1 Samuel 3:18 kjv
And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good.
1 Samuel 3:18 nkjv
Then Samuel told him everything, and hid nothing from him. And he said, "It is the LORD. Let Him do what seems good to Him."
1 Samuel 3:18 niv
So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, "He is the LORD; let him do what is good in his eyes."
1 Samuel 3:18 esv
So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he said, "It is the LORD. Let him do what seems good to him."
1 Samuel 3:18 nlt
So Samuel told Eli everything; he didn't hold anything back. "It is the LORD's will," Eli replied. "Let him do what he thinks best."
1 Samuel 3 18 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| God's Sovereignty & Acceptance of Will | ||
| Job 1:21 | ...The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. | Job's submission to God's actions in loss. |
| Ps 39:9 | I was silent and would not open my mouth, for you brought it to pass. | Acceptance of God's orchestrating events. |
| Isa 45:7 | I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; | God's sovereign control over good and evil. |
| Lam 3:38 | Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good come? | Acknowledging God as the source of all events. |
| Acts 21:14 | And when he would not be dissuaded, we ceased and said, "The will of the Lord be done." | Disciples submitting to God's will. |
| Rom 9:20-21 | But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? | God's right as the potter over the clay. |
| James 4:15 | Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that." | Daily acknowledgment of divine will. |
| Ps 115:3 | Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases. | God's absolute power and authority. |
| Matt 6:10 | Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. | Prayer for God's will to prevail. |
| Eph 1:11 | ...according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will. | God's comprehensive plan. |
| Prophetic Faithfulness & Disclosure | ||
| Deut 18:18-19 | I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. | Responsibility of a prophet to speak all God's words. |
| Jer 23:28 | The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream; but he who has my word, let him speak my word faithfully. | Faithfulness in declaring God's word. |
| Ezek 3:17-19 | Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel... | The prophet's duty to warn. |
| Acts 20:20 | ...how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable. | Paul's commitment to complete declaration. |
| Acts 20:27 | For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. | Emphasizing full disclosure of God's message. |
| Consequences of Sin & God's Justice | ||
| 1 Sam 2:27-36 | There came a man of God to Eli and said to him, "Thus says the LORD: Did I not plainly appear... | Prior prophecy of judgment on Eli's house. |
| 1 Sam 4:1-18 | When the man arrived, he found Eli sitting on his seat by the road watching... | Fulfillment of the judgment on Eli's house. |
| Hos 4:6 | My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge... | Consequences of spiritual negligence. |
| Rom 6:23 | For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. | Spiritual outcome of sin. |
| Heb 12:5-11 | And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? | Divine discipline as a sign of love and justice. |
| Deut 32:4 | The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. | God's perfectly just nature. |
| Ps 89:14 | Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne... | Justice as fundamental to God's character. |
1 Samuel 3 verses
1 Samuel 3 18 Meaning
Samuel faithfully relayed to Eli the complete and severe divine judgment against his household, omitting nothing of God's declared will. In response, Eli humbly acknowledged God's absolute sovereignty and righteousness, expressing his profound submission to the Lord's decision, accepting that God's actions are always just and good in His sight, even when they bring about devastating consequences.
1 Samuel 3 18 Context
The narrative in 1 Samuel chapter 3 centers on the momentous call of Samuel by the Lord and the solemn revelation of divine judgment against Eli's house. After multiple instances where the Lord called Samuel by name (vv. 4-9), Samuel, guided by Eli, learned to respond, "Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening" (v. 10). God then delivered a dire message: He would fulfill all He had spoken against Eli's family due to his sons' irreverence and Eli's failure to restrain them (vv. 11-14). The morning after this revelation, Eli questioned Samuel, urging him to conceal nothing of God's message. Verse 18 directly records Samuel's faithful disclosure and Eli's profoundly submissive response. This moment marks a pivotal transition: the anointing of Samuel as God's prophet, surpassing the compromised priestly line of Eli, setting the stage for the future of Israelite leadership. Historically, it reflects the weight of priestly responsibility under the Mosaic Covenant and the severe consequences for profaning what is sacred to God.
1 Samuel 3 18 Word analysis
- (ul)
- So Samuel told him everything,: This highlights Samuel's obedient and unwavering commitment to convey the divine message in its entirety. It implies a thorough and comprehensive disclosure. The Hebrew word for "told" (הִגִּיד, higgiyd from nagad) denotes making something known fully and publicly.
- hiding nothing from him. (וְלֹא כִחֵד מִמֶּנּוּ, velo’ kikhed mimmenu): This phrase underscores Samuel's prophetic integrity and faithfulness, especially significant given his youth and Eli's powerful position as High Priest. To "hide" (kakhad) would have meant to conceal, diminish, or alter the message, but Samuel delivered it precisely as received, despite its severity and the difficulty of its content for the aging Eli.
- Then he said,: Marks the transition from Samuel's report to Eli's response, drawing attention to Eli's immediate reaction.
- “It is the LORD; (יְהוָה הוּא, Yahweh Hu): This is Eli's recognition and acknowledgement that the source of the pronouncement and the unfolding events is Yahweh Himself, the sovereign God of Israel. It removes any notion of accident or human agency as the ultimate cause, placing responsibility squarely on divine decree. Eli understands the divine identity of the one delivering judgment.
- let him do what seems good to him.” (יַעֲשֶׂה הַטּוֹב בְּעֵינָיו, ya'aseh hatov b'eynav): This profound statement conveys Eli's humble resignation, submission, and acceptance of God's justice and sovereignty. It expresses a belief that whatever God chooses to do is inherently good and righteous from His perfect perspective, even if painful for humanity. It is an act of trust and reverence for God's ultimate authority, rather than defiance or complaint.
- (ul)
- Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him: This group of words emphasizes Samuel's complete transparency and integrity as God's messenger. Despite the burden of delivering such devastating news to his mentor and spiritual father, Samuel’s obedience to God outweighed any desire to soften the blow or avoid discomfort, setting a high standard for prophetic faithfulness.
- It is the LORD; let him do what seems good to him: This powerful declaration by Eli encapsulates deep theological understanding and profound spiritual humility. It signifies not resignation born of despair, but acceptance born of conviction regarding God's absolute sovereignty and righteousness. Eli, despite his parental failures, recognized God’s just hand in the coming judgment and yielded to His will. This statement positions God as the ultimate arbiter, whose actions are always just and "good" from His divine perspective, irrespective of human pain.
1 Samuel 3 18 Bonus section
- Eli's statement, "It is the LORD; let him do what seems good to him," stands in stark contrast to King Saul's later attempts to evade divine judgment or offer alternative sacrifices (1 Sam 15:15, 20-21), highlighting the stark difference in spiritual maturity and understanding of divine sovereignty.
- This verse contributes to the overarching theme in 1 Samuel of the transition of authority—from a compromised priestly system under Eli to a divinely chosen prophetic voice in Samuel, who would anoint Israel's future kings. It shows God actively intervening to establish new leadership due to the corruption of the old.
- Eli's final response, while exhibiting faith, does not negate the earlier divine decree; it rather confirms the certainty of its execution and Eli’s personal acceptance of that fate, acknowledging his ultimate responsibility before God.
1 Samuel 3 18 Commentary
1 Samuel 3:18 serves as a pivotal moment, marking both Samuel’s inauguration as a faithful prophet and Eli’s profound, though tragically belated, spiritual submission. Samuel’s unreserved disclosure underscores the non-negotiable principle of prophetic integrity: God's word must be delivered fully and accurately, regardless of cost or consequence. This faithfulness immediately established Samuel's credibility (1 Sam 3:19-21). Eli’s response, “It is the LORD; let him do what seems good to him,” is a remarkable testament to his personal piety and theological understanding, despite his failure in raising his sons and governing his household. It reveals a spirit of submission to God’s sovereign and just will, acknowledging His ultimate authority and inherent goodness even when facing severe judgment. It demonstrates a rare humility and acceptance of divine discipline, affirming that God's ways are beyond reproach. Eli's statement is not one of apathy or defiance, but a deep resignation to what he understood to be the righteous outworking of divine decree.