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From: 1 Samuel 3:1-10, 19-20

God Calls Samuel

[1] 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!” 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.”

[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 Beersheba knew that Samuel was
established as a prophet of the LORD.

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Commentary:

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 asser-
tion 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 obe-
dience 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 Sa-
muel 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). “Great-
ly 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 Sa-
muel’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 cove-
nant 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 interces-
sion: ‘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).”

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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.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.