehensive: "when I begin, I will also make an end" (v.12). The charge: Eli "knew" his sons' iniquity and "restrained them not" (v.13). The ESV renders their sin as "blaspheming God" — the Hebrew "meqalelim lahem" is difficult, but the sense is that they brought curse upon themselves. The sentence is absolute: "the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever" (v.14). No atonement is available. This is not because God's mercy has limits in general, but because Eli's house has passed the point of repentance. They have been warned (2:27-36) and have not changed.
Samuel's Faithfulness and Establishment (vv.15-21): Samuel is "afraid to tell the vision to Eli" (v.15) — understandably so. He is a boy delivering a death sentence to his mentor. But when Eli presses him with an oath (v.17), Samuel "told him every whit, and hid nothing" (v.18). This is the mark of a true prophet: faithfulness to God's word regardless of personal cost or relational difficulty. Eli's response is remarkable in its resignation: "It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good" (v.18). This is either humble submission or passive fatalism — perhaps both. He accepts God's verdict without protest but also without repentance. The chapter closes with Samuel's establishment as prophet: "the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground" (v.19). Every word Samuel speaks proves true. "All Israel from Dan even to Beer-sheba" — the full extent of the land — recognizes his prophetic authority. God "appeared again in Shiloh" (v.21) — the silence is broken. The prophetic word has returned.

Map & Geography

  • Shiloh: Where Samuel receives his first prophetic call — still the central sanctuary with the ark of the covenant
  • The tabernacle/temple at Shiloh: Where Samuel sleeps "where the ark of God was" (v.3)
  • "From Dan to Beer-sheba" (v.20): The traditional north-south extent of Israel — all recognize Samuel as prophet

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik emphasizes that Samuel's call demonstrates God's pattern of speaking to those who are positioned to hear — Samuel was sleeping near the ark, in God's presence. He also notes that Eli's instruction to Samuel was his finest moment: despite his failures, he directed the boy rightly toward God.
  • Charles Spurgeon: "God called Samuel in the night — in the darkness, in the silence, when all human voices were still. So it often is with us. God speaks most clearly when the world is quietest. The noise of our busy days drowns out the still small voice. It is in the night seasons — in solitude, in suffering, in silence — that God's voice becomes unmistakable. Let us learn to be still, that we may hear."

Reflection

  • 1. God speaks to those positioned to hear (vv.1-3). Samuel was sleeping near the ark — in God's presence, available. Eli was in "his place" (v.2) — his own room, distant. God spoke to the one who was near. Are we positioning ourselves to hear God? Proximity to His word, His people, and His presence creates the conditions for hearing His voice.
  • 2. Recognizing God's voice requires learning (vv.4-8). Samuel did not immediately recognize God's call — he had to learn. Spiritual discernment is not automatic; it develops through experience and instruction. Eli, despite his failures, taught Samuel how to respond. We need mature believers to help us recognize God's voice.
  • 3. Faithful prophets deliver hard words (vv.15-18). Samuel was afraid to tell Eli the vision — but he told "every whit." True faithfulness to God sometimes requires delivering messages that hurt people we love. A prophet who softens God's word to protect relationships is no prophet at all.
  • 4. Passive tolerance of evil brings judgment (v.13). Eli's sin was not that he committed the evil himself but that he "restrained them not." Knowing about sin and failing to act against it — especially in those under our authority — makes us complicit. Silence in the face of evil is not neutrality; it is participation.
  • 5. God validates His messengers by fulfilling their words (v.19). The test of a true prophet is not eloquence, popularity, or credentials — it is whether his words come to pass. God "let none of his words fall to the ground." Truth proves itself over time. We should judge teachers not by their charisma but by the fruit and fulfillment of their words.