New King James Version
1 Kings 3:5
5At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask! What shall I give you?”
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 Living Translation (NLT)That night the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!”
Context of 1 Kings 3:5
3And Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of his father David, except that he sacrificed and burned incense at the high places. 4Now the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place: Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask! What shall I give you?” 6And Solomon said: “You have shown great mercy to Your servant David my father, because he walked before You in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with You; You have continued this great kindness for him, and You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. 7Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in.
Read all of 1 Kings 31 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 9:2that the Lord appeared to Solomon the second time, as He had appeared to him at Gibeon.
- Genesis 28:2Arise, go to Padan Aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father; and take yourself a wife from there of the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother.
- Numbers 12:6Then He said, “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream.
- Job 33:14For God may speak in one way, or in another, Yet man does not perceive it.
- Matthew 1:20But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
- Matthew 2:13Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”
- 2 Chronicles 1:7On that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, “Ask! What shall I give you?”
- Matthew 7:7“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
- Mark 10:36And He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?”
- Mark 11:24Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
- John 14:13And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
- John 15:16You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.
- James 1:5If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
- 1 John 5:14Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if 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
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries