YHWH Calls Samuel
1 Samuel 3The child Samuel ministered to YHWH before Eli. the word of YHWH was rare in those days. There were not many visions, then. At that time, when Eli was laid down in his place (now his eyes had begun to grow dim, so that he could not see), and God’s lamp hadn’t yet gone out, and Samuel had laid down in the temple of YHWH where the ark of God was, YHWH called Samuel. He said, “Here I am.”
He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; for you called me.”
He said, “I didn’t call. Lie down again.”
He went and lay down. YHWH called yet again, “Samuel!”
Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; for you called me.”
He answered, “I didn’t call, my son. Lie down again.” Now Samuel didn’t yet know YHWH, neither was the word of YHWH yet revealed to him. YHWH called Samuel again the third time. He arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; for you called me.”
Eli perceived that YHWH had called the child. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down. If ʜᴇ calls you, you are to say, ‘Speak, YHWH; for your servant hears.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. YHWH came, and stood, and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”
Then Samuel said, “Speak; for your servant hears.”
YHWH said to Samuel, “Look! I am about do a thing in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears it tingle. In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from the beginning even to the end. For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knew, because his sons brought a curse on themselves, and he didn’t restrain them. Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house will never be removed with sacrifice or offering forever.”
Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of YHWH. Samuel was afraid to show Eli the vision. Then Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son!”
He said, “Here I am.”
He said, “What is the thing that he has spoken to you? Please don’t hide it from me. God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the things that he spoke to you.”
Samuel told him every bit, and hid nothing from him.
He said, “It is YHWH. Let him do what seems good to him.”
Samuel grew, and YHWH was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. All Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of YHWH. YHWH appeared again in Shiloh; for YHWH revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of YHWH.