And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the LORD said, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the LORD.
How can I go? This is another instance of human infirmity in Samuel. Since God had sent him on this mission, He would protect him in the execution.
I am come to sacrifice. This was true, though not the whole truth, which he was not bound or called upon to tell. It seems to have been customary with Samuel to do this (cf. 1 Samuel 9:12), in the different circuits to which he went, that he might encourage the worship of God. It has been formerly shown that although the appointed place for presentation of offerings was the front court of the national sanctuary (see the note at Leviticus 17:1-9; Deuteronomy 12:5-7), in not a few instances sacrifices were offered elsewhere, even by prophets (1 Samuel 7:17; 1 Samuel 9:12; Judges 2:5; 1 Kings 18:19; 1 Kings 18:32).