1 Kings 3:5

1 Kings 3:5 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.
• New International Version (NIV)At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, "Ask what I shall give you."
• New King James Version (NKJV)At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask! What shall I give you?”

Context of 1 Kings 3:5

3Solomon loved the Lord and he obeyed the rules of his father David. But he offered sacrifices and he burned incense at altars in country places. 4The king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices there. That was the place where the most important altar was. Solomon offered burnt offerings a thousand times on the altar there. One night in Gibeon, the Lord showed himself to Solomon in a dream. God said, ‘Ask me to give you whatever you want.’ 6Solomon answered, ‘You always showed your faithful love to your servant, my father David. He served you faithfully as a good, honest man. You have continued to show your faithful love to him even now. You have given him a son to rule as king on his throne. 7Lord my God, I am only a young man. I have not learned how to rule well. But you have now made me become king, as my father David was king.

1 Kings 3:5 word by word

בְּגִבְע֗וֹן נִרְאָ֧ה יְהֹוָ֛ה אֶל־שְׁלֹמֹ֖ה בַּחֲל֣וֹם הַלָּ֑יְלָה וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֔ים שְׁאַ֖ל מָ֥ה אֶתֶּן־לָֽךְ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• In Gibeonגִּבְעוֹןgib‛ôn · GibeonH1391
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• appearedרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• to Solomonשְׁלֹמֹהshelômôh · SolomonH8010
• in a dreamחֲלוֹםchălôm chălôm · dreamH2472
• by nightלַ֫יְלָהlayil lêyl layelâh · nightH3915
• and Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Askשָׁאַלshâ'al shâ'êl · to askH7592
• what I shall giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414

Cross-references for 1 Kings 3:5

• 1 Kings 9:2Then the Lord appeared to Solomon a second time, as he had appeared to him at Gibeon.
• Genesis 28:2Go now to Paddan Aram. Go to the house of your mother's father, Bethuel. Find a wife for yourself from there. Choose one of the daughters of your mother's brother, Laban.
• Numbers 12:6Then he said, ‘Listen to my words! If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, will show myself to him in a vision. Or I will speak to him in a dream.
• Job 33:14God does speak to people. He speaks to them in many different ways. But often people do not recognize his voice.
• Matthew 1:20He thought about what he should do. Then an angel came from the Lord God to see him. The angel came to Joseph while he was dreaming. The angel said, ‘Joseph, you who are from the family of King David, take Mary home as your wife. Do not be afraid to do that. The baby that is growing inside her is from the Holy Spirit.
• Matthew 2:13After the men had gone away, Joseph had a dream. In the dream, he saw one of the Lord God's angels. The angel said to him, ‘Herod will look for the child, so that his soldiers can kill him. You must get up and take the child and his mother with you. Go immediately to Egypt. I will tell you when you can return again. You must remain there until then.’
• 2 Chronicles 1:7That night, God showed himself to Solomon. God said, ‘Ask me to give you whatever you want.’
• Matthew 7:7Jesus said, ‘Go on asking God for what you need. Then God will give it to you. Go on looking for what you need. Then you will find it. Go on knocking at the door, and God will open it for you.
• Mark 10:36‘What do you want me to do for you?’ Jesus asked them.
• Mark 11:24So I tell you this. When you pray to ask God for anything, believe in him. Believe that you have received that thing. Then you will have whatever you have asked for.
• John 14:13Ask me to help you. If you ask anything in my name, I will do it for you. In that way, the Son will show everyone how great the Father is.
• John 15:16You did not choose me, but I chose you. I chose you to go and to make plenty of fruit. That kind of fruit will continue always. For that reason, the Father will help you with anything that you ask him. If you ask him in my name, he will do it for you.
• James 1:5But maybe you need to know how to be wise. Then ask God to help you. He is ready to give everyone what they need. And he never says that it is wrong to ask. So God will help you to be wise.
• 1 John 5:14Also, we can trust God to help us when we turn to him. We know that he will hear us. When we ask for anything that he wants us to have, he listens to us.

Commentaries on 1 Kings 3:5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5The Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream - This was the night after he had offered the sacrifices, (see 2 Chronicles 1:7;), and probably after he had earnestly prayed for wisdom; see Wis. 7:7: Wherefore I prayed, and understanding was given me: I called upon God, and the spirit of wisdom came to me. If this were the case, the dream might have been the consequence of his earnest prayer for wisdom: the images of those things which occupy the mind during the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5The Lord appeared unto Solomon in a dream - Compare the marginal references and Genesis 15:1; Genesis 28:12; Genesis 37:5.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 5-15Verses 5-15 Solomon's dream was not a common one. While his bodily powers were locked up in sleep, the powers of his soul were strengthened; he was enabled to receive the Divine vision, and to make a suitable choice. God, in like manner, puts us in the ready way to be happy, by assuring us we shall have what we need, and pray for. Solomon's making such a choice when asleep, and the powers of reason least active, showed it came from the grace of God…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4-15The story of God giving wisdom to Solomon is told as a chiasm (a mirrored structure where A and B reflect B' and A'). It highlights Solomon's interaction with the Lord: A: While Solomon was sacrificing at Gibeon, the Lord appeared to him in a dream (1 Kings 3:4–5). B: Solomon asked for wisdom to govern his people fairly and effectively (1 Kings 3:6–9). B’: The Lord agreed to his request and gave him extra blessings (1 Kings 3:10–14). A’: Solomon woke up…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream--It was probably at the close of this season, when his mind had been elevated into a high state of religious fervor by the protracted services. Solomon felt an intense desire, and he had offered an earnest petition, for the gift of wisdom. In sleep his thoughts ran upon the subject of his prayer, and he dreamed that God appeared to him and gave him the option of every thing in the world--that he asked…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Kings 3:5

• Children
• Communion
• Dream
• Gibeon
• God
• Prayer
• Solomon

In the dictionaries

• Gibeon
• God
• Solomon
• Gibeon, Gibeonite
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Affinity
• Divide
• Dream
• Prayer
• Yearn

Commentaries on 1 Kings 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings