1 Samuel 7:9

And Samuel took a sucking lamb. Samuel now appears as priest, and makes intercession and atonement for them. The lamb was at least seven days old, for so the law required (Le 22:27), but probably not much older; for the word, a rare one, occurring elsewhere only in Isaiah 65:25 , means something small and tender: this then he offered for a burnt offering wholly unto Jehovah. The A.V. translates in this way because chalil, "whole," is masculine, while 'olah, "a burnt offering," is feminine; but chalil had in course of time come to be used as a substantive (Le 6:23; Deuteronomy 13:16 ; Deuteronomy 33:10 ), and is really here in opposition to 'olah, and so the two together signify "a whole burnt offering," and clearly indicate that the lamb was entirely consumed by fire. 'Olah means that which ascends, and symbolised devotion and consecration to God. Chalil intensified this signification, and showed that all was God's, and no part whatsoever reserved for the priest or the offerer. And thus then Samuel's burnt offering implied that the people gave themselves unreservedly to Jehovah. And Jehovah heard him . Really, "Jehovah answered him," by the thunder mentioned in Isaiah 65:10 . For thunder was regarded as God's voice ( 1 Samuel 2:10 ), and in Psalms 29:1-11 . we have a poetic description of its majesty and power. Express mention is also made in Psalms 99:6 of Jehovah having thus answered the prayers of Moses ( Exodus 19:19 ), and of Samuel.