וְהַנַּ֧עַר שְׁמוּאֵ֛ל מְשָׁרֵ֥ת אֶת־יְהֹוָ֖ה לִפְנֵ֣י עֵלִ֑י וּדְבַר־יְהֹוָ֗ה הָיָ֤ה יָקָר֙ בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֔ם אֵ֥ין חָז֖וֹן נִפְרָֽץ׃ {ס} Young Samuel was in the service of GOD under Eli. In those days the word of GOD was rare; prophecy was not widespread.
וַֽיְהִי֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא וְעֵלִ֖י שֹׁכֵ֣ב בִּמְקוֹמ֑וֹ וְעֵינָו֙ הֵחֵ֣לּוּ כֵה֔וֹת לֹ֥א יוּכַ֖ל לִרְאֽוֹת׃ One day, Eli was asleep in his usual place; his eyes had begun to fail and he could barely see.
וְנֵ֤ר אֱלֹהִים֙ טֶ֣רֶם יִכְבֶּ֔ה וּשְׁמוּאֵ֖ל שֹׁכֵ֑ב בְּהֵיכַ֣ל יְהֹוָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־שָׁ֖ם אֲר֥וֹן אֱלֹהִֽים׃ {פ}
The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the temple of GOD where the Ark of God was.
וַיִּקְרָ֧א יְהֹוָ֛ה אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵ֖ל וַיֹּ֥אמֶר הִנֵּֽנִי׃ GOD called out to Samuel, and he answered, “I’m coming.”
וַיָּ֣רׇץ אֶל־עֵלִ֗י וַיֹּ֤אמֶר הִנְנִי֙ כִּֽי־קָרָ֣אתָ לִּ֔י וַיֹּ֥אמֶר לֹֽא־קָרָ֖אתִי שׁ֣וּב שְׁכָ֑ב וַיֵּ֖לֶךְ וַיִּשְׁכָּֽב׃ {ס} He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” But he replied, “I didn’t call you; go back to sleep.” So he went back and lay down.
וַיֹּ֣סֶף יְהֹוָ֗ה קְרֹ֣א עוֹד֮ שְׁמוּאֵל֒ וַיָּ֤קׇם שְׁמוּאֵל֙ וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ אֶל־עֵלִ֔י וַיֹּ֣אמֶר הִנְנִ֔י כִּ֥י קָרָ֖אתָ לִ֑י וַיֹּ֛אמֶר לֹא־קָרָ֥אתִֽי בְנִ֖י שׁ֥וּב שְׁכָֽב׃ Again GOD called, “Samuel!” Samuel rose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” But he replied, “I didn’t call, my son; go back to sleep.”—
וּשְׁמוּאֵ֕ל טֶ֖רֶם יָדַ֣ע אֶת־יְהֹוָ֑ה וְטֶ֛רֶם יִגָּלֶ֥ה אֵלָ֖יו דְּבַר־יְהֹוָֽה׃ Now Samuel had not yet experienced GOD; the word of GOD had not yet been revealed to him.—
וַיֹּ֨סֶף יְהֹוָ֥ה קְרֹֽא־שְׁמוּאֵל֮ בַּשְּׁלִישִׁת֒ וַיָּ֙קׇם֙ וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ אֶל־עֵלִ֔י וַיֹּ֣אמֶר הִנְנִ֔י כִּ֥י קָרָ֖אתָ לִ֑י וַיָּ֣בֶן עֵלִ֔י כִּ֥י יְהֹוָ֖ה קֹרֵ֥א לַנָּֽעַר׃ GOD called Samuel again, a third time, and he rose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” Then Eli understood that GOD was calling the boy.
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר עֵלִ֣י לִשְׁמוּאֵל֮ לֵ֣ךְ ׀ שְׁכָב֒ וְהָיָה֙ אִם־יִקְרָ֣א אֵלֶ֔יךָ וְאָֽמַרְתָּ֙ דַּבֵּ֣ר יְהֹוָ֔ה כִּ֥י שֹׁמֵ֖עַ עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל וַיִּשְׁכַּ֖ב בִּמְקוֹמֽוֹ׃ And Eli said to Samuel, “Go lie down. If you are called again, say, ‘Speak, GOD, for Your servant is listening.’” And Samuel went to his place and lay down.
וַיָּבֹ֤א יְהֹוָה֙ וַיִּתְיַצַּ֔ב וַיִּקְרָ֥א כְפַֽעַם־בְּפַ֖עַם שְׁמוּאֵ֣ל ׀ שְׁמוּאֵ֑ל וַיֹּ֤אמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל֙ דַּבֵּ֔ר כִּ֥י שֹׁמֵ֖עַ עַבְדֶּֽךָ׃ {פ}
GOD
started communicating,astarted communicating Lit. “came and stood there”; cf. Abravanel. calling as before: “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.”
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהֹוָה֙ אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל הִנֵּ֧ה אָנֹכִ֛י עֹשֶׂ֥ה דָבָ֖ר בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אֲשֶׁר֙ כׇּל־שֹׁ֣מְע֔וֹ תְּצִלֶּ֖ינָה שְׁתֵּ֥י אׇזְנָֽיו׃ GOD said to Samuel: “I am going to do in Israel such a thing that both ears of anyone who hears about it will tingle.
בַּיּ֤וֹם הַהוּא֙ אָקִ֣ים אֶל־עֵלִ֔י אֵ֛ת כׇּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּ֖רְתִּי אֶל־בֵּית֑וֹ הָחֵ֖ל וְכַלֵּֽה׃ In that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I spoke concerning his house, from beginning to end.
וְהִגַּ֣דְתִּי ל֔וֹ כִּֽי־שֹׁפֵ֥ט אֲנִ֛י אֶת־בֵּית֖וֹ עַד־עוֹלָ֑ם בַּעֲוֺ֣ן אֲשֶׁר־יָדַ֗ע כִּֽי־מְקַלְלִ֤ים לָהֶם֙ בָּנָ֔יו וְלֹ֥א כִהָ֖ה בָּֽם׃ And I declare to him that I sentence his house to endless punishment for the iniquity he knew about—how his sons committed sacrilege at willbat will Meaning of Heb. uncertain. Septuagint reads “against God.”—and he did not rebuke them.
וְלָכֵ֥ן נִשְׁבַּ֖עְתִּי לְבֵ֣ית עֵלִ֑י אִֽם־יִתְכַּפֵּ֞ר עֲוֺ֧ן בֵּית־עֵלִ֛י בְּזֶ֥בַח וּבְמִנְחָ֖ה עַד־עוֹלָֽם׃ Assuredly, I swear concerning the house of Eli that the iniquity of the house of Eli will never be expiated by sacrifice or offering.”
וַיִּשְׁכַּ֤ב שְׁמוּאֵל֙ עַד־הַבֹּ֔קֶר וַיִּפְתַּ֖ח אֶת־דַּלְת֣וֹת בֵּית־יְהֹוָ֑ה וּשְׁמוּאֵ֣ל יָרֵ֔א מֵהַגִּ֥יד אֶת־הַמַּרְאָ֖ה אֶל־עֵלִֽי׃ Samuel lay there until morning; and then he opened the doors of the House of GOD. Samuel was afraid to report the vision to Eli,
וַיִּקְרָ֤א עֵלִי֙ אֶת־שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל וַיֹּ֖אמֶר שְׁמוּאֵ֣ל בְּנִ֑י וַיֹּ֖אמֶר הִנֵּֽנִי׃ but Eli summoned Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son”; and he answered, “Here.”
וַיֹּ֗אמֶר מָ֤ה הַדָּבָר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר דִּבֶּ֣ר אֵלֶ֔יךָ אַל־נָ֥א תְכַחֵ֖ד מִמֶּ֑נִּי כֹּ֣ה יַֽעֲשֶׂה־לְּךָ֤ אֱלֹהִים֙ וְכֹ֣ה יוֹסִ֔יף אִם־תְּכַחֵ֤ד מִמֶּ֙נִּי֙ דָּבָ֔ר מִכׇּל־הַדָּבָ֖ר אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֥ר אֵלֶֽיךָ׃ And [Eli] asked, “What did [God] say to you? Keep nothing from me. Thus and more may God do to youcThus and more may God do to you A formula of adjuration. if you keep from me a single word of all that was said to you!”
וַיַּגֶּד־ל֤וֹ שְׁמוּאֵל֙ אֶת־כׇּל־הַדְּבָרִ֔ים וְלֹ֥א כִחֵ֖ד מִמֶּ֑נּוּ וַיֹּאמַ֕ר יְהֹוָ֣ה ה֔וּא הַטּ֥וֹב בְּעֵינָ֖ו יַעֲשֶֽׂה׃ {פ}
Samuel then told him everything, withholding nothing from him. And [Eli] said, “GOD will always do what is right.”
וַיִּגְדַּ֖ל שְׁמוּאֵ֑ל וַֽיהֹוָה֙ הָיָ֣ה עִמּ֔וֹ וְלֹא־הִפִּ֥יל מִכׇּל־דְּבָרָ֖יו אָֽרְצָה׃ Samuel grew up and GOD was with him—not leaving any of his predictions unfulfilled.
וַיֵּ֙דַע֙ כׇּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מִדָּ֖ן וְעַד־בְּאֵ֣ר שָׁ֑בַע כִּ֚י נֶאֱמָ֣ן שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל לְנָבִ֖יא לַיהֹוָֽה׃ {ס} All Israel, from Dan to Beer-sheba, knew that Samuel was trustworthy as a prophet of GOD.
וַיֹּ֥סֶף יְהֹוָ֖ה לְהֵרָאֹ֣ה בְשִׁלֹ֑ה כִּֽי־נִגְלָ֨ה יְהֹוָ֧ה אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵ֛ל בְּשִׁל֖וֹ בִּדְבַ֥ר יְהֹוָֽה׃ {פ}
And GOD continued to appeardappear Or “make contact.” at Shiloh—GOD being revealed to Samuel at Shiloh with the word of GOD;