The call of Samuel 1SA 3:4

During the night at Shiloh, young Samuel hears his name called while he is lying down near the ark. He thinks Eli has called him and runs to him three times, but Eli has not spoken. Only on the third time does Eli realize it is the Lord calling the boy, and he tells Samuel how to answer. Samuel then receives his first message, a judgment on Eli's own household.

The passage notes that in those days the word of the Lord was rare and visions were not widespread, so direct divine speech was unusual and not easily recognized, even by a priest. Eli is also described as old and nearly blind, which may add to the slowness of recognition. It is only on the third call that he discerns what is happening and tells Samuel what to say in response.

Readers sometimes picture Samuel as a toddler, but the passage shows him already serving in the temple, sleeping near the ark, and running back and forth to Eli on his own. His exact age is not given here, and traditions differ on how old he actually was at this point. What the text highlights is his inexperience in recognizing God's voice, not his physical size or age.

The first thing Samuel hears from the Lord is a judgment on the house of Eli, the very man who just taught him how to recognize and answer God. This creates an immediate and uncomfortable tension, since the boy must carry a hard word concerning his own mentor's family. Christian readers generally agree this marks the beginning of Samuel's role as a prophet, though they differ on how to weigh the severity of the judgment or what it implies about Eli personally.