1 Samuel 7:9 kjv
And Samuel took a sucking lamb, and offered it for a burnt offering wholly unto the LORD: and Samuel cried unto the LORD for Israel; and the LORD heard him.
1 Samuel 7:9 nkjv
And Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. Then Samuel cried out to the LORD for Israel, and the LORD answered him.
1 Samuel 7:9 niv
Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and sacrificed it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. He cried out to the LORD on Israel's behalf, and the LORD answered him.
1 Samuel 7:9 esv
So Samuel took a nursing lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. And Samuel cried out to the LORD for Israel, and the LORD answered him.
1 Samuel 7:9 nlt
So Samuel took a young lamb and offered it to the LORD as a whole burnt offering. He pleaded with the LORD to help Israel, and the LORD answered him.
1 Samuel 7 9 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference (Short Note) |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 1:3-9 | "If his offering is a burnt offering... it must be a male without defect... He is to lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering..." | Laws for Burnt Offering (Olah) |
| Exod 29:38-42 | "...This is what you are to offer on the altar regularly: two lambs a year old..." | Daily Burnt Offerings |
| Heb 9:11-14 | "But when Christ came as high priest... He entered once for all into the Most Holy Place by His own blood..." | Christ: Perfect, Final Sacrifice |
| Heb 10:11-14 | "Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties... But Christ made His sacrifice once for all..." | Christ's Unique, All-Sufficient Work |
| Ps 99:6 | "Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel also was among those who called on his name; they called on the Lord and he answered them." | Samuel as One Whom God Answers |
| Jer 15:1 | "Then the Lord said to me: "Even if Moses and Samuel were to stand before me, my heart would not go out to this people..."" | Moses and Samuel: Great Intercessors |
| 1 Sam 8:6 | "...when they said, "Give us a king to judge us," that displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord." | Samuel's Consistent Intercession |
| 1 Sam 12:19-23 | "Then all the people said to Samuel, "Pray to the Lord your God for your servants... Samuel replied, "As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you..."" | Samuel's Unwavering Prayer Commitment |
| Num 16:44-48 | Moses and Aaron's intercession halted the plague among Israel. | Priestly Intercession Saving Nation |
| Ps 118:5 | "In my anguish I cried to the Lord, and he answered by setting me free." | God Answers Distress Calls |
| Jer 33:3 | "Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things..." | God's Promise to Answer Prayer |
| Isa 65:24 | "Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear." | God's Readiness to Respond |
| 1 Jn 5:14-15 | "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us... we know that we have what we asked of him." | Confidence in Answered Prayer |
| Matt 7:7-8 | "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." | Principle of Seeking and Receiving |
| Jas 5:16 | "...The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." | Efficacy of Righteous Prayer |
| 1 Sam 7:2-6 | "...all the people of Israel mourned and sought the Lord... they put away their Baals and Ashtaroths..." | Israel's Repentance Prior to Offering |
| Joel 2:12-14 | "Even now," declares the Lord, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning." | Call for Genuine Repentance |
| Deut 4:29 | "But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart..." | Promise to Those Who Seek God Wholeheartedly |
| 1 Sam 7:10-11 | "While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near... But that day the Lord thundered with loud thunder..." | God's Direct Intervention in Battle |
| Ps 44:5-7 | "Through you we push back our enemies... I do not trust in my bow... But you save us from our foes..." | God as the True Source of Victory |
| Ps 20:7 | "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God." | Trusting God, Not Human Strength |
| Deut 20:4 | "For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies..." | God Fights for His People |
| Heb 11:6 | "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." | Faith in Approaching God |
| Rom 8:26-27 | "In the same way the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for... the Spirit himself intercedes for us..." | The Holy Spirit's Intercession |
| 1 Pet 2:5,9 | "...you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." | Believers as Priesthood Offering Sacrifices |
1 Samuel 7 verses
1 Samuel 7 9 Meaning
In 1 Samuel 7:9, Samuel, acting as a spiritual leader and mediator for Israel, took a pure, young lamb and offered it completely as a burnt offering to the Lord. During this sacrificial act, he earnestly cried out to God on behalf of the people of Israel. Crucially, the verse concludes with a direct affirmation that the Lord responded favorably to Samuel's prayer and offering, signaling divine acceptance and readiness to intervene. This moment marks a pivotal point where Israel's repentance, through Samuel's intercession, met with God's compassionate answer.
1 Samuel 7 9 Context
Chapter 7 of 1 Samuel marks a pivotal period in Israel's history, transitioning from the chaotic era of the Judges under Philistine oppression (1 Sam 7:2) to a more centralized spiritual leadership under Samuel, foreshadowing the monarchy. After years of the Ark's absence and Israel's spiritual decline, the chapter opens with a profound movement of national repentance at Mizpah (1 Sam 7:5-6), spurred by Samuel's call to return solely to the Lord and remove their idols. As Israel gathers in vulnerability and humility, the Philistines perceive this assembly as a threat and mobilize for battle (1 Sam 7:7). Fear grips the Israelites, and they desperately plead with Samuel to continue his intercession for them (1 Sam 7:8). Verse 9 describes Samuel's immediate and definitive response to their plea, a response that bridges their repentance with God's promised deliverance against the impending Philistine attack. This verse acts as the crucial spiritual act leading directly to the Lord's miraculous intervention in the battle that follows (1 Sam 7:10).
1 Samuel 7 9 Word analysis
- So Samuel (וַיִּקַּח שְׁמוּאֵל - vayyiqqach Shmu'el): "Samuel" (שְׁמוּאֵל - Shmu'el) means "heard by God" or "name of God." His very name resonates with the outcome of this verse, as he "hears from God" through prayer and God "hears him." Samuel acts decisively, embodying his unique role as a prophet, judge, and intercessor who performs priestly functions without being of the Aaronic line.
- took a sucking lamb (טָלֶה חָלָב - talê chalav): The Hebrew is more accurately ṭāleh gamûl (literally, a "lamb weaned" or "a weaned lamb"). While chalav (milk) implies a suckling lamb, gamul highlights a young, tender lamb, often referring to a young animal tenderly cared for and possibly signifying an offering of significant value or the most vulnerable and pure. Its purity and blamelessness were essential for a sin offering.
- and offered it as a whole burnt offering (עֹלָה כָלִיל - ‘olah kalil): The term for burnt offering is ‘olah (עֹלָה), from a root meaning "to go up" or "ascend." It refers to an offering entirely consumed by fire on the altar, symbolizing complete devotion, propitiation, and surrender to God. Kalil (כָלִיל) means "whole" or "entire," emphasizing that no part was kept, signifying total consecration and a desire for complete reconciliation. This offering prepared the way for God's divine favor.
- to the Lord (לַיהוָה - laYHWH): Refers to Yahweh, God's covenant name, underscoring His personal relationship with Israel and His power to act directly in their affairs. It's not a generic deity but the specific God of Israel who makes covenants and intervenes.
- And Samuel cried out (וַיִּזְעַק שְׁמוּאֵל - vayyiz'aq Shmu'el): The verb za’aq (זָעַק) signifies a fervent, intense, desperate cry, often used in times of great distress or an urgent appeal for help and justice. It portrays Samuel's earnest and burdened heart in interceding for his people, indicating the depth of his prayer and the severity of the situation.
- to the Lord for Israel: Samuel's intercession is corporate and national. He acts as the spiritual representative of the entire nation, taking their collective confession and need before God.
- and the Lord answered him (וַיַּעֲנֵהוּ יְהוָה - va·ya·‘a·nê·hû YHWH): This is the immediate, climactic affirmation. Anah (עָנָה) means "to answer, respond, declare." God's answer demonstrates His attentiveness, acceptance of the offering and prayer, and willingness to act on Israel's behalf. This divine response is tangible and powerful, leading directly to the victory that follows.
1 Samuel 7 9 Bonus section
Samuel's actions in 1 Samuel 7:9 are unique and deeply significant because they consolidate multiple roles in one person. While not a Levite from the Aaronic line (which would traditionally perform such sacrifices), Samuel, as God's chosen prophet and judge, acted in a priestly capacity under divine appointment. This highlights that God can work outside conventional religious structures when His people are genuinely seeking Him through their divinely appointed leader. This event also showcases the power of a combined act of sincere repentance, costly sacrifice, and fervent prayer as the proper pathway to God's favor and deliverance. It foreshadows the perfect and ultimate "burnt offering" in Jesus Christ (as discussed in Hebrews), whose one complete sacrifice allows direct access to God and perfect reconciliation, negating the need for continuous animal sacrifices like the lamb Samuel offered. The swift and decisive divine answer set up the immediate and supernatural victory at Eben-ezer, creating a powerful testimony to God's immediate presence and might.
1 Samuel 7 9 Commentary
1 Samuel 7:9 stands as a profound illustration of effective intercession and God's responsiveness to genuine repentance. Samuel's dual act of sacrifice and prayer was not merely ritual but an embodiment of Israel's collective heart-cry. The 'olah, or whole burnt offering, signified Israel's complete dedication and an atonement for their turning away from God. The choice of a "sucking/weaned lamb" highlights the costliness and purity of the offering, symbolizing the sincerity of their desire to be right with God. Samuel's fervent "crying out" emphasizes the urgency and depth of his appeal as Israel's appointed mediator. It wasn't a casual prayer but an agonizing intercession born out of their shared fear and national crisis. The direct statement, "the Lord answered him," is the core message, unequivocally affirming God's attentiveness and acceptance. This swift divine response signals God's immediate favor and set the stage for His miraculous intervention against the Philistines. The combination of repentant hearts, priestly intercession, and complete surrender led to God's immediate and powerful deliverance, establishing a spiritual principle that repentance and sincere prayer lead to divine rescue. This served as a visible reassurance of God's continued covenant faithfulness even amidst national failing.