1 Samuel 3:4 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then the LORD called Samuel, and he said, “Here I am!”

NIV: Then the LORD called Samuel. Samuel answered, 'Here I am.'

NASB: that the Lord called Samuel; and he said, 'Here I am.'

CSB: Then the Lord called Samuel, and he answered, "Here I am."

NLT: Suddenly the Lord called out, 'Samuel!' 'Yes?' Samuel replied. 'What is it?'

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

NKJV: that the Lord called Samuel. And he answered, “Here I am!”

Samuel, a boy, is lying down—likely sleeping—in the temple of the Lord, not far from the place called the Holy of Holies or Most Holy Place (1 Samuel 3:1–3). This space is separated from the rest of the area by a veil. Inside, the ark of God or ark of the covenant sits (Exodus 27:20–21). By His grace, God allows His presence to rest on the ark in some mysterious sense as a blessing for His people (Exodus 25:10–27).

Samuel hears a voice call to him and immediately says, "Here I am!" It becomes clear that Samuel thinks it is Eli who has called him (1 Samuel 3:5, 6, 8), though the text reveals to us from the start that the Lord is calling Samuel. As the chapter progresses, it becomes clear this is a literal calling from the Lord for Samuel to step into his new role as a prophet in Israel.

First Samuel 3:1–14 finds both Samuel and Eli a bit older, though Samuel is still called a boy. Sometime before dawn, Samuel is sleeping in the temple and hears his name called. He runs to Eli, who tells him to go back to bed. When it happens a third time, Eli tells Samuel it is the Lord. The Lord reveals to Samuel that He is going to bring judgment on Eli and his household for Eli's failure to restrain the blasphemy of his sons against 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.

Accessed 5/5/2024 1:32:23 AM