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 followed all the decrees of his father, David, except that Solomon, too, offered sacrifices and burned incense at the local places of worship. 4The most important of these places of worship was at Gibeon, so the king went there and sacrificed 1,000 burnt offerings. 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!” 6Solomon replied, “You showed great and faithful love to your servant my father, David, because he was honest and true and faithful to you. And you have continued to show this great and faithful love to him today by giving him a son to sit on his throne. 7“Now, O Lord my God, you have made me king instead of my father, David, but I am like a little child who doesn’t know his way around.

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 done before at Gibeon.
• Genesis 28:2Instead, go at once to Paddan-aram, to the house of your grandfather Bethuel, and marry one of your uncle Laban’s daughters.
• Numbers 12:6And the Lord said to them, “Now listen to what I say: “If there were prophets among you, I, the Lord, would reveal myself in visions. I would speak to them in dreams.
• Job 33:14For God speaks again and again, though people do not recognize it.
• Matthew 1:20As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.
• Matthew 2:13After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
• 2 Chronicles 1:7That night God appeared to Solomon and said, “What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!”
• Matthew 7:7“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.
• Mark 10:36“What is your request?” he asked.
• Mark 11:24I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.
• John 14:13You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father.
• John 15:16You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.
• James 1:5If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.
• 1 John 5:14And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him.

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
• Affinity
• Divide
• Dream
• Prayer
• Yearn
• Abishag
• Appear

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