What does 1 Samuel 3:11 mean?
After establishing that what Samuel hears is the voice of God (1 Samuel 3:1–10), the Lord is about to deliver His message. Samuel has obediently responded by telling the Lord that he is listening (1 Samuel 3:10).The Lord introduces His surprising and difficult prophecy for Samuel by saying that what He is about to do will get a great deal of attention. The effect of this action is describe with an odd expression implying shocking, devastating, even frightening news (Jeremiah 19:3). The original Hebrew root word here is tsalal, which is closely tied to the idea of shaking or vibrating. This might depict a person who shakes with fear (Habakkuk 3:16), or the "ringing in the ears" experienced when someone is struck in the head (2 Kings 21:12). When God's prophecy is fulfilled, it will stagger those who see it come to pass.