The Strand Study Bible

I SAMUEL 3:4

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I SAMUEL 4:1

4 That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I. 5 And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down. 6 And the LORD called yet again, Samuel . And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again. 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him. 8 And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child. 9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10 And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel . Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth. 11 And the LORD said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle. The promise of death to Eli and his two sons (Fulfilled - I Sam 4:11,18 - c. 1061 BC) 12 1 In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end. 13 For 2 I have told him that I will judge his house for ever 3 for the iniquity which he knoweth; 4 because his sons made them- selves vile, 5 and he restrained them not. 14 And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor of- fering for ever. 15 And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision.

16 Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here am I. 17 And he said, What is the thing that the LORD hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that he said unto thee. 18 And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good. READ NEXT - Judges 12:8-15 Israel’s Thirteenth Judge - Samuel Date - c. 1105 BC/AM 2895 19 And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan even to Beer- sheba knew that 7 Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD. 21 And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD. Historical Note - Egyptian history continued c. 1100 BC with the Post Empire Period in which the Egyptian Empire quickly declined as a world power. Historical Note - Assyrian history continued c. 1100 BC with the Middle Kingdom Period in which twelve kings were known to have existed:

1. Fulfilled -

I Sam 4:11,18 (Death of Eli and his Two Sons) 2. I Sam 2:30-31 3. Rom 14:23 & Jms 4:17 4. I Tim 3:1-5 & Titus 1:5-6 5. Deut 21:18-21 & I Sam 2:23-25,29 & I Ki 1:6 6. Fulfilled - I Ki 2:27,35 (Eli’s Removal) 7. Gen 20:7 & Exo 7:1 Note – Samuel was thirty years old here.

1. Tiglath-Pileser I (c. 1100-1076 BC) 2. Tiglath-Pileser II (c. 972-957 BC) 3. Assurdan II (c. 957-933 BC) 4. Raman-Nirari II (c. 933- 922 BC) 5. Tukulti-Nindar (c. 922-917 BC) 6. Ashurnasirpal II (c. 917-899 BC) 7. Shalman-eser III (c. 899-847 BC) 8. Shamsi-Adad V (c. 847-834 BC) 9. Adad-Nirari III (c. 833-806 BC) 10.Shalmaneser IV (c. 805-796 BC) 11. Ashurdan III (c. 796-760 BC) 12. AshurNirari III (c. 760-745 BC)

READ NEXT - I Samuel 8-16 I Samuel 4 The Ark of God is captured Date - 1119 BC/AM 2881

1 And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Eben-ezer: and the Philistines pitched in Aphek.

3:7 In I Samuel 3 we discover an interesting truth about children under the age of accountability –God cares about them so much that they don’t even have to know Him for Him to know them, which is the opposite for adults (Mt 7:21-23). Which means: Children under the age of accountability are already considered safe in Jesus. There are two reasons for this: 1. The nature of God is such that He does not reap wrath where He has not sown knowledge ( I Sam 3 :11- 13 ) Children under the age of accountability are considered safe because God is just. His character is such that He does not hold people (especially children) accountable for what they do not know is true. Only to whom much is given is much required (Lk 12:48).