1 Samuel 3:6 (KJV)

Passage

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.

Nearby Context

1 Samuel 3:4 That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.

1 Samuel 3:5 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.

1 Samuel 3:6 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.

1 Samuel 3:7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him.

1 Samuel 3:8 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.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "called", "lord", "again", "samuel", "arose", "went", and "said". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "called" and "lord", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 5's "And he ran unto Eli and said..." into verse 7's "Now Samuel did not yet know the...", so "called" and "lord" belong inside that flow. In 1 Samuel context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "called" and "lord" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.