1 Kings 3:5

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Kings 3:5-15

We have here an account of a gracious visit which God paid to Solomon, and the communion he had with God in it, which put a greater honour upon Solomon than all the wealth and power of his kingdom did. I. The circumstances of this visit, 1 Kgs. 3:5. 1. The place. It was in Gibeon; that was the great high place, and should have been the only one, because there the tabernacle and the brazen altar were, 2 Chron. 1:3. There Solomon offered his great sacrifices, and there God owned him more than in... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 3:5

In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night ,.... This was not a common natural dream, but an extraordinary, divine, and supernatural one, a prophetic dream, a night vision, such as God used to speak in to his prophets; in which he had the full use of his reasoning powers, was under divine impressions, and in a spiritual frame of mind, and in the exercise of grace; it was not a mere dream that the Lord did appear to him, but he really did appear to him while sleeping and... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Kings 3:5

The 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 day are most likely... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Kings 3:5

In Glbeon the Lord appeared unto Solomon in a dream [cf. Numbers 12:6 . A vision is not necessarily implied (as in Genesis 28:12 ; cf. Genesis 15:12 ), though he may have seen some angelic form ( angelus in Dei nomine ei apparuit loquens. Grotius)—of course, only in his dream. Cf. Matthew 1:20 ; Matthew 2:12 . Probably "appeared" is the equivalent of "revealed Himself." Bähr] by night; and God said, Ask what I shall give thee [cf. Matthew 7:7 . This was the answer to the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Kings 3:5

SERMON FOR CHILDREN. Waiting for God's voice. Little children are sometimes intended to do great things. God has a special place foreveryone to fill. Sometimes the child who is least thought of in the home or in the class is to have the noblest destiny. Two brothers once lived in the same tent. One was brave and manly, a great hunter, and a popular, generous man, but his younger and feebler brother, Jacob, became greater than he. In Jesse's family at Bethlehem there were young men, tall,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Kings 3:5-15

God's Gifts and Solomon's Choice. "And God said, Ask what I shall give thee," etc. "Happy Solomon!" we exclaim, as we read these words. He had all that earth could give already—youth, wealth, prosperity. glory, greatness. He stood already on the topmost pinnacle of human felicity. And now Heaven offers him his choice of blessings; now the treasure house of the infinite God is opened, and he is bidden to take what he will. Behold the favourite of Heaven! It is indeed true "there was... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Kings 3:5-16

A wise prayer. Gibeon, the scene of this incident, was one of the "high places" of the land. Worship in high places had been forbidden. Law against it not rigidly enforced until the place was chosen "where the Lord would cause his name to dwell." That Solomon's act in sacrificing at Gibeon was not condemned is proved by his being favoured with this direct Divine communication. Every scene of real worship may become the scene of special Divine manifestation. "The Lord appeared unto Solomon... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 1 Kings 3:5

The Lord appeared unto Solomon in a dream - Compare the marginal references and Genesis 15:1; Genesis 28:12; Genesis 37:5. read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - 1 Kings 3:5

1 Kings 3:5. The Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream As he had done to Jacob at Bethel, Genesis 28:13; and to others on different occasions, Genesis 20:3; Genesis 26:24. Sleep is like a state of death to the soul; wherein the senses are locked up, and the understanding and will deprived of the free exercise of their functions. And yet this is no impediment to God in communicating his will to mankind; for no doubt he has power, not only to awaken our intellectual faculties, but to advance... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 3:1-28

Solomon’s wisdom (3:1-28)David’s power had come through war and conquest; Solomon’s came through clever commercial and political agreements with neighbouring countries. Solomon gave impressive public display of his loyalty to God, but he ignored God’s warnings when he saw advantages to be gained through foreign alliances. His marriage to the daughter of Pharaoh guaranteed peace for Israel in a region where Egypt was the chief power, but it probably required Solomon to pay respect to Egypt’s... read more

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