In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.
Parallel translations
- WEB In Gibeon, Yahweh appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask for what I should give you.”
- BSB One night at Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “Ask, and I will give it to you!”
- NKJV At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask! What shall I give you?”
- NASB In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at night; and God said, “Ask what you wish Me to give you.”
- 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!”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God appears to Solomon in a dream at Gibeon and invites him to ask for whatever he wishes. The offer tests and reveals the new king's heart.
Overview
In a remarkable act of grace, the LORD appears to Solomon and opens His hand to give. The open-ended invitation, 'Ask for what I should give you,' both honors Solomon and probes his deepest desires. God's readiness to give anticipates the gospel generosity of the One who invites His people to ask and promises good gifts to those who seek Him.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 17
- 1 Kgs 9:2That the LORD appeared to Solomon the second time, as he had appeared unto him at Gibeon.
- Jas 1:5–6If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
- 2 Chr 1:7–12In that night did God appear unto Solomon, and said unto him, Ask what I shall give thee.
- Num 12:6And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.
- John 14:13–14And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
- Gen 28:12–13And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.
- Mark 10:36And he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you?
- Matt 2:13And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
- 1 Kgs 11:9And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice,
- John 15:16Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
- Mark 10:38–51But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?
- Matt 2:19But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
- Matt 7:7–8Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
- Matt 1:20But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
- Job 33:14–15For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not.
- Mark 11:24Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
- 1 Jn 5:14–15And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
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Christ at the center
Solomon's glory, wisdom, and temple where God's presence dwells are a shadow of the greater Son of David — 'one greater than Solomon is here' — and of the true Temple, Christ himself.
How 1 Kings 3:5 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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