1 Samuel 3: The Awakening of Prophetic Revelation

1-samuel 3 documents the strategic moment when the audible voice of God returns to Israel during a period of spiritual famine. It details Samuel's initiation into the prophetic office and the confirmation of the judgment previously spoken against Eli. The chapter establishes Samuel as the first of a new line of prophets who will oversee the transition to the monarchy.

  1. v1-10: Samuel’s Fourfold Call in the Night
  2. v11-14: The Message of Inevitable Judgment
  3. v15-18: Samuel Delivers His First Hard Message
  4. v19-21: Samuel Established as Prophet to All Israel

1 Samuel chapter 3

And 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.
And 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;
And 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;
That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.
And 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.
And 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.
Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him.
And 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.
Therefore 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.
And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.
And 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.
In 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.
For 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.
And 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.
And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel feared to show Eli the vision.
Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here am I.
And 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.
And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good.
And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.
And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD.
And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.

Learn how to respond to the divine call through Samuel’s simple posture of 'Speak, for thy servant heareth.' Begin your study with 1 samuel 3 summary.

Samuel’s growth is measured by the fact that God 'let none of his words fall to the ground,' a Hebrew idiom for total fulfillment and accuracy. The 'Word Secret' is Hineni, meaning 'Here am I,' the traditional response of a servant ready for immediate and total obedience to a master. Discover the riches with 1 samuel 3 commentary, containing expert led word study (original greek/hebrew) and passage level analysis.

Unlock the hidden 1 samuel 3 1 meaning and summary by exploring context, analyzing original greek and hebrew words, and studying cross references of each verse.

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3 min read (549 words)