1 Samuel 3:4

4 And the Lord called Samuel; and he answered and said, Lo! I./Lo! I am ready. (the Lord called to Samuel; and he answered and said, Lo! I am here.)

1 Samuel 3:4 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 3:4

That the Lord called Samuel
By a voice which came forth from the most holy place, from between the cherubim, the seat of the divine Majesty:

and he answered, here am I;
which was not intended to declare the place where he was, but to express his readiness and cheerfulness to do any thing that was required of him.

1 Samuel 3:4 In-Context

2 Therefore it was done in a day, Eli lay in his bed, and his eyes dimmed, and he might not see; (And so it was done one night, when Eli lay on his bed, and his eyes had dimmed, and he could not see;)
3 the lantern of the Lord was not yet quenched. And Samuel slept in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was. (and Samuel also slept in the Temple of the Lord, where the Ark of God was. And one morning, before that the lantern of God was quenched,)
4 And the Lord called Samuel; and he answered and said, Lo! I./Lo! I am ready. (the Lord called to Samuel; and he answered and said, Lo! I am here.)
5 And he ran to Eli, and said to him, Lo! I; for thou calledest me. And Eli said, I called not thee; turn thou again and sleep. And he went and slept. (And he ran to Eli, and said to him, Lo! I am here; for thou hast called me. And Eli said, I did not call thee; return thou, and go to sleep. And so he went and slept again.)
6 And the Lord added again to call Samuel; and Samuel rose (up), and went to Eli, and said, Lo! I (am) here; for thou calledest me. And Eli answered, I called not thee, my son; turn thou again and sleep (And Eli answered, I did not call thee, my son; return thou, and go back to sleep).
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.