1 Samuel 3:10

10 ADONAI came and stood, then spoke as at the other times: "Sh'mu'el! Sh'mu'el!"Then Sh'mu'el said, "Speak; your servant is listening."

1 Samuel 3:10 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 3:10

And the Lord came, and stood
At the place where Samuel lay; either there was, as Kimchi, a form before his eyes in the vision of prophecy, some visible corporeal shape assumed; or a bright splendour an illustrious appearance of the glory of God; or it may be rather the voice, which before seemed to be at some distance whereabout Eli lay; it now seemed nearer, and was as the voice of one just by him, that sounded in his ears:

and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel:
repeating his name, in order the more to excite his attention:

then Samuel answered, speak, for thy servant heareth;
he leaves out the word Lord, which Eli bid him use; for he might be afraid as yet to make mention of the name of the Lord in the vision of prophecy, as Kimchi speaks; or lest it should be the voice of another, as Jarchi; as yet he might not be quite certain whether it was the voice of the Lord, or the voice of a man; for that he should have any mistrust of its being the voice of a demon or spectre, there is no reason to believe.

1 Samuel 3:10 In-Context

8 ADONAI called, "Sh'mu'el!" again, a third time. He got up, went to 'Eli and said, "Here I am - you called me." At last 'Eli realized it was ADONAI calling the child.

9 So 'Eli said to Sh'mu'el, "Go, and lie down. If you are called again, say, 'Speak, ADONAI; your servant is listening.' Sh'mu'el went and lay down in his place.

10 ADONAI came and stood, then spoke as at the other times: "Sh'mu'el! Sh'mu'el!"Then Sh'mu'el said, "Speak; your servant is listening."

11 ADONAI said to Sh'mu'el, "Look! I am going to do something in Isra'el that will make both ears of everyone who hears about it tingle.

12 On that day I will do against 'Eli everything I have said with regard to his family, from beginning to end.