1 Samuel 3:16-21

16 Then Eli called Samuel and said, "Samuel, my son." And he said, "Here I am."

17 He said, "What is the word that He spoke to you? Please do not hide it from me. ¹May God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the words that He spoke to you."

18 So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he said, "²It is the LORD; let Him do what seems good to Him."

19 Thus ³Samuel grew and ⁴the LORD was with him and ⁵let none * of his words fail *.

20 All Israel ⁶from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the LORD.

21 And ⁷the LORD appeared again at Shiloh, ⁸because the LORD revealed Himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the LORD.

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1 Samuel 3:16-21 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

Cross References 8

1. 2 Samuel 3:35
2. Exodus 34:5-7; Leviticus 10:3; Job 2:10; Isaiah 39:8
3. 1 Samuel 2:21
4. Genesis 21:22; Genesis 28:15; Genesis 39:2
5. 1 Samuel 9:6
6. Judges 20:1
7. Genesis 12:7
8. 1 Samuel 3:10

Footnotes 1

[a]. Lit "fall to the ground"