Samuel learns that God may speak quietly, yet persistently.
“So the LORD called Samuel again for the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ Then Eli discerned that the LORD was calling the boy.” (1 Samuel 3:8). In this moment, the young Samuel, who lived in Shiloh around 1100 BC, hears a divine call from the LORD. The verse speaks of the third time Samuel responds to what he believes to be Eli’s voice. Shiloh was then the central place of worship in the hill country of Ephraim, in the land of Israel, where the Tabernacle was located. Samuel, destined to be a prophet and a key leader during a time of great transition in Israel’s history, is in a period of spiritual training under the priest Eli (dating to around the same era, around 1100 BC, shortly before the establishment of Israel’s monarchy).
In this passage, we see how “the LORD called Samuel again for the third time” (v.8), highlighting God’s patience and persistence. Eli initially fails to see that Samuel is being called by the LORD, but through this third beckoning, God’s voice becomes clearer, prompting the older priest to realize that the call is from the divine realm. Historically, Eli served as both judge and priest, bridging the time between the judges and the rise of prophets like Samuel, who would later anoint the first kings of Israel (1 Samuel 10:11 Samuel 16:13). This dynamic moment foreshadows the way in which God speaks to individuals directly, a pattern that reaches its ultimate fulfillment in the New Testament, where Jesus speaks intimately with His disciples (John 10:27).
Seeing “Samuel…went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am’” (v.8) also reminds us of the willingness every follower of God should have to respond when summoned. In the broader biblical story, Samuel’s readiness leads him to become one of the earliest major prophets, preparing the way for Israel’s transition to a monarchy under Saul and later David—both figures weaving into the lineage that ultimately leads to Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:1). Eli’s role shows us the importance of spiritual guidance and mentorship, as he points Samuel to a personal encounter with God that transforms both Samuel’s life and the history of Israel.
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1 Samuel 3:8 meaning
“So the LORD called Samuel again for the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ Then Eli discerned that the LORD was calling the boy.” (1 Samuel 3:8). In this moment, the young Samuel, who lived in Shiloh around 1100 BC, hears a divine call from the LORD. The verse speaks of the third time Samuel responds to what he believes to be Eli’s voice. Shiloh was then the central place of worship in the hill country of Ephraim, in the land of Israel, where the Tabernacle was located. Samuel, destined to be a prophet and a key leader during a time of great transition in Israel’s history, is in a period of spiritual training under the priest Eli (dating to around the same era, around 1100 BC, shortly before the establishment of Israel’s monarchy).
In this passage, we see how “the LORD called Samuel again for the third time” (v.8), highlighting God’s patience and persistence. Eli initially fails to see that Samuel is being called by the LORD, but through this third beckoning, God’s voice becomes clearer, prompting the older priest to realize that the call is from the divine realm. Historically, Eli served as both judge and priest, bridging the time between the judges and the rise of prophets like Samuel, who would later anoint the first kings of Israel (1 Samuel 10:1 1 Samuel 16:13). This dynamic moment foreshadows the way in which God speaks to individuals directly, a pattern that reaches its ultimate fulfillment in the New Testament, where Jesus speaks intimately with His disciples (John 10:27).
Seeing “Samuel…went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am’” (v.8) also reminds us of the willingness every follower of God should have to respond when summoned. In the broader biblical story, Samuel’s readiness leads him to become one of the earliest major prophets, preparing the way for Israel’s transition to a monarchy under Saul and later David—both figures weaving into the lineage that ultimately leads to Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:1). Eli’s role shows us the importance of spiritual guidance and mentorship, as he points Samuel to a personal encounter with God that transforms both Samuel’s life and the history of Israel.