1 Samuel 3:4 (DRB)

Passage

And the Lord called Samuel. And he answered: Here am I.

Nearby Context

1 Samuel 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:

1 Samuel 3:3 Before the lamp of God went out, Samuel slept in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was.

1 Samuel 3:4 And the Lord called Samuel. And he answered: Here am I.

1 Samuel 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.

1 Samuel 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.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "called", "lord", "samuel", "answered", and "here". 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 3's "Before the lamp of God went out..." into verse 5's "And he ran to Heli and said...", 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.