How does Samuel learn who is calling him, and what does the Lord tell him about Heli’s house?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

After Samuel goes to Heli three times, Heli understands that the Lord is calling and tells him how to answer. The Lord then tells Samuel that he will carry out the warning against Heli’s house because Heli knew his sons did wickedly and did not chastise them.

Chapter breakdown

The child Samuel ministers to the Lord before Heli. The word of the Lord is precious in those days, and there is no manifest vision; Challoner separately explains precious as rare. One day Heli lies in his place, his eyes so dim that he cannot see. Before the lamp of God goes out, Samuel sleeps in the Lord’s temple, where the ark of God is. The Lord calls Samuel, who answers that he is here and runs to Heli, saying Heli called him. Heli says he did not call and sends him back to sleep; Samuel goes and sleeps. The Lord calls again. Samuel rises, goes to Heli and says he called him. Heli again denies calling, addresses him as his son and tells him to return and sleep. Samuel does not yet know the Lord, and the Lord’s word has not yet been revealed to him. At the third call he again rises, goes to Heli and says he called. Heli now understands that the Lord calls the child. He tells Samuel to go and sleep and, if called again, say that the Lord should speak because his servant hears. Samuel goes and sleeps in his place. The Lord comes and stands, calling Samuel twice by name as he had called before. Samuel answers as Heli instructed.

The Lord tells Samuel he will do something in Israel that makes both ears of whoever hears it tingle. On that day he will carry out all he has spoken against Heli’s house, beginning and making an end. He has foretold that he will judge the house forever for its iniquity, because Heli knew his sons did wickedly and did not chastise them. He has therefore sworn that the house’s iniquity will not be atoned for with victims or offerings forever. Samuel sleeps until morning and opens the doors of the Lord’s house, afraid to tell Heli the vision. Heli calls him his son, and Samuel answers that he is here. Heli asks what the Lord said and begs him to hide nothing. He calls for God to do so and so to Samuel, and add so and so, if Samuel hides even one word. Samuel tells him all the words without hiding them. Heli answers that it is the Lord and lets him do what is good in his sight.

Samuel grows, the Lord is with him, and not one of his words falls to the ground. All Israel, from Dan to Bersabee, knows Samuel is a faithful prophet of the Lord. The Lord again appears in Silo, revealing himself to Samuel there according to his word, and Samuel’s word comes to pass to all Israel.

The story inside

Samuel’s repeated visits to Heli come before his first recorded answer to the Lord. Heli’s understanding after the third visit supplies the instruction Samuel uses at the next call. The message concerns Heli’s knowledge of his sons’ wicked acts and his failure to chastise them. Samuel fears telling it, but Heli asks for every word under a conditional curse, and Samuel withholds nothing. Heli accepts the Lord’s action in his reply. The ending follows Samuel’s growth and the fulfillment of his words with Israel’s recognition of him from Dan to Bersabee and renewed revelation at Silo.

Lessons worth keeping

1
Heli helps Samuel recognize the call. Samuel has not yet received the Lord’s revealed word, so he repeatedly goes to Heli. The third visit changes Heli’s understanding and leads to the instruction Samuel follows.
2
The warning gives a specific reason and consequence. Heli knew his sons did wickedly and did not chastise them; the Lord says the house’s iniquity will not be atoned for by victims or offerings forever. Keeping those terms avoids turning the warning into a new general rule.
3
Fear and full disclosure are both recorded. Samuel fears telling Heli, yet after Heli demands every word he hides none. The later account says the Lord is with him, his words do not fail and all Israel recognizes him as a faithful prophet.

Test your recall

Why does Samuel go to Heli three times, how does Heli’s instruction change his answer, and why does the Lord announce judgment against Heli’s house?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 28409–28448
1 Kings Chapter 3 Samuel is four times called by the Lord: who revealeth to him the evil that shall fall on Heli, and his house. 3:1. Now the child Samuel ministered to the Lord before Heli, and the word of the Lord was precious in those days, there was no manifest vision. Precious.... That is, rare. 3:2. And it came to pass one day when Heli lay in his place, and his eyes were grown dim, that he could not see: 3:3. Before the lamp of God went out, Samuel slept in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was. 3:4. And the Lord called Samuel. And he answered: Here am I. 3:5. And he ran to Heli, and said: Here am I: for thou didst call me. He said: I did not call: go back and sleep. And he went and slept. 3:6. And the Lord called Samuel again. And Samuel arose and went to Heli, and said: Here am I: for thou calledst me. He answered: I did not call thee, my son: return and sleep. 3:7. Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither had the word of the Lord been revealed to him. 3:8. And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose up and went to Heli, 3:9. And said: Here am I: for thou didst call me. Then Heli understood that the Lord called the child, and he said to Samuel: Go, and sleep: and if he shall call thee any more, thou shalt say: Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went, and slept in his place. 3:10. And the Lord came, and stood, and he called, as he had called the other times, Samuel, Samuel. And Samuel said: Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth.
Lines 28450–28475
3:11. And the Lord said to Samuel: Behold I do a thing in Israel: and whosoever shall hear it, both his ears shall tingle. 3:12. In that day I will raise up against Heli all the things I have spoken concerning his house: I will begin, and I will make an end. 3:13. For I have foretold unto him, that I will judge his house for ever, for iniquity, because he knew that his sons did wickedly, and did not chastise them. 3:14. Therefore have I sworn to the house of Heli, that the iniquity of his house shall not be expiated with victims nor offerings for ever. 3:15. And Samuel slept till morning, and opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel feared to tell the vision to Heli. 3:16. Then Heli called Samuel, and said: Samuel, my son. And he answered: Here am I. 3:17. And he asked him: What is the word that the Lord hath spoken to thee? I beseech thee hide it not from me. May God do so and so to thee, and add so and so, if thou hide from me one word of all that were said to thee. 3:18. So Samuel told him all the words, and did not hide them from him. And he answered: It is the Lord: let him do what is good in his sight.
Lines 28477–28487
3:19. And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and not one of his words fell to the ground. 3:20. And all Israel, from Dan to Bersabee, knew that Samuel was a faithful prophet of the Lord. 3:21. And the Lord again appeared in Silo, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Silo, according to the word of the Lord. And the word of Samuel came to pass to all Israel.