1 Samuel 3:7 (ASV)

Passage

Now Samuel did not yet know Jehovah, neither was the word of Jehovah yet revealed unto him.

Nearby Context

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 Jehovah called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again.

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

1 Samuel 3:8 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.

1 Samuel 3:9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, Jehovah; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "samuel", "jehovah", "neither", "word", and "revealed". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "samuel" and "jehovah", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 6's "And Jehovah called yet again Samuel And..." into verse 8's "And Jehovah called Samuel again the third...", so "samuel" and "jehovah" 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 "samuel" and "jehovah" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.