1 Kings 3:4

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.
• English Standard Version (ESV)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.
• 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.

Context of 1 Kings 3:4

2Now the people were offering sacrifices at the high places, because in those days a temple had not yet been built to honor the Lord. 3Solomon demonstrated his loyalty to the Lord by following the practices of his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places. The king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices, for it had the most prominent of the high places. Solomon would offer up a thousand burnt sacrifices on the altar there. 5One night in Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream. God said, “Tell me what I should give you.” 6Solomon replied, “You demonstrated great loyalty to your servant, my father David, as he served you faithfully, properly, and sincerely. You have maintained this great loyalty to this day by allowing his son to sit on his throne.

1 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, in the same way he had appeared to him at Gibeon.
• Joshua 9:3When the residents of Gibeon heard what Joshua did to Jericho and Ai,
• Joshua 10:2All Jerusalem was terrified because Gibeon was a large city, like one of the royal cities. It was larger than Ai and all its men were warriors.
• 1 Chronicles 16:39Zadok the priest and his fellow priests served before the Lord’s tabernacle at the worship center in Gibeon,
• 1 Chronicles 21:29Now the Lord’s tabernacle (which Moses had made in the wilderness) and the altar for burnt sacrifices were at that time at the worship center in Gibeon.
• 2 Chronicles 1:3Solomon and the entire assembly went to the worship center in Gibeon, for the tent where they met God was located there, which Moses the Lord’s servant had made in the wilderness.
• 1 Kings 8:63Solomon offered as peace offerings to the Lord 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep. Then the king and all the Israelites dedicated the Lord’s temple.
• 2 Chronicles 1:6Solomon went up to the bronze altar before the Lord which was at the meeting tent, and he offered up a thousand burnt sacrifices.
• 2 Chronicles 29:32The assembly brought a total of 70 bulls, 100 rams, and 200 lambs as burnt sacrifices to the Lord,
• 2 Chronicles 30:24King Hezekiah of Judah supplied 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep for the assembly, while the officials supplied them with 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep. Many priests consecrated themselves.
• Isaiah 40:16Not even Lebanon could supply enough firewood for a sacrifice; its wild animals would not provide enough burnt offerings.
• Matthew 6:6But whenever you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father 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

• Children
• Dream
• Gibeon
• High Places
• Prayer
• Solomon

In the dictionaries

• Gibeon
• Solomon
• Gibeon, Gibeonite
• High place
• Affinity
• Divide
• Yearn
• Abishag
• Altar
• Bamah

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