1 Samuel 3

1 And the boy [youth, a young person] Samuel ministered [served, attended to] to the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] before [in the presence of] Eli. Now in those days [a period of time, an era] the word [a message, a thing] of the LORD [Yehovah] was rare [precious, scarce, not common] and visions [revelations, prophetic insights] were scarce [not frequent, no open vision]. word study 2 And at that time Eli [a high priest, the father of Hophni and Phinehas], whose eyesight [vision, ability to see] had grown so dim [faint, weak, becoming clouded] that he could not see [perceive, look after], was lying [resting, sleeping] in his room [place, location, chamber]. word study 3 Before [ere, prior to] the lamp [light, torch] of God [Elohim, the supreme deity] had gone out [been extinguished, quenched], Samuel [Shemuel, heard by God] was lying down [asleep, resting] in the temple [house, palace] of the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God], where [in the place, location] the ark [box, chest] of God [Elohim, the supreme deity] was located [stood, placed, situated]. word study 4 Then the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] called [to summon, to invite] to Samuel [Shemuel, a judge and prophet of Israel], and he answered, “Here I am [look! behold me, I’m present].” word study 5 He ran [swiftly, with urgency] to Eli and said, “Here I am [look, I’m present], for you have called [summoned, invited] me.” “I did not call [invoke, speak to],” Eli replied. “Go back [return, turn back] and lie down [rest, sleep].” So he went [walked, proceeded] and lay down [reclined, rested]. word study 6 Once again [a second time, to add] the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord of Israel] called, “Samuel [Shemuel, heard by God]!” So Samuel got up, went to Eli [the high priest], and said, “Here I am [look, I am present], for you have called [summoned, invited] me.” “My son [descendant, child], I did not call [summon, speak to],” Eli replied. “Go back [return, turn back] and lie down [rest, sleep].” word study 7 Now Samuel [Shemuel, a judge and prophet of Israel] did not yet [before, previously] know [to ascertain by seeing, to learn, perceive] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], because the word [a matter, affair, or thing] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] had not yet [before, previously] been revealed [to uncover, show, or make known] to him. word study 8 Once again [as a repeated summons], for the third time, the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] called to Samuel [Shemuel, a prophet of Israel]. He got up [rose, stood up], went to Eli [a high priest], and said, “Here I am [look, behold], for you have called me [invited, summoned].” Then Eli realized [understood, discerned] that it was the LORD [the supreme God] who was calling [summoning, inviting] the boy [youth, a young person]. word study 9 “Go [and walk, move to your place] and lie down [to rest, sleep, or be in a state of readiness],” he said to Samuel [Shemuel, heard by God], “and if He [the Lord] calls you [to speak or communicate], say, ‘Speak [communicate, declare], LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God], for Your servant [one who serves, obedient] is listening [hearing, paying attention].’” So Samuel [Shemuel, heard by God] went [to move, to walk] and lay down [to rest, sleep] in his place [location, position]. word study 10 Then the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God] came and stood [presented Himself, took His position] there, calling [summoning, speaking to] as before [at other times, in the same manner], “Samuel! Samuel [Shemuel, heard by God]!” And Samuel answered, “Speak [communicate, declare Your will], for Your servant [one who serves, obeys] is listening [hearing, giving attention].” word study 11 Then the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] said to Samuel, “I [the speaker, referring to God Himself] am about to do [to make or accomplish] something [a thing, a matter, or an affair] in Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, also referring to his descendants] at which [as a result of which] the ears [the ability to hear or the body part] of all [everything, every person] who hear [to hear and listen, often implying attention and obedience] it will tingle [to tingle or quiver, often describing the feeling of shame or fear, with both ears]. word study 12 On that [specific, appointed] day I will carry out [fulfill, bring to pass] against Eli [the high priest] everything [all things, every word] I have spoken [declared, promised] about his family [house, descendants], from [the very] beginning [start, inception] to [the very] end [completion, fulfillment]. word study 13 I told him that I would judge [shaphat, govern or vindicate] his house [family, dwelling place] forever [for all eternity, always] for the iniquity [moral evil, sin] of which he knows [is aware, has knowledge], because his sons [children, descendants] blasphemed [cursed, brought into contempt] God [the Almighty, Creator] and he did not restrain [correct, scold] them. word study 14 Therefore [thus, in this manner] I have sworn [made a solemn oath, promised] to the house [family, household] of Eli, ‘The iniquity [moral evil, sin] of Eli’s house [family, descendants] shall never [not ever, forever] be atoned for [purged, expiated] by sacrifice [offering, flesh given to God] or offering [gift, donation to God] [through any ritual or ceremony].’” word study 15 Samuel [Shemuel, a prophet of Israel] lay down [to rest, to sleep] until the morning [the break of day, a new beginning]; then he opened [to engrave or carve, to swing open] the doors [entrances, accesses] of the house [dwelling place, temple] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God]. He was afraid to tell [to declare openly, to stand boldly] Eli [the high priest] the vision [a prophetic vision, a clear view], word study 16 but Eli [the high priest] called [summoned, invited] to him and said, “Samuel [Shemuel, heard by God], my son [offspring, descendant].” “Here I am [look, I’m present, behold me],” answered Samuel. word study 17 “What [exactly, specifically] was the message [word, revelation] He gave [spoke, communicated] you?” Eli asked [inquired, questioned]. “Do not [under no circumstances] hide [conceal, keep secret] it from me. May God [Elohim, the supreme Judge] punish [judge, discipline] you, and ever so severely [with great intensity, strongly], if you hide [withhold, keep back] from me anything [any part, any word] He said [spoke, uttered] to you.” word study 18 So Samuel [the prophet and judge] told him everything [all the words, every whit] and did not hide [conceal or withhold] a thing from him. “He is the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God],” replied Eli. “Let Him do [accomplish or bring about] what is good [pleasant or beneficial] in His eyes [sight or judgment].” word study 19 And Samuel [grew in stature and wisdom] grew, and the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God] was with him, and He let none [not a single one, all were fulfilled] of Samuel’s words [prophecies, divine messages] fall [come to nothing, be unsuccessful] to the ground [the earth, into obscurity]. word study 20 So all [every single one, the entire nation] Israel [the descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people] from Dan [the northernmost city] to Beersheba [the southernmost city, the well of the sevenfold oath] knew [to know, to ascertain by seeing, to learn] that Samuel [Shemuel, the faithful prophet] was confirmed [established, trustworthy] as a prophet [one who speaks for God, a spokesperson] of the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God]. word study 21 And the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] continued [to add, to increase] to appear [to reveal Himself, to show His presence] at Shiloh [place of rest], because [for, showing cause] there He revealed [to uncover, to make known] Himself to Samuel [Shemuel, a judge and prophet of Israel] by [through, by means of] His word [divine message, revelation]. word study