What Does 1 Samuel 3:15 Mean in the King James?
And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
Samuel has already seen the vision; the fear lives at the threshold where what is seen must be brought before Eli.
THE MEANING
A clear perception does not make its telling painless. You can continue the familiar work, opening the doors, while fearing the moment you place what you have seen before the person it concerns.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The verse undoes the belief that seeing clearly means you will feel fearless when you speak.
THE ROOT
הַגִּיד
haggîd
GROWS FROM
נגד
To make known or declare; the root also carries the sense of being in front or in view.
“shew” in this verse is haggîd. The Hebrew holds telling together with bringing something into view. Samuel’s fear is at the point where the vision he has seen must be set before Eli.
ALSO GROWS
neged: Before, in front of, or opposite.
נֶגֶד
The shared root lets the act of telling echo the act of placing the vision before Eli.
maggid: One who tells or declares.
מַגִּיד
This branch names the one who makes something known, the role Samuel is afraid to take up.
הַמַּרְאָה
hamar'eh
GROWS FROM
ראה
To see or perceive.
The vision is something seen, not something Samuel invents. The verse holds the act of seeing and the appearance seen within one root, while showing that perception can be clear before its telling feels easy.
ALSO GROWS
re'iyah: Sight or seeing.
רְאִיָּה
It names the act through which the vision comes to Samuel.
ro'eh: A seer; one who sees.
רֹאֶה
This branch connects Samuel’s received vision with the person who perceives it.
יָרֵא
yare
GROWS FROM
ירא
To fear or stand in awe.
“feared” in this verse is yare. The root can carry awe or fear, and its object shapes the sense. Here Samuel fears Eli, so the word holds the apprehension of bringing difficult truth before another person.
ALSO GROWS
yir'ah: Fear or awe.
יִרְאָה
It names the state Samuel feels as he faces the prospect of telling Eli.
mora: Dread or terror.
מוֹרָא
This branch shows the root’s capacity to express the force of fear, not only reverence.
THE PATTERN
A message received presses toward being spoken, even when its disclosure brings fear.
Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord GOD hath spoken, who can but prophesy?For we can not but speak the things which we have seen and heard.THE THREAD
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.The verb translated “shew” here and “told” there comes from נגד (n-g-d), the root of making known. Verse 18 shows the feared crossing: Samuel sets the whole vision before Eli and withholds nothing.
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