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| Source: The Ramblings of a Crazy Woman |
1 Samuel 3:1-21
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)
Samuel’s Calling and Prophetic Activity
3 [a]Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.
2 At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim, so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place;3 the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down within the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the Lord called, “Samuel! Samuel!”[b] and he said, “Here I am!” 5 and ran to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down. 6 And the Lord called again, “Samuel!” and Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. 8 And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. 9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for thy servant hears.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 And the Lord came and stood forth, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for thy servant hears.” 11 Then the Lord said to Samuel, “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel, at which the two ears of every one that hears it will tingle. 12 On that day I will fulfil against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. 13 And I tell him that I am about to punish his house for ever, for the iniquity which he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God,[c] and he did not restrain them. 14 Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be expiated by sacrifice or offering for ever.”
15 Samuel lay until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. 16 But Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.” And he said, “Here I am.” 17 And Eli said, “What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also, if you hide anything from me of all that he told you.” 18 So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he said, “It is the Lord; let him do what seems good to him.”
19 And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of the Lord. 21 And the Lord appeared again at Shiloh, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord.
Footnotes:
- 3.1 This account of the prophetic vocation of Samuel (cf. Is 6) is meant to begin a new chapter in the spiritual history of Israel.
[Scripture and Footnotes obtained through BibleGateway]
Commentary
God calls Samuel
3:1–21. The account of Samuel’s vocation is a good example of a divine calling to perform a special mission: it shows both the attitudes that the person called should have and the demands that the divine call implies. Firstly (vv. 1–3), we are introduced to the protagonists (the Lord, Eli, Samuel) and the circumstances in which the action occurs—night-time when everyone is asleep, the temple, the ark, and the lamp of God still burning; all this shows that something exceptional is going on and God is behind it.
The second scene (vv. 4–8) is a charming dialogue between the Lord and Samuel, and between Samuel and Eli, at the end of which comes an unforgettable assertion of readiness on Samuel’s part, “Here I am, for you have called me” (v. 8). “This young boy gives us an example of the highest form of obedience. True obedience does not question the meaning of what is commanded, nor does it judge, since he who decides to practise perfect obedience renounces his own judgment” (St Gregory the Great, In primum Regum, 2, 4, 10–11).
In the third scene (vv. 9–14) we can see the dual role of every prophet from Samuel onwards—listening carefully to God (vv. 9–10) and faithfully passing on the message received, even if his listeners find it harsh (vv. 11–14; cf. v. 18). “Greatly blessed is he who hears the [voice of the] divine whispering in the silence and who often repeats that phrase of Samuel’s: ‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening’ ” (St Bernard, Sermones de diversis, 23, 7).
The last scene (3:19–4:1) is a summary of what will be Samuel’s future work as a prophet. A new stage is beginning in the life of the people of God; now God will make his will known through prophets who speak on God’s behalf to the people, the priests and even the king himself.
3:9–10. “Speak, Lord, for thy servant hears.” This prayer marked the start of Samuel’s life as a prophet called by God, and it epitomizes the way he acted: he cultivated his relationship with God assiduously and pleaded with him on behalf of the people. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2578, suggests, he learned all this from his mother from infancy onwards: “The prayer of the People of God flourishes in the shadow of God’s dwelling place, first the ark of the covenant and later the Temple. At first the leaders of the people—the shepherds and the prophets—teach them to pray. The infant Samuel must have learned from his mother Hannah how ‘to stand before the Lord’ (cf. 1 Sam 1:9–18) and from the priest Eli how to listen to his word: ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening’ (1 Sam 3:9–10). Later, he will also know the cost and consequence of intercession: ‘Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you; and I will instruct you in the good and the right way’ (1 Sam 12:23).”
Source: The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries. Biblical text from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
The second scene (vv. 4–8) is a charming dialogue between the Lord and Samuel, and between Samuel and Eli, at the end of which comes an unforgettable assertion of readiness on Samuel’s part, “Here I am, for you have called me” (v. 8). “This young boy gives us an example of the highest form of obedience. True obedience does not question the meaning of what is commanded, nor does it judge, since he who decides to practise perfect obedience renounces his own judgment” (St Gregory the Great, In primum Regum, 2, 4, 10–11).
In the third scene (vv. 9–14) we can see the dual role of every prophet from Samuel onwards—listening carefully to God (vv. 9–10) and faithfully passing on the message received, even if his listeners find it harsh (vv. 11–14; cf. v. 18). “Greatly blessed is he who hears the [voice of the] divine whispering in the silence and who often repeats that phrase of Samuel’s: ‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening’ ” (St Bernard, Sermones de diversis, 23, 7).
The last scene (3:19–4:1) is a summary of what will be Samuel’s future work as a prophet. A new stage is beginning in the life of the people of God; now God will make his will known through prophets who speak on God’s behalf to the people, the priests and even the king himself.
3:9–10. “Speak, Lord, for thy servant hears.” This prayer marked the start of Samuel’s life as a prophet called by God, and it epitomizes the way he acted: he cultivated his relationship with God assiduously and pleaded with him on behalf of the people. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2578, suggests, he learned all this from his mother from infancy onwards: “The prayer of the People of God flourishes in the shadow of God’s dwelling place, first the ark of the covenant and later the Temple. At first the leaders of the people—the shepherds and the prophets—teach them to pray. The infant Samuel must have learned from his mother Hannah how ‘to stand before the Lord’ (cf. 1 Sam 1:9–18) and from the priest Eli how to listen to his word: ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening’ (1 Sam 3:9–10). Later, he will also know the cost and consequence of intercession: ‘Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you; and I will instruct you in the good and the right way’ (1 Sam 12:23).”
Source: The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries. Biblical text from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
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