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

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

Quest. How could Solomon pray in his dream, or that prayer be acceptable to God, as this was, ? Answ. The dreams of men are not such insignificant things as many imagine. That good dreams are oftentimes praiseworthy, and evil dreams blameworthy, is not only the opinion of the Jews and Christians, but of divers of the wiser and better heathens; and the reason hereof is evident, because men’ s dreams are commonly the images of their minds and tempers, and do only reflect and represent, though but faintly and imperfectly, those very things which are most imprinted upon their hearts by their waking meditations and daily conversation; and therefore it is not unreasonable, that either the sinful dreams of evil-minded men should be imputed to them, and punished in them, or the virtuous dreams of good men be imputed to and rewarded in them: which was Solomon’ s case; for his heart having been daily and constantly employed in passionate longings and prayers for the wisdom which here he begs, it was a natural and likely thing that his heart should, as it did, work that way even in his dreams. Although, to speak truly and strictly, Solomon’ s prayer made in his dream would have been no way pleasing to God, nor profitable to himself, if it had not been the result of his daily and most serious practice; and though God signified his mind in a dream, yet it was Solomon’ s waking prayers (which were shadowed by this dark representation) which God accepted and requited; and this acceptance of God was signified to him in an extraordinary manner, and by a Divine dream, which was one of those ways whereby God oft used to communicate his will to his prophets and people. So the whole business lies thus: Solomon dreamed that God bid him ask what he would, , and that he did ask wisdom, , &c., and that God accepted his desire, , and gave him that gracious answer, . &c. And all this was done in a dream, but with this difference; Solomon’ s prayer was but imaginary, but God’ s answer was real, though conveyed in a dream. And when he awoke, he knew by Divine inspiration that this was a dream sent from God to assure him that he would give him wisdom, and riches, and honour, and this with respect unto his frequent, constant, and fervent waking desires, which his dream of his prayers did sufficiently intimate. See Poole "". God said, i.e. he dreamed that God said so.

1 Kings 3:5 In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.Ver. 5. In Gibeon the Lord appeared, &c.] Solomen worshippeth God by day: God appeareth to him by night. Well may we look to enjoy God, when we have served him. The night cannot but be happy whose day hath been holy. Ask what I shall give thee.] And saith not God as much in effect to every faithful petitioner? Dr Hall.

(5) The Lord appeared.—This direct communication to Solomon by a dream—standing in contrast with the indirect knowledge of the Lord’s will by David through the prophets Nathan and Gad (2 Samuel 7:2-17; 2 Samuel 12:1-14; 2 Samuel 24:11-14), and by “enquiring of the Lord” through the priest (1 Samuel 23:9-12; 1 Samuel 30:7; 2 Samuel 2:1)—is perhaps the first indication of some temporary abeyance of the prophetic office, and (as appears still more clearly from the history of the consecration of the Temple), of a loss of leadership in the priesthood. At the same time it is to be noted that the vision of the Lord through dreams, being of a lower type than the waking vision, is mostly recorded as given to those outside the Covenant, as Abimelech (Genesis 20:3-7), Laban (Genesis 31:24), Pharaoh and his servants (Genesis 40:5; Genesis 41:1-8), the Midianite (Judges 7:13), and Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 2:1; Daniel 4:10-18); as belonging to the early stages of revelation, to Abraham (Genesis 15:12), Jacob (Genesis 28:12-15), and Joseph (Genesis 37:5-10); and as marking the time of cessation of the regular succession of the prophets during the Captivity (Daniel 2:19; Daniel 7:1).

Verse 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!

5–15. God appears to Solomon in a dream at Gibeon (2 Chronicles 1:7-13) 5. In Gibeon] The narrative which follows shews that God accepted the sacrifice of the king, though from want of a proper temple, it was offered on the high place. in a dream] The frequent way in which God is said to have made known His will. Thus the angel of God spake unto Jacob in a dream (Genesis 31:11), and Joseph speaks of Pharaoh’s dream (Genesis 41:25) as sent from God. Hence it came to pass that men expected divine guidance through this channel. So Saul (1 Samuel 28:6; 1 Samuel 28:15) when he had inquired of the Lord, was distressed because he was not answered either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets. It is to be noted that it is Jehovah (the Lord) that appears, but Elohim (God) who speaks to Solomon.

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

5. In a dream by night — This was one mode of Divine revelation. See marginal reference.