9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he calls you, that you shall say, 'Speak, Yahweh; for your servant hears.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth - This was the usual way in which the prophets spoke, when they had intimations that the Lord was about to make some especial revelation.
Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, go, lie down,.... Once more:
and it shall be, if he call thee; the voice, or the Lord by it:
that thou shalt say, speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth; his meaning is, that he should not rise and come to him, as he had done, but continue on his bed, on hearing the voice again, but desire the Lord to speak to him what he had to say, to which he was ready to attend:
so Samuel went and lay down in his place; which, as commonly understood, was in the court of the Levites; see Gill on 1-Samuel 3:3.
*More commentary available at chapter level.