English Standard Version
1 Kings 3:4
4And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.
1 Kings 3:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar.
- New International Version (NIV)The king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices, for that was the most important high place, and Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Now the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place: Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.
- New Living Translation (NLT)The most important of these places of worship was at Gibeon, so the king went there and sacrificed 1,000 burnt offerings.
Context of 1 Kings 3:4
2The people were sacrificing at the high places, however, because no house had yet been built for the name of the Lord. 3Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father, only he sacrificed and made offerings at the high places. And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. 5At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, "Ask what I shall give you." 6And Solomon said, "You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day.
Read all of 1 Kings 31 Kings 3:4 word by word
וַיֵּ֨לֶךְ הַמֶּ֤לֶךְ גִּבְעֹ֙נָה֙ לִזְבֹּ֣חַ שָׁ֔ם כִּ֥י הִ֖יא הַבָּמָ֣ה הַגְּדוֹלָ֑ה אֶ֤לֶף עֹלוֹת֙ יַעֲלֶ֣ה שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה עַ֖ל הַמִּזְבֵּ֥חַ הַהֽוּא׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- wentיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
- to Gibeonגִּבְעוֹןgib‛ôn · GibeonH1391
- to sacrificeזָבַחzâbach · to sacrificeH2076
- there; for thatהוּאhû' hîy' · he/she/itH1931
- the greatגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
- high placeבָּמָהbâmâh · high placeH1116
- a thousandאֶ֫לֶף'eleph · thousandH505
- burnt offeringsעֹלָה‛ôlâh ‛ôlâh · burnt offeringH5930
- did Solomonשְׁלֹמֹהshelômôh · SolomonH8010
- offerעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: offer upH5927
- upon that altarמִזְבֵּחַmizbêach · altarH4196
Cross-references for 1 Kings 3:4
- 1 Kings 9:2the Lord appeared to Solomon a second time, as he had appeared to him at Gibeon.
- Joshua 9:3But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai,
- Joshua 10:2he feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were warriors.
- 1 Chronicles 16:39And he left Zadok the priest and his brothers the priests before the tabernacle of the Lord in the high place that was at Gibeon
- 1 Chronicles 21:29For the tabernacle of the Lord, which Moses had made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering were at that time in the high place at Gibeon,
- 2 Chronicles 1:3And Solomon, and all the assembly with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon, for the tent of meeting of God, which Moses the servant of the Lord had made in the wilderness, was there.
- 1 Kings 8:63Solomon offered as peace offerings to the Lord 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. So the king and all the people of Israel dedicated the house of the Lord.
- 2 Chronicles 1:6And Solomon went up there to the bronze altar before the Lord, which was at the tent of meeting, and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it.
- 2 Chronicles 29:32The number of the burnt offerings that the assembly brought was 70 bulls, 100 rams, and 200 lambs; all these were for a burnt offering to the Lord.
- 2 Chronicles 30:24For Hezekiah king of Judah gave the assembly 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep for offerings, and the princes gave the assembly 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep. And the priests consecrated themselves in great numbers.
- Isaiah 40:16Lebanon would not suffice for fuel, nor are its beasts enough for a burnt offering.
- Matthew 6:6But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Commentaries on 1 Kings 3:4
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Gibeon - The transfer to Gibeon of the “tabernacle of the congregation,” and the brass “altar of burnt offerings” made by Moses, which were removed there from Nob (compare 1 Samuel 21:6, with marginal references “i,” “k”), had made it “the great high-place,” more sacred, i. e., than any other in the holy land, unless it were Mount Zion where the ark had been conveyed by David. For the position of Gibeon, see Joshua 9:3 note. A thousand burnt offerings did…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4The city of Gibeon was six miles northwest of Jerusalem. Its altar was known as the great high place. It was a major worship site for large sacrifices. Gibeon also hosted the tabernacle (a sacred tent used for worship) (1 Chronicles 16:39–40; 21:29; 2 Chronicles 1:2–6).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there--The old tabernacle and the brazen altar which Moses had made in the wilderness were there (1Ch 16:39; 21:29; 2Ch 1:3-6). The royal progress was of public importance. It was a season of national devotion. The king was accompanied by his principal nobility (2Ch 1:2); and, as the occasion was most probably one of the great annual festivals which lasted seven days, the rank of the offerer and the succession of…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Kings 3:4
In the dictionaries
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
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Commentaries