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1 Samuel 3:1-8

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Samuel’s call

1 Now the boy Samuel was serving the LORD under Eli. The LORD's word was rare at that time, and visions weren't widely known.
2 One day Eli, whose eyes had grown so weak he was unable to see, was lying down in his room.
3 God's lamp hadn't gone out yet, and Samuel was lying down in the LORD's temple, where God's chest was.
4 The LORD called to Samuel. "I'm here," he said.
5 Samuel hurried to Eli and said, "I'm here. You called me?" "I didn't call you," Eli replied. "Go lie down." So he did.
6 Again the LORD called Samuel, so Samuel got up, went to Eli, and said, "I'm here. You called me?" "I didn't call, my son," Eli replied. "Go and lie down."
7 (Now Samuel didn't yet know the LORD, and the LORD's word hadn't yet been revealed to him.)
8 A third time the LORD called Samuel. He got up, went to Eli, and said, "I'm here. You called me?" Then Eli realized that it was the LORD who was calling the boy.
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1 Samuel 3:1-8 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 3

This chapter gives an account of the Lord's calling to Samuel in the night season, which he first took for the voice of Eli, but being instructed by him, made answer to the voice, 1Sa 3:1-10, and of a message sent from him by Samuel to Eli, foretelling the destruction of his family, 1Sa 3:11-14 and of the delivery of it to him, which Samuel was first fearful of doing, but, encouraged by Eli, he delivered it to him, to which he patiently submitted, 1Sa 3:15-18 and the chapter is closed with the establishment of Samuel as a prophet of the Lord, who continued to appear and reveal himself to him, 1Sa 3:19-21.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Footnotes 1

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