Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here am I.
Eli affectionately calls Samuel as his son, and Samuel promptly answers that he is present and comes to him, just as he had done three times that night when he supposed God's voice was Eli's voice. In the events surrounding the call Samuel is God's messenger, established as a prophet who receives further revelations and makes God's warnings to Eli's household known to the nation. Eli accepts the rebuke delivered through him without resentment, loves Samuel, and condemns himself.
Eli calls because he is confident the message foretells great calamity to him and his house, in order to hear what God revealed, charging Samuel to relate faithfully what the Lord had revealed and directing him to hear and answer the Lord. Samuel had remained silent in the morning because God had not commanded him to reveal the fearful denunciation, going about his duties with a heavy burden on his young heart and avoiding Eli as far as possible. He was filled with fear and amazement at having so terrible a message committed to him, and trembled at having to declare divine judgment against one whom he loved and reverenced, lest some question should compel him to declare it, yet when Eli called him Samuel obeyed.
Eli is a good man pure in morals who loves purity, righteousness, peace and harmony, but he is too indulgent and lacking in force of character and moral courage to rebuke and reprove sin. His sons are vile men profaning God's house, and though he knows it and feels sad, he only remonstrates without restraining them or removing them from their position of trust, and does not have sufficient moral force to suppress the evil. He becomes increasingly insensible to impurity and crime, incurring God's displeasure because he does not strengthen the weak points in his character, and he fails in his sacred duty to train his children rightly.
The verse therefore means God has passed Eli by to commune with an innocent child who remained true amid evil, because Eli's neglect left him laid aside with dim eyes and shut out by sin from the Holy Spirit so God could not go forth with His people. This passing by is a bitter yet deserved rebuke to Eli and his house. The call comes so Eli may hear through Samuel the message of condemnation to his house that is Samuel's commission as a prophet.
Eli shows no envy, jealousy or resentment toward the child chosen in his place as God's messenger, but addresses him with affection, loves him as before, accepts the rebuke as deserved, and condemns himself. He bows in humble submission to the appalling sentence, acknowledging that the Lord may do what seems good to Him.
Through this call Samuel is commissioned as a prophet and chosen for God's service, entrusted with a solemn message of condemnation to Eli's house. He is established as a prophet who receives further revelations and makes God's warnings to Eli's household known to the nation.
The warning gives Eli a chance to work at correcting his children, but discouraged and thinking effort useless and blinded by neglect of duty, he does not repent as the Ninevites did and is only submissively indolent. His sin of neglect in failing to stand for the right and restrain wrong at last deprives Israel of strength and glory, leading to the slaying of his sons, the taking of the ark of God, and his own death.
The verse also shows a broader pattern in which God communicates with the child Samuel while still sending messages to the older Eli. Older persons can become so set in their own course that even when God sends messages they do not hear with a firm will to obey. Children and youth are more impressible so the Lord can instruct and mold their minds as He did Samuel's, raising up a large army of young soldiers for Christ to do a work adults could not do.
Eli affectionately calls Samuel as his son, and Samuel promptly answers that he is present and comes to him, just as he had done three times that night when he supposed God's voice was Eli's voice. In the events surrounding the call Samuel is God's messenger, established as a prophet who receives further revelations and makes God's warnings to Eli's household known to the nation. Eli accepts the rebuke delivered through him without resentment, loves Samuel, and condemns himself.
Eli calls because he is confident the message foretells great calamity to him and his house, in order to hear what God revealed, charging Samuel to relate faithfully what the Lord had revealed and directing him to hear and answer the Lord. Samuel had remained silent in the morning because God had not commanded him to reveal the fearful denunciation, going about his duties with a heavy burden on his young heart and avoiding Eli as far as possible. He was filled with fear and amazement at having so terrible a message committed to him, and trembled at having to declare divine judgment against one whom he loved and reverenced, lest some question should compel him to declare it, yet when Eli called him Samuel obeyed.
Eli is a good man pure in morals who loves purity, righteousness, peace and harmony, but he is too indulgent and lacking in force of character and moral courage to rebuke and reprove sin. His sons are vile men profaning God's house, and though he knows it and feels sad, he only remonstrates without restraining them or removing them from their position of trust, and does not have sufficient moral force to suppress the evil. He becomes increasingly insensible to impurity and crime, incurring God's displeasure because he does not strengthen the weak points in his character, and he fails in his sacred duty to train his children rightly.
The verse therefore means God has passed Eli by to commune with an innocent child who remained true amid evil, because Eli's neglect left him laid aside with dim eyes and shut out by sin from the Holy Spirit so God could not go forth with His people. This passing by is a bitter yet deserved rebuke to Eli and his house. The call comes so Eli may hear through Samuel the message of condemnation to his house that is Samuel's commission as a prophet.
Eli shows no envy, jealousy or resentment toward the child chosen in his place as God's messenger, but addresses him with affection, loves him as before, accepts the rebuke as deserved, and condemns himself. He bows in humble submission to the appalling sentence, acknowledging that the Lord may do what seems good to Him.
Through this call Samuel is commissioned as a prophet and chosen for God's service, entrusted with a solemn message of condemnation to Eli's house. He is established as a prophet who receives further revelations and makes God's warnings to Eli's household known to the nation.
The warning gives Eli a chance to work at correcting his children, but discouraged and thinking effort useless and blinded by neglect of duty, he does not repent as the Ninevites did and is only submissively indolent. His sin of neglect in failing to stand for the right and restrain wrong at last deprives Israel of strength and glory, leading to the slaying of his sons, the taking of the ark of God, and his own death.
The verse also shows a broader pattern in which God communicates with the child Samuel while still sending messages to the older Eli. Older persons can become so set in their own course that even when God sends messages they do not hear with a firm will to obey. Children and youth are more impressible so the Lord can instruct and mold their minds as He did Samuel's, raising up a large army of young soldiers for Christ to do a work adults could not do.