וְהַנַּעַר שְׁמוּאֵל מְשָׁרֵת אֶת־יְהוָה לִפְנֵי עֵלִי וּדְבַר־יְהוָה הָיָה יָקָר בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם אֵין חָזוֹן נִפְרָץ׃   3:1

1Sam. 3:1   And the boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli, but the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there were no visions being dispersed.

וַיְהִי בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא וְעֵלִי שֹׁכֵב בִּמְקֹמוֹ ועינו וְעֵינָיו הֵחֵלּוּ כֵהוֹת לֹא יוּכַל לִרְאוֹת׃   3:2

1Sam. 3:2   And it was in that day when Eli laid down in his place, and his eyes had become so dim he was not able to see,

וְנֵר אֱלֹהִים טֶרֶם יִכְבֶּה וּשְׁמוּאֵל שֹׁכֵב בְּהֵיכַל יְהוָה אֲשֶׁר־שָׁם אֲרוֹן אֱלֹהִים׃   3:3

1Sam. 3:3   but the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel laid down in the Temple of the Lord where the ark of God was,

וַיִּקְרָא יְהוָה אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵל וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּנִי׃   3:4

1Sam. 3:4   that the Lord called to Samuel, and he said, “Here I am.”

Presuming that the lamp of God mentioned in v. 3:3 was the candle stick of the ner tamid, the time would have been sometime during the night, perhaps not long before dawn.

וַיָּרָץ אֶל־עֵלִי וַיֹּאמֶר הִנְנִי כִּי־קָרָאתָ לִּי וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא־קָרָאתִי שׁוּב שְׁכָב וַיֵּלֶךְ וַיִּשְׁכָּב׃   3:5

1Sam. 3:5   And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called to me.”  But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.”  And he went and lay down.

וַיֹּסֶף יְהוָה קְרֹא עוֹד שְׁמוּאֵל וַיָּקָם שְׁמוּאֵל וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶל־עֵלִי וַיֹּאמֶר הִנְנִי כִּי קָרָאתָ לִי וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא־   3:6

קָרָאתִי בְנִי שׁוּב שְׁכָב׃

1Sam. 3:6   And the Lord called yet again: “Samuel!” So Samuel rose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called to me.” And he said, “I did not call, my son; again lie down.”

וּשְׁמוּאֵל טֶרֶם יָדַע אֶת־יְהוָה וְטֶרֶם יִגָּלֶה אֵלָיו דְּבַר־יְהוָה׃   3:7

1Sam. 3:7   Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, so the word of the Lord could not yet be revealed to him.

וַיֹּסֶף יְהוָה קְרֹא־שְׁמוּאֵל בַּשְּׁלִשִׁית וַיָּקָם וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶל־עֵלִי וַיֹּאמֶר הִנְנִי כִּי קָרָאתָ לִי וַיָּבֶן עֵלִי כִּי יְהוָה   3:8

קֹרֵא לַנָּעַר׃

1Sam. 3:8   And the Lord called Samuel again, for the third time.  And he rose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called to me.”  Then Eli understood that the Lord was calling to the boy.

וַיֹּאמֶר עֵלִי לִשְׁמוּאֵל לֵךְ שְׁכָב וְהָיָה אִם־יִקְרָא אֵלֶיךָ וְאָמַרְתָּ דַּבֵּר יְהוָה כִּי שֹׁמֵעַ עַבְדֶּךָ וַיֵּלֶךְ   3:9

שְׁמוּאֵל וַיִּשְׁכַּב בִּמְקוֹמוֹ׃

1Sam. 3:9   So Eli said to Samuel, “Go lie down and let it be; if one calls to you, then you say, “Speak, O Lord, for your servant has heard.”  So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

וַיָּבֹא יְהוָה וַיִּתְיַצַּב וַיִּקְרָא כְפַעַם־בְּפַעַם שְׁמוּאֵל שְׁמוּאֵל וַיֹּאמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל דַּבֵּר כִּי שֹׁמֵעַ עַבְדֶּךָ׃   3:10

1Sam. 3:10   Then the Lord came and presented Himself and called like time after time: “Samuel, Samuel!”  And Samuel said, “Speak, for Your servant has heard.”

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵל הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי עֹשֶׂה דָבָר בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר כָּל־שֹׁמְעוֹ תְּצִלֶּינָה שְׁתֵּי אָזְנָיו׃   3:11

1Sam. 3:11   And the Lord said to Samuel, “Behold, I will do something in Israel that whoever hears it, both his ears will tingle.”

בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא אָקִים אֶל־עֵלִי אֵת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתִּי אֶל־בֵּיתוֹ הָחֵל וְכַלֵּה׃   3:12

1Sam. 3:12   “In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken about his house, the beginning and the end.”

וְהִגַּדְתִּי לוֹ כִּי־שֹׁפֵט אֲנִי אֶת־בֵּיתוֹ עַד־עוֹלָם בַּעֲוֺן אֲשֶׁר־יָדַע כִּי־מְקַלְלִים לָהֶם בָּנָיו וְלֹא כִהָה בָּם׃   3:13

1Sam. 3:13   “And I have declared to him that I have judged his house for ever in the iniquity that he knew that his sons were bringing a curse on themselves and he did not use restraint over them.”

וְלָכֵן נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי לְבֵית עֵלִי אִם־יִתְכַּפֵּר עֲוֺן בֵּית־עֵלִי בְּזֶבַח וּבְמִנְחָה עַד־עוֹלָם׃   3:14

1Sam. 3:14   “And therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli the iniquity of the house of Eli shall not be purged by sacrifice or by offering for ever.”                              [Return to 1Kin. 2:27]

וַיִּשְׁכַּב שְׁמוּאֵל עַד־הַבֹּקֶר וַיִּפְתַּח אֶת־דַּלְתוֹת בֵּית־יְהוָה וּשְׁמוּאֵל יָרֵא מֵהַגִּיד אֶת־הַמַּרְאָה   3:15

 אֶל־עֵלִי׃

1Sam. 3:15   And Samuel lay until the morning, then opened the doors of the house of the Lord.  And Samuel was afraid to relate the vision to Eli.

וַיִּקְרָא עֵלִי אֶת־שְׁמוּאֵל וַיֹּאמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל בְּנִי וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּנִי׃   3:16

1Sam. 3:16   Then Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.”  And he said, “Here I am.”

וַיֹּאמֶר מָה הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר אֵלֶיךָ אַל־נָא תְכַחֵד מִמֶּנִּי כֹּה יַעֲשֶׂה־לְּךָ אֱלֹהִים וְכֹה יוֹסִיף אִם־   3:17

תְּכַחֵד מִמֶּנִּי דָּבָר מִכָּל־הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּר אֵלֶיך׃ָ

1Sam. 3:17   And he said, “What is the word that He spoke to you?  I pray you, do not conceal from me.  So may God do to you and also more if you conceal from me a thing from all the words that He spoke to you.”

וַיַּגֶּד־לוֹ שְׁמוּאֵל אֶת־כָּל־הַדְּבָרִים וְלֹא כִחֵד מִמֶּנּוּ וַיֹּאמַר יְהוָה הוּא הַטּוֹב בְּעֵינָו יַעֲשֶׂה׃   3:18

1Sam. 3:18   So Samuel related to him all the words and did not hide from him.  And he said, “The Lord it is.  What is good in His eyes, let Him do.”

וַיִּגְדַּל שְׁמוּאֵל וַיהוָה הָיָה עִמּוֹ וְלֹא־הִפִּיל מִכָּל־דְּבָרָיו אָרְצָה׃   3:19

1Sam. 3:19   And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and did not let from any of his words fall to the ground.

I assume this verse refers to Samuel’s future prophesies.  Notice that he is called a prophet in the next verse.

וַיֵּדַע כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל מִדָּן וְעַד־בְּאֵר שָׁבַע כִּי נֶאֱמָן שְׁמוּאֵל לְנָבִיא לַיהוָה׃   3:20

1Sam. 3:20   And all Israel knew, from Dan and as far as Beer-sheba, that Samuel was established as a prophet for the Lord.

וַיֹּסֶף יְהוָה לְהֵרָאֹה בְשִׁלֹה כִּי־נִגְלָה יְהוָה אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵל בְּשִׁלוֹ בִּדְבַר יְהוָה׃   3:21

1Sam. 3:21   And the Lord began again to appear in Shiloh, for the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh with the word of the Lord.

[Return to 1Samuel Chapters]    [Prev.:  1Sam. 2]    [Next:  1Sam. 4]