What does 1 Samuel 3:19 mean?

Although just a boy (1 Samuel 3:1), the Lord had made Samuel a prophet. That means the Lord had given Samuel a direct revelation to pass on to someone else; this was to be delivered exactly as given and stated as a message from God. Samuel's first revelation from the Lord was a message for his guardian and mentor, Eli. Samuel's message echoed an earlier prophecy about Eli's own destruction and that of his family and descendants (1 Samuel 3:10–18).

A legitimate prophet's job was not easy. True prophets of God did not appoint themselves or choose the role. The Lord put them in that position. Scripture declares that as Samuel continued to grow into a man, the Lord remained with him. Further, the text poetically says all of Samuel's prophecies from the Lord came true in every way. His status as a true messenger of God was routinely confirmed by accurate prophecy (1 Kings 8:56; 2 Kings 10:10). People learned to respect that Samuel represented the Lord because every message he delivered happened just as he said the Lord said it would (1 Samuel 3:20).

This was the standard set by God for prophets who spoke in His name. The Law instructed the people to trust those whose words came true and not to worry about any self-proclaimed prophets whose predictions never happened (Deuteronomy 18:21–22).