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 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. 4The 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. One 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. 7Now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in my father David’s place, even though I am only a young man and am inexperienced.

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 9:2the Lord appeared to Solomon a second time, in the same way he had appeared to him at Gibeon.
• Genesis 28:2Leave immediately for Paddan Aram! Go to the house of Bethuel, your mother’s father, and find yourself a wife there, among the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother.
• Numbers 12:6The Lord said, “Hear now my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known to him in a vision; I will speak with him in a dream.
• Job 33:14“For God speaks, the first time in one way, the second time in another, though a person does not perceive it.
• Matthew 1:20When he had contemplated this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
• Matthew 2:13After they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to look for the child to kill him.”
• 2 Chronicles 1:7That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Tell me what I should give you.”
• Matthew 7:7“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened for you.
• Mark 10:36He said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?”
• Mark 11:24For this reason I tell you, whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
• John 14:13And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
• John 15:16You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that remains, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.
• James 1:5But if anyone is deficient in wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without reprimand, and it will be given to him.
• 1 John 5:14And this is the confidence that we have before him: that whenever we ask anything according to his will, he hears 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