1 Samuel 3:17 kjv
And he said, What is the thing that the LORD hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that he said unto thee.
1 Samuel 3:17 nkjv
And he said, "What is the word that the LORD spoke to you? Please do not hide it from me. God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the things that He said to you."
1 Samuel 3:17 niv
"What was it he said to you?" Eli asked. "Do not hide it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely, if you hide from me anything he told you."
1 Samuel 3:17 esv
And Eli said, "What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also if you hide anything from me of all that he told you."
1 Samuel 3:17 nlt
"What did the LORD say to you? Tell me everything. And may God strike you and even kill you if you hide anything from me!"
1 Samuel 3 17 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Amos 3:7 | Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret... | God reveals secrets to His servants. |
| Jer 1:7 | ...whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. | Prophetic duty to speak God's full word. |
| Eze 3:17 | Son of man, I have made thee a watchman... hear the word... and give warning. | Prophet's role as a watchman. |
| Acts 20:27 | For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. | Apostle Paul's commitment to full disclosure. |
| Deut 18:18 | I will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak... | God puts words in the mouth of His prophet. |
| Ruth 1:17 | ...the LORD do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee... | Similar conditional oath formula (Naomi). |
| 1 Kgs 2:23 | God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah have not spoken this word... | Similar conditional oath formula (Solomon). |
| 2 Sam 3:9 | So and more also do God to David, if I do not, as the LORD hath sworn... | Similar conditional oath formula (Abner). |
| Heb 6:16 | For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath... is to them an end... | Oaths are binding and bring finality. |
| Ecc 5:4-5 | When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it... | The seriousness of vows before God. |
| Lk 12:2 | For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed... | All hidden things will eventually be known. |
| Prov 10:9 | He that walketh uprightly walketh surely: but he that perverteth his ways.. | Truth and openness lead to security. |
| Eph 5:11 | Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove. | Calls to expose darkness. |
| 1 Sam 2:30 | ...them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be... | Divine judgment on Eli's house prophesied. |
| 1 Sam 2:31-36 | Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy.. | Specifics of judgment on Eli's house. |
| Jer 23:1-2 | Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! | Judgment against negligent spiritual leaders. |
| Eze 34:2 | ...Prophesy against the shepherds of Israel... | Condemnation of self-serving shepherds. |
| Mal 2:8-9 | But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the.. | God's condemnation of corrupt priests. |
| 1 Sam 3:18 | And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him... | Samuel's faithfulness in relaying the message. |
| 1 Sam 3:10 | Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth. | Samuel's initial response of submission to God. |
| Ps 8:2 | Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength... | God speaking through the young and humble. |
| Matt 11:25 | ...thou hast hid these things from the wise... and hast revealed them unto babes. | God's wisdom revealed to the simple. |
| Lev 5:1 | If a soul sin, and hear the voice of swearing... and do not utter it... | The sin of withholding testimony. |
1 Samuel 3 verses
1 Samuel 3 17 Meaning
1 Samuel 3:17 presents the dramatic moment where Eli, the high priest, presses the young Samuel to reveal the divine message he has received from the Lord. Eli, anticipating a difficult word due to his sons' depravity and his own negligence, invokes a severe, self-maledictory oath. He demands Samuel to disclose everything God has spoken, praying that God would inflict terrible consequences upon Samuel if he were to hide any part of the prophecy. This underscores the grave importance of divine revelation and the obligation of the prophet to convey it completely.
1 Samuel 3 17 Context
1 Samuel Chapter 3 chronicles Samuel's divine calling and his first prophetic revelation. Prior to this, Israel's spiritual condition was dire under the High Priesthood of Eli, whose sons, Hophni and Phinehas, grossly corrupted their duties, bringing contempt upon the Lord's offerings (1 Sam 2:12-17). Despite warnings (1 Sam 2:22-25) and a divine messenger predicting the demise of his house (1 Sam 2:27-36), Eli failed to restrain his sons. It is in this context of moral decay and impending judgment that God bypasses the corrupted priesthood and speaks directly to the young Samuel, still a boy ministering in the temple. The voice Samuel hears is initially mistaken for Eli's. After multiple calls, Eli discerns that the Lord is speaking to Samuel (1 Sam 3:8). The Lord then delivers a harsh prophecy detailing the impending judgment on Eli's house, precisely because of his failure to restrain his sons. Verse 17 captures Eli's immediate reaction upon Samuel emerging the next morning, recognizing that God had indeed spoken to him, and demanding to know the full, unvarnished truth, using a powerful oath to ensure compliance. The cultural significance of oaths in ancient Israel meant breaking such a vow was extremely serious, indicating Eli's deep anxiety and the gravity of the expected message.
1 Samuel 3 17 Word analysis
- And he said: Refers to Eli. This shows his immediate initiative and profound concern after Samuel had been with the Lord overnight.
- What is the thing: (Hebrew: meh haddavar) - Eli’s question immediately probes for the content of God’s revelation. The use of "thing" (davar) can also mean "word" or "matter," signifying both the message and its implication. Eli correctly understands that something of utmost importance has been revealed.
- that the Lord hath said unto thee?: Eli recognizes the divine source of the message. Despite his own spiritual blindness in other areas, he knows God communicates and that Samuel is now God's conduit. Eli’s acceptance of God speaking to Samuel underscores the validity of Samuel’s prophetic call, even by the very priest whose house is being judged.
- I pray thee hide it not from me: (Hebrew: 'al na' takhad mimmenni) - Eli's plea. The verb takhad (hide, conceal) emphasizes his desperation for full disclosure. This indicates a recognition that the message might be difficult or embarrassing for Samuel to deliver, especially to his elder and high priest, yet Eli demands openness.
- God do so to thee, and more also: (Hebrew: ko ye'aseh lekha 'elohim v'kho yosiph) - This is a formal, potent conditional oath, common in ancient Near Eastern and biblical texts (e.g., Ruth 1:17; 1 Sam 25:22; 1 Kgs 2:23). It implies a severe, unstated punishment from God upon Samuel if he were to fail in his duty to disclose. The 'so and more also' heightens the unspecified severity. Eli invokes divine judgment upon Samuel if he lies or holds back, making Samuel's testimony religiously binding. It serves to bind the oath-taker to tell the full truth, appealing to a higher divine power as guarantor and enforcer.
- if thou hide any thing from me: The specific condition of the oath. "Any thing" emphasizes the completeness of the demanded revelation, signifying that even the slightest withholding of information would invoke the curse.
- of all the things that he said unto thee.: This reinforces the scope of Eli's demand – the entire communication from the Lord. It underscores Eli's fear and foreboding; he senses the message concerns his house and expects it to be devastating, therefore requiring full clarity.
1 Samuel 3 17 Bonus section
- Eli, as high priest, would have been acutely aware of the theological implications of a prophet withholding God's word (compare Lev 5:1 for a general sense of responsibility regarding an oath/testimony). His immediate spiritual awareness that God was now speaking directly to Samuel, a young boy, signified a shifting of divine favor away from his own corrupt house and towards a new, pure vessel.
- The dramatic tension in this verse lies in the inversion of roles: the established high priest is now humbly (and desperately) seeking divine knowledge from a child who serves him.
- The integrity of God's message, once given to a prophet, is paramount. Eli’s oath implicitly acknowledges this. The prophecy Samuel had received was not a private word but a public, authoritative declaration concerning the fate of the priesthood and Israel.
1 Samuel 3 17 Commentary
Eli's demand in 1 Samuel 3:17 captures a pivotal moment of tension and prophetic revelation. Having sensed God's direct communication with Samuel, Eli's invocation of a solemn oath ("God do so to thee, and more also") reflects his acute apprehension and profound understanding of the sanctity of God's word. This was not a light request but a spiritual injunction designed to ensure that the child Samuel would, despite potential fear or discomfort, relay the divine message without alteration or omission. Eli's desperation to know the "thing" (or word) the Lord had said signifies his internal struggle; he suspects the worst given the prior warnings against his household and his sons' continuing iniquity. His use of a conditional curse placed Samuel in a difficult position – between honoring his earthly mentor and delivering God's harsh verdict, a choice Samuel immediately resolves in obedience to God (1 Sam 3:18). This verse not only highlights Eli's failing authority being supplanted by Samuel's burgeoning prophetic role but also firmly establishes Samuel's future character as a man wholly dedicated to speaking God's complete truth, regardless of the consequences or the recipient.