1 Samuel 3:19 - Printer Friendly

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

NIV: The LORD was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel's words fall to the ground.

NASB: Now Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and He let none of his words fail.

CSB: Samuel grew. The Lord was with him, and he fulfilled everything Samuel prophesied.

NLT: As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him, and everything Samuel said proved to be reliable.

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

NKJV: So Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.

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).

First Samuel 3:15–21 indicates Samuel was reluctant to share his first prophetic word from God. The Lord's message was dire: that Eli, the current priest, would suffer consequences for his sin. His sons and family were abusing their power and profaning God. With some prompting, Samuel delivers this message to Eli, who accepts it. Samuel continues to grow and is recognized by all of Israel as a prophet of the Lord.

Samuel is just a boy when the Lord calls Him to serve as a prophet in Israel. Sleeping in the temple, Samuel hears his name and thinks Eli the priest is calling him. Eli finally tells Samuel it is the Lord. The Lord tells Samuel that He is going to fulfill His judgment against Eli and his household for the sins of Eli's sons and for Eli's failure to restrain them. Samuel delivers the entire message to Eli and begins his lifelong career as an official prophet of the Lord.

First Samuel 3 follows the prophecy of judgment against Eli and his household at the end of the previous chapter (1 Samuel 2:27–36) with a repeat of the prophecy through the words of young Samuel. Eli helps the boy to understand the Lord is speaking to him, and Samuel delivers the Lord's harsh message. Eli accepts Samuel's word, passively accepting whatever God will do. The next chapters explain Eli's death and Israel's renewed conflict with the Philistines.

First Samuel introduces the key figures who led Israel after the era of the judges. The books of 1 and 2 Samuel were originally part of a single text, split in certain translations shortly before the birth of Christ. Some of the Bible’s most famous characters are depicted in this book. These including the prophet Samuel, Israel’s first king, Saul, her greatest king, David, and other famous names such as Goliath and Jonathan. By the end of this book, Saul has fallen; the book of 2 Samuel begins with David’s ascension to the throne.