1 Kings 3:5

American Standard Version

In Gibeon Jehovah appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at night. God said, “Ask. What should I give you?”

Hebrew Names Version
In Giv`on the LORD appeared to Shlomo in a dream by night; and God said, Ask what I shall give you.

King James Version
In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.

English Standard Version
At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, "Ask what I shall give you."

New Century Version
While he was at Gibeon, the Lord appeared to him in a dream during the night. God said, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you."

New English Translation
One night in Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream. God said, "Tell me what I should give you."

Amplified Bible
In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night; and God said, "Ask [Me] what I shall give you."

New American Standard Bible
In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night; and God said, "Ask what you wish Me to give you."

Geneva Bible (1587)
In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Salomon in a dreame by night: and God sayd, Aske what I shal giue thee.

Legacy Standard Bible
In Gibeon, Yahweh appeared to Solomon in a dream at night; and God said, "Ask what I should give to you."

Contemporary English Version
One night while Solomon was in Gibeon, the Lord God appeared to him in a dream and said, "Solomon, ask for anything you want, and I will give it to you."

Complete Jewish Bible
At Giv‘on Adonai appeared to Shlomo in a dream at night; God said, "Tell me what I should give you."

Darby Translation
In Gibeon Jehovah appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.

Easy-to-Read Version
While Solomon was at Gibeon, the Lord came to him at night in a dream. God said, "Solomon, ask me what you want me to give you."

George Lamsa Translation
Then the LORD appeared to Solomon in a vision by night; and God said to him, Ask that which I should give you.

Good News Translation
That night the Lord appeared to him in a dream and asked him, "What would you like me to give you?"

Lexham English Bible
Yahweh appeared to Solomon at Gibeon in a dream at night, and God said, "Ask what I should give to you."

Literal Translation
Jehovah appeared to Solomon in Gibeon in a dream of the night. And God said, Ask. What shall I give to you?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And the LORDE appeared vnto Salomon at Gibeon in a dreame of the nighte, and God sayde: Axe what I shal geue ye.

Bible in Basic English
In Gibeon, Solomon had a vision of the Lord in a dream by night; and God said to him, Say what I am to give you.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And in Gibeon the Lorde appeared to Solomon in a dreame by night, and God sayd: Aske what thou wilt, that I may geue it thee.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said: 'Ask what I shall give thee.'

King James Version (1611)
In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dreame by night: and God sayd, Aske what I shall giue thee.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and the Lord said to Solomon, Ask some petition for thyself.

English Revised Version
In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.

Berean Standard Bible
One night at Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, "Ask, and I will give it to you!"

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Sotheli the Lord apperide to Salomon bi sleep in the nyyt, and seide, Axe thou `that, that thou wolt, that Y yyue to thee.

Young's Literal Translation
In Gibeon hath Jehovah appeared unto Solomon, in a dream of the night, and God saith, `Ask -- what do I give to thee?'

Update Bible Version
In Gibeon Yahweh appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, Ask what I shall give you.

Webster's Bible Translation
In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.

World English Bible
In Gibeon Yahweh appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, Ask what I shall give you.

New King James Version
At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, "Ask! What shall I give you?"

New Living Translation
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!"

New Life Bible
The Lord came to Solomon in a special dream in Gibeon during the night. God said, "Ask what you wish Me to give you."

New Revised Standard
At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, "Ask what I should give you."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
In Gibeon, Yahweh appeared unto Solomon, in a dream by night, - and God said, Ask, what I shall give thee.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, saying: Ask what thou wilt that I should give thee.

Revised Standard Version
At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, "Ask what I shall give you."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night; and God said, "Ask what you wish me to give you."

Contextual Overview

⁵ In Gibeon Jehovah appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, Ask what I shall give thee. ⁶ And Solomon said, Thou hast showed unto thy servant David my father great lovingkindness, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great lovingkindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. ⁷ And now, O Jehovah my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child; I know not how to go out or come in. ⁸ And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. ⁹ Give thy servant therefore an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to judge this thy great people? ¹⁰ And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. ¹¹ And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life, neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies, but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern justice; ¹² behold, I have done according to thy word: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there hath been none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. ¹³ And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches and honor, so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee, all thy days. ¹⁴ And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the Lord: 1 Kings 9:2

in a dream: Genesis 28:12, Genesis 28:13, Numbers 12:6, Job 33:14, Job 33:15, Matthew 1:20, Matthew 2:13, Matthew 2:19

Ask what: 2 Chronicles 1:7-12, Matthew 7:7, Matthew 7:8, Mark 10:36, Mark 10:38-51, Mark 11:24, John 14:13, John 14:14, John 15:16, James 1:5, James 1:6, 1 John 5:14, 1 John 5:15

Reciprocal: Genesis 31:10 - a dream Genesis 31:24 - dream Genesis 37:5 - dreamed Joshua 10:41 - Gibeon Joshua 18:25 - Gibeon 1 Kings 11:9 - which had appeared 1 Chronicles 14:4 - Solomon Nehemiah 2:4 - For what Esther 5:3 - What Psalms 72:2 - He shall Proverbs 4:8 - General Proverbs 30:7 - have Zechariah 1:8 - by night Matthew 20:21 - What Luke 18:41 - What 1 Corinthians 12:8 - is given

Cross-References

Genesis 2:17
but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Genesis 3:2
And the woman said unto the serpent, Of the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat:

Genesis 3:3
but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

Genesis 3:6
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat; and she gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat.

Genesis 3:7
And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig-leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

Genesis 3:10
And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

Genesis 3:13
And Jehovah God said unto the woman, What is this thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

Genesis 3:14
And Jehovah God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, cursed art thou above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

Genesis 3:15
and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed: he shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Genesis 3:22
And Jehovah God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever—

Gill's Notes on the Bible

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 dreaming, by some display of his glory in some way or another:

and God said, ask what I shall give thee; he did not hereby dream that God said to him, but he really did say this; bid him ask what he would and it should be given him; he knew what he designed to give, but he would have it asked of him, as he will be inquired of by all his people to do that for them which he has intended and provided for them; and it is encouragement enough for them to ask, since he has promised to give.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

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

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 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 Wisdom 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 to recur during the night; and this, indeed, is the origin of the greater part of our dreams. But this appears to have been supernatural.

Gregory Nyssen, speaking of different kinds of dreams, observes that our organs and brain are not unlike a musical instrument; while the strings of such instruments have their proper degree of tension, they give, when touched, a harmonious sound, but as soon as they are relaxed or screwed down, they give no sound at all. During our waking hours, our senses, touched by our reason, produce the most harmonious concert; but as soon as we are asleep, the instrument is no longer capable of emitting any sound, unless it happen that the remembrance of what passed during the day returns and presents itself to the mind while we are asleep, and so forms a dream; just as the strings of an instrument continue to emit feeble sounds for some time after the musician has ceased to strike them. - See GREG. NYSS. De opificio hominis, cap. xii., p. 77. Oper. vol. i., edit. Morell., Par. 1638.

This may account, in some measure, for common dreams: but even suppose we should not allow that Solomon had been the day before earnestly requesting the gift of wisdom from God, yet we might grant that such a dream as this might be produced by the immediate influence of God upon the soul. And if Solomon received his wisdom by immediate inspiration from heaven, this was the kind of dream that he had; a dream by which that wisdom was actually communicated. But probably we need not carry this matter so much into miracle: God might be the author of his extraordinary wisdom, as he was the author of his extraordinary riches. Some say, "He lay down as ignorant as other men, and yet arose in the morning wiser than all the children of men." I think this is as credible as that he lay down with a scanty revenue, and in the morning, when he arose, found his treasury full. In short, God's especial blessing brought him riches through the medium of his own care and industry; as the inspiration of the Almighty gave him understanding, while he gave his heart to seek and search out by his wisdom, concerning all things under the sun, Ecclesiastes 1:13. God gave him the seeds of an extraordinary understanding, and, by much study and research, they grew up under the Divine blessing, and produced a plentiful harvest; but, alas! they did not continue to grow.