John Gill Commentary 1 Samuel 7:9

"And Samuel took a sucking lamb, and offered it for a whole burnt-offering unto Jehovah: and Samuel cried unto Jehovah for Israel; and Jehovah answered him." — 1 Samuel 7:9 (ASV)

And Samuel took a sucking lamb
Which it might be, and yet more than eight days old, for under that it might not be sacrificed, (Exodus 22:30)

and offered it for a burnt offering wholly unto the Lord ;
the whole of it was burnt, skin and all, whereas the skin was the priest's in other burnt offerings; and this is remarked ^F13 as one of the three things in which it differed from other offerings; the word being feminine, the Jews gather from hence, as Jarchi notes, that females might be offered at a private altar:

and Samuel cried unto the Lord for Israel ;
not only offered a sacrifice for them, but prayed for them:

and the Lord heard him ;
and answered him, either by causing fire to come down on the sacrifice, by which it was consumed, or by the voice of thunder, which frightened and discomfited the Philistines; and the event of things manifestly showed it.

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FOOTNOTES:

• F13: Midrash Schemuel apud Abarbinel in loc.