שמואל א, פרק ג׳, פסוק ה׳

A sudden call in the quiet of the night prompts an immediate and devoted response from a young student. Samuel's swift reaction to the voice stems from his deep dedication and strong bond with his teacher. He rushes quickly to fulfill his master's will [מלבי״ם], demonstrating how closely attached he is to his mentor [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The primary approach among commentators is that Samuel is absolutely certain that his teacher is the one who called him, leaving no room for doubt in his mind.

His teacher, however, assumes that the young boy simply made a mistake [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Eli believes that his student is experiencing a sensory illusion, a state where the imagination tricks a person into thinking they hear a voice calling in their ears. Convinced that it is nothing more than a trick of the mind, he instructs the boy to return to bed and go back to sleep [מלבי״ם].