And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times,
Samuel, Samuel. Commentators disagree about the meaning of the
word “stood.” Some say that the Lord assumes a bodily presence
before Samuel. Others argue that the Lord never takes on a
bodily form and that therefore the voice has drawn closer to
Samuel, so that the effect is of a person drawing closer in the
dark. In one version of this argument, the boy hears the voice
and imagines a form standing beside him. All this, the Author
thinks, can be left to the interpreters. What matters to us is
that the voice of the Lord calls Samuel’s name. After all, Eli
had said, “If he call thee.” For it was not inevitable that the
voice, which had called three times and not received an answer,
would call again. Now the boy Samuel has heard the voice a
fourth time and knows who is calling him. He doesn’t yet know
why the Lord is calling him, but he knows how to answer, for Eli
has told him exactly what to say: “Speak, Lord; for thy servant
heareth.” Samuel resists,