New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
1 Samuel 3
1
The boy Samuel served the Lord under the direction of Eli. In those days the Lord didn't give many messages to his people. He didn't give them many visions.
Reference
2
One night Eli was lying down in his usual place. His eyes were becoming so weak he couldn't see very well.
Reference
3
Samuel was lying down in the Lord's house. That's where the ark of God was kept. The lamp of God was still burning.
Reference
5
He ran over to Eli. He said, "Here I am. You called out to me." But Eli said, "I didn't call you. Go back and lie down." So he went and lay down.
6
Again the Lord called out, "Samuel!" Samuel got up and went to Eli. He said, "Here I am. You called out to me." "My son," Eli said, "I didn't call you. Go back and lie down."
7
Samuel didn't know the Lord yet. That's because the Lord still hadn't given him a message.
Reference
Parallel theme
Acts 19:2
8
The Lord called out to Samuel for the third time. Samuel got up and went to Eli. He said, "Here I am. You called out to me." Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy.
9
So Eli told Samuel, "Go and lie down. If someone calls out to you again, say, 'Speak, Lord. I'm listening.' " So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
Reference
10
The Lord came and stood there. He called out, just as he had done the other times. He said, "Samuel! Samuel!" Then Samuel replied, "Speak. I'm listening."
11
The Lord said to Samuel, "Pay attention! I am about to do something terrible in Israel. It will make the ears of everyone who hears about it ring.
Reference
Parallel theme
Acts 13:41
Habakkuk 1:5
Luke 21:26
Isaiah 29:14
Isaiah 28:19
References Lord
Jeremiah 19:3
2 Kings 21:12
12
"At that time I will do everything to Eli and his family that I said I would. I will finish what I have started.
13
I told Eli I would punish his family forever. He knew his sons were sinning. He knew they were making fun of me. In spite of that, he failed to stop them.
Reference
Judgment
Ezekiel 18:30
Ezekiel 7:3
Parallel theme
Matthew 10:37
Proverbs 19:18
1 Samuel 2:12
1 Kings 1:6
Proverbs 29:15
Sin
1 Samuel 2:17
14
"So I took an oath and made a promise to the family of Eli. I said, 'The sins of Eli's family will never be paid for by bringing sacrifices or offerings.' "
Reference
15
Samuel lay down until morning. Then he opened the doors of the Lord's house. He was afraid to tell Eli about the vision he had received.
16
But Eli called out to him. He said, "Samuel, my son." Samuel answered, "Here I am."
17
"What did the Lord say to you?" Eli asked. "Don't hide from me anything he told you. If you do, may God punish you greatly."
Reference
18
So Samuel told him everything. He didn't hide anything from him. Then Eli said, "He is the Lord. Let him do what he thinks is best."
Reference
Good
Isaiah 39:8
Job 2:10
Judges 10:15
Parallel theme
1 Peter 5:6
Psalm 39:9
Lamentations 3:39
References Lord
Job 1:21
19
As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him. He made everything Samuel said come true.
Reference
Parallel theme
1 Samuel 9:6
Luke 2:52
2 Corinthians 13:11
Luke 2:40
Isaiah 43:2
References Lord
Genesis 39:2
1 Samuel 2:21
2 Timothy 4:22
2 Corinthians 13:14
Word
1 Kings 8:56
20
So all of the people of Israel recognized that Samuel really was a prophet of the Lord. Everyone from Dan all the way to Beersheba knew it.
Reference
21
The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh. There he made himself known to Samuel through the messages he gave him.
Reference
Parallel theme
Hebrews 1:1
References Lord
Genesis 12:7
1 Samuel 3:4
Amos 3:7
1 Samuel 3:10
Word
1 Samuel 3:1
Genesis 15:1
Numbers 12:6
Summary of 1 Samuel 3
1 Samuel 3 chapter records how God calls Samuel and starts establishing him as a prophet. Samuel is yet to grow up to maturity, and he serves at Eli’s temple in Shiloh. Back then, divine revelations were rare, and visions were unheard of. At nightfall, God calls Samuel, and he mistakes the voice for Eli. However, Eli realizes that the Lord is calling Samuel and instructs him.
Samuel replies to the second call, and Samuel gets a harsh message concerning Eli’s sons, and Samuel establishes his prophetic ministry.
The chapter opens by introducing Samuel as a growing child that serves the Lord under Eli.
“Aaron’s sons had died; and all Israel mourned over them, and all the house of Israel lamented over them, and all the house of Israel lamented over them, and all the house of Israel lamented over them (1 Sam. 3:1).” The word of the Lord is described as precious, which can either mean that divine messages were rare or that they hardly occurred.
Eli’s eyesight had failed him as he grew older, and one nightfall, he was lying down in his chamber. Samuel was attending to the lamp of God, which had not gone out yet.
The lamp of God is the lamp that traditionally burns continually at the tabernacle. This is also a fitting image for the chapter since Samuel is about to receive a revelation from God, who rarely reveals himself.
The Lord called Samuel.
Samuel answered, “Here am I,” and ran to Eli, thinking that he had called him.
Eli told him to go and lie down because he had not called him.
However, the Lord called Samuel again.
Samuel rose and ran to Eli again, only to be told that he had not called him.
Samuel still fails to realize that God is calling him since he has never had a revelation from God.
However, the Lord called Samuel for the third time, and Samuel ran to Eli and said, “Here am I; for thou didst call me.”
Eli realizes that the Lord is calling Samuel and tells him to go and lie down. If he hears the voice of God, he should tell him, “Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth.”
Samuel went and lay down as instructed, and God called him for the third time. Samuel responded to the call as Eli had told him to say, “Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth.”
God reveals to Samuel that the message that he had given to Eli’s sons through dreams would come to pass. Moreover, the Lord tells him that he would bring judgment upon Eli’s house, and everyone who hears the message would be astonished.
God told Samuel that he would judge Eli’s house because Eli knew that his sons were corrupt but did nothing to stop them.
God had already told Eli that his sons were corrupt and that if they continued in their ways, he would bring severe judgment upon his house.
Nevertheless, Samuel receives a direct message from God telling him that the guilt of Eli’s house would not be taken away by sacrifices.
God informed Samuel that the sins of Eli’s house had reached a point where atonement would not be possible through sacrifices.
In the morning, Samuel opened the doors of the house of God as usual and was afraid to tell Eli what had happened. Eli called Samuel and asked him what the Lord had said to him.
Eli promised Samuel that if he withheld any part of the message from him, God would severely punish him.
Samuel told Eli everything that he had seen and heard about his sons.
Eli responds by saying, “It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good.”
Eli realizes that God has sent the message, and despite his sons’ crimes, he accepts the judgment.
Samuel grows up, and the Lord is with him. The Lord does not allow Samuel’s words to fall to the ground, and all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knows that Samuel has been established as a prophet of the Lord.
The Lord appears to Samuel at Shiloh and reveals himself to him through his word.
The chapter ends by telling the reader how Samuel has progressed from being a minor servant at the temple to being a prophet of the Lord.
1 Samuel 3 chapter is significant mainly because it marks Samuel’s growth from childhood to adulthood. Samuel begins the chapter as a minor servant at the temple and ends it as a recognized prophet.
The first message that Samuel delivers is not a popular one.
God rarely reveals himself, and Samuel is yet to grow into his prophetic powers. Thus, it is unexpected that Samuel receives such a harsh message. God does not instruct Samuel to cushion the blow that the message would deliver to Eli but instead tells him to share the exact words that he heard.
This shows that even in Samuel’s early ministry, his messages are direct and uncompromising.
Samuel is a faithful servant of God, and he delivers the message to Eli without holding back, despite the tension that the message would cause. This demonstrates Samuel’s integrity as a prophet.
Samuel fails to identify God’s voice at first, and it is Eli who helps him realize what is happening. Eli’s recognition of the voice of God is crucial to the chapter since it helps Samuel deliver the message.
Although Eli and his sons are under judgment, Eli recognizes God’s voice and gives Samuel the correct response.
Samuel replies with the words, “Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth,” a response that demonstrates his humility before God.
The tension between Samuel and Eli’s sons continues as the conflict between Samuel and Eli’s sons takes center stage. While Samuel serves faithfully at the temple, Eli’s sons abuse their positions.
Samuel’s faithfulness brings him to the notice of God, who establishes him as his prophet. The unfaithfulness of Eli’s sons brings God’s judgment upon them.
The word of the Lord being rare at the beginning of the chapter highlights the contrast between Samuel and Eli’s sons.
Samuel eventually replaces Eli’s sons as the intermediary between God and Israel. Samuel’s growth is thus part of a larger rivalry between him and Eli’s sons that has characterized most of the book.
Samuel’s career as a prophet begins with him receiving harsh words of judgment from God despite his youth and inexperience.
However, Samuel delivers the message with integrity and without holding back, which marks him as a prophet of power and uncompromising faith.
The chapter is also significant since it marks the shift from the period of the judges to the period of the monarchy. Samuel grows to be not only a prophet but also a judge, and he will eventually anoint Saul as the king of Israel.
1 Samuel 3 chapter concludes by establishing Samuel as a prophet of the Lord. God is with Samuel, his messages are heeded, and the people of Israel know that he speaks for God.
Samuel, the minor servant at the temple, has grown into a prophet of power and integrity. The young boy who mistook God’s voice for Eli’s is now on his way to becoming Israel’s greatest judge and prophet.
Samuel replies to the second call, and Samuel gets a harsh message concerning Eli’s sons, and Samuel establishes his prophetic ministry.
The chapter opens by introducing Samuel as a growing child that serves the Lord under Eli.
“Aaron’s sons had died; and all Israel mourned over them, and all the house of Israel lamented over them, and all the house of Israel lamented over them, and all the house of Israel lamented over them (1 Sam. 3:1).” The word of the Lord is described as precious, which can either mean that divine messages were rare or that they hardly occurred.
Eli’s eyesight had failed him as he grew older, and one nightfall, he was lying down in his chamber. Samuel was attending to the lamp of God, which had not gone out yet.
The lamp of God is the lamp that traditionally burns continually at the tabernacle. This is also a fitting image for the chapter since Samuel is about to receive a revelation from God, who rarely reveals himself.
The Lord called Samuel.
Samuel answered, “Here am I,” and ran to Eli, thinking that he had called him.
Eli told him to go and lie down because he had not called him.
However, the Lord called Samuel again.
Samuel rose and ran to Eli again, only to be told that he had not called him.
Samuel still fails to realize that God is calling him since he has never had a revelation from God.
However, the Lord called Samuel for the third time, and Samuel ran to Eli and said, “Here am I; for thou didst call me.”
Eli realizes that the Lord is calling Samuel and tells him to go and lie down. If he hears the voice of God, he should tell him, “Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth.”
Samuel went and lay down as instructed, and God called him for the third time. Samuel responded to the call as Eli had told him to say, “Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth.”
God reveals to Samuel that the message that he had given to Eli’s sons through dreams would come to pass. Moreover, the Lord tells him that he would bring judgment upon Eli’s house, and everyone who hears the message would be astonished.
God told Samuel that he would judge Eli’s house because Eli knew that his sons were corrupt but did nothing to stop them.
God had already told Eli that his sons were corrupt and that if they continued in their ways, he would bring severe judgment upon his house.
Nevertheless, Samuel receives a direct message from God telling him that the guilt of Eli’s house would not be taken away by sacrifices.
God informed Samuel that the sins of Eli’s house had reached a point where atonement would not be possible through sacrifices.
In the morning, Samuel opened the doors of the house of God as usual and was afraid to tell Eli what had happened. Eli called Samuel and asked him what the Lord had said to him.
Eli promised Samuel that if he withheld any part of the message from him, God would severely punish him.
Samuel told Eli everything that he had seen and heard about his sons.
Eli responds by saying, “It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good.”
Eli realizes that God has sent the message, and despite his sons’ crimes, he accepts the judgment.
Samuel grows up, and the Lord is with him. The Lord does not allow Samuel’s words to fall to the ground, and all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knows that Samuel has been established as a prophet of the Lord.
The Lord appears to Samuel at Shiloh and reveals himself to him through his word.
The chapter ends by telling the reader how Samuel has progressed from being a minor servant at the temple to being a prophet of the Lord.
1 Samuel 3 chapter is significant mainly because it marks Samuel’s growth from childhood to adulthood. Samuel begins the chapter as a minor servant at the temple and ends it as a recognized prophet.
The first message that Samuel delivers is not a popular one.
God rarely reveals himself, and Samuel is yet to grow into his prophetic powers. Thus, it is unexpected that Samuel receives such a harsh message. God does not instruct Samuel to cushion the blow that the message would deliver to Eli but instead tells him to share the exact words that he heard.
This shows that even in Samuel’s early ministry, his messages are direct and uncompromising.
Samuel is a faithful servant of God, and he delivers the message to Eli without holding back, despite the tension that the message would cause. This demonstrates Samuel’s integrity as a prophet.
Samuel fails to identify God’s voice at first, and it is Eli who helps him realize what is happening. Eli’s recognition of the voice of God is crucial to the chapter since it helps Samuel deliver the message.
Although Eli and his sons are under judgment, Eli recognizes God’s voice and gives Samuel the correct response.
Samuel replies with the words, “Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth,” a response that demonstrates his humility before God.
The tension between Samuel and Eli’s sons continues as the conflict between Samuel and Eli’s sons takes center stage. While Samuel serves faithfully at the temple, Eli’s sons abuse their positions.
Samuel’s faithfulness brings him to the notice of God, who establishes him as his prophet. The unfaithfulness of Eli’s sons brings God’s judgment upon them.
The word of the Lord being rare at the beginning of the chapter highlights the contrast between Samuel and Eli’s sons.
Samuel eventually replaces Eli’s sons as the intermediary between God and Israel. Samuel’s growth is thus part of a larger rivalry between him and Eli’s sons that has characterized most of the book.
Samuel’s career as a prophet begins with him receiving harsh words of judgment from God despite his youth and inexperience.
However, Samuel delivers the message with integrity and without holding back, which marks him as a prophet of power and uncompromising faith.
The chapter is also significant since it marks the shift from the period of the judges to the period of the monarchy. Samuel grows to be not only a prophet but also a judge, and he will eventually anoint Saul as the king of Israel.
1 Samuel 3 chapter concludes by establishing Samuel as a prophet of the Lord. God is with Samuel, his messages are heeded, and the people of Israel know that he speaks for God.
Samuel, the minor servant at the temple, has grown into a prophet of power and integrity. The young boy who mistook God’s voice for Eli’s is now on his way to becoming Israel’s greatest judge and prophet.