1 Samuel 7:3

BSB · Public Domain (CC0)

“Then Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and Ashtoreths among you, prepare your hearts for the LORD, and serve Him only. And He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.””

What this verse means

A short, plain-language explanation of 1 Samuel 7:3 goes here — the kind of answer a reader (or an AI assistant) can quote in one breath. Original meaning coming soon.

Compare translations
BSBPD

“Then Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and Ashtoreths among you, prepare your hearts for the LORD, and serve Him only. And He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.””

Berean Standard Bible · Public Domain (CC0)
KJVPD

“And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.”

King James Version · Public Domain
ASVPD

“And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto Jehovah with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you, and direct your hearts unto Jehovah, and serve him only; and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.”

American Standard Version · Public Domain
YLTPD

“And Samuel speaketh unto all the house of Israel, saying, `If with all your heart ye are turning back unto Jehovah--turn aside the gods of the stranger from your midst, and Ashtaroth; and prepare your heart unto Jehovah, and serve Him only, and He doth deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.'”

Young's Literal Translation · Public Domain
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Cross references

Other passages that echo 1 Samuel 7:3 — 24 related verses from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

  1. Genesis 35:2So Jacob told his household and all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods that are among you. Purify yourselves and change your garments.
  2. Deuteronomy 4:29But if from there you will seek the LORD your God, you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.
  3. Deuteronomy 6:13Fear the LORD your God, serve Him only, and take your oaths in His name.
  4. Deuteronomy 10:20You are to fear the LORD your God and serve Him. Hold fast to Him and take your oaths in His name.
  5. Deuteronomy 13:4You are to follow the LORD your God and fear Him. Keep His commandments and listen to His voice; serve Him and hold fast to Him.
  6. Deuteronomy 30:2and when you and your children return to the LORD your God and obey His voice with all your heart and all your soul according to everything I am giving you today,
  7. Joshua 24:14Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth; cast aside the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.
  8. Joshua 24:23“Now, therefore,” he said, “get rid of the foreign gods among you and incline your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.”
  9. Judges 2:11And the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals.
  10. Judges 2:13for they forsook Him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.
  11. Judges 10:6And again the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD. They served the Baals, the Ashtoreths, the gods of Aram, Sidon, and Moab, and the gods of the Ammonites and Philistines. Thus they forsook the LORD and did not serve Him.
  12. Judges 10:16So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the LORD, and He could no longer bear the misery of Israel.
  13. 1 Samuel 31:10They put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths and hung his body on the wall of Beth-shan.
  14. 1 Kings 8:48and when they return to You with all their heart and soul in the land of the enemies who took them captive, and when they pray to You in the direction of the land that You gave to their fathers, the city You have chosen, and the house I have built for Your Name,
  15. 2 Kings 17:39but worship the LORD your God, and He will deliver you from the hands of all your enemies.”
  16. 2 Kings 23:15He even pulled down the altar at Bethel, the high place set up by Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had caused Israel to sin. Then he burned the high place, ground it to powder, and burned the Asherah pole.
  17. 1 Chronicles 22:19Now set your heart and soul to seek the LORD your God. Get started building the sanctuary of the LORD God, so that you may bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD and the holy articles of God into the temple that will be built for the Name of the LORD.”
  18. 1 Chronicles 28:9As for you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve Him wholeheartedly and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands the intent of every thought. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.
  19. 2 Chronicles 19:3However, some good is found in you, for you have removed the Asherah poles from the land and have set your heart on seeking God.”
  20. 2 Chronicles 20:33The high places, however, were not removed; the people had not yet set their hearts on the God of their fathers.
  21. 2 Chronicles 30:19who sets his heart on seeking God—the LORD, the God of his fathers—even if he is not cleansed according to the purification rules of the sanctuary.”
  22. Job 11:13As for you, if you direct your heart and lift up your hands to Him,
  23. Job 11:14if you put away the iniquity in your hand, and allow no injustice to dwell in your tents,
  24. Proverbs 16:1The plans of the heart belong to man, but the reply of the tongue is from the LORD.

Cross-reference data: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain) via OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0).

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