The Meaning of 1 Samuel 3:8 Explained

1 Samuel 3:8

KJV: 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.

YLT: And Jehovah addeth to call Samuel the third time, and he riseth and goeth unto Eli, and saith, 'Here am I, for thou hast called for me;' and Eli understandeth that Jehovah is calling to the youth.

Darby: And Jehovah called again the third time, Samuel! And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And Eli perceived that Jehovah was calling the boy.

ASV: And Jehovah called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And Eli perceived that Jehovah had called the child.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does 1 Samuel 3:8 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 3:1-9 - Speak, Lord For Thy Servant Heareth
As we read again these familiar verses, we are taken back in thought to the dear scenes of childhood-to the home we remember so well and to the mother's voice, perhaps now silent. This story, which was our favorite then, is hardly less dear to us now that we are well advanced on the pathway toward the home beyond.
The dying lamp of the Tabernacle, the glimmering dawn, the silence and awe of the Holy Place were in strict accord with the boy's attentive ear and opened heart. The rug or couch on which he lay was not too lowly for the eternal God to visit. Stooping from His high heaven, He came, and stood, and called. He was not angry because the child did not understand; nor did he, impatient of the delay, close the interview because He was not recognized. He knew that, once he understood, Samuel's heart would be eager to obey the call. With all of us there is ignorance as well as mistake. In our confusion we run hither and thither. It is best to lie still, even though the heart throbs and the attention is alert, until the knock is again heard on the door. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Samuel 3

1  How the word of the Lord was first revealed to Samuel
11  God tells Samuel the destruction of Eli's house
15  Samuel, though loath, tells Eli the vision
19  Samuel grows in credit

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 3:8 mean?

And again Yahweh called Samuel the third [time] and he arose and went to Eli and said Here I am for you did call me and perceived Eli that had called the boy
וַיֹּ֨סֶף יְהוָ֥ה קְרֹא־ שְׁמוּאֵל֮ בַּשְּׁלִשִׁית֒ וַיָּ֙קָם֙ וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ אֶל־ עֵלִ֔י וַיֹּ֣אמֶר הִנְנִ֔י כִּ֥י קָרָ֖אתָ לִ֑י וַיָּ֣בֶן עֵלִ֔י כִּ֥י קֹרֵ֥א לַנָּֽעַר

וַיֹּ֨סֶף  And  again 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָסַף 
Sense: to add, increase, do again.
יְהוָ֥ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
קְרֹא־  called 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
שְׁמוּאֵל֮  Samuel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שְׁמוּאֵל  
Sense: son of Elkanah by his wife Hannah and judge or prophet of Israel during the days of Saul and David.
בַּשְּׁלִשִׁית֒  the  third  [time] 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Number, ordinal feminine singular
Root: שְׁלִישִׁי 
Sense: third, one third, third part, third time.
וַיָּ֙קָם֙  and  he  arose 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ  and  went 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
עֵלִ֔י  Eli 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵלִי  
Sense: descendant of Aaron through Ithamar and high priest and judge of Israel when Samuel entered service as a child.
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הִנְנִ֔י  Here  I  am 
Parse: Interjection, first person common singular
Root: הֵן  
Sense: behold, lo, though hypothetical part.
קָרָ֖אתָ  you  did  call 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
לִ֑י  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
וַיָּ֣בֶן  and  perceived 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בִּין  
Sense: to discern, understand, consider.
עֵלִ֔י  Eli 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֵלִי  
Sense: descendant of Aaron through Ithamar and high priest and judge of Israel when Samuel entered service as a child.
כִּ֥י  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
קֹרֵ֥א  had  called 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
לַנָּֽעַר  the  boy 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: נַעַר  
Sense: a boy, lad, servant, youth, retainer.

What are the major concepts related to 1 Samuel 3:8?

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