1 Kings 3:5 (ASV)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

1 Kings 3:3 And Solomon loved Jehovah, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.

1 Kings 3:4 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt-offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar.

1 Kings 3:5 In Gibeon Jehovah appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.

1 Kings 3:6 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.

1 Kings 3:7 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.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "gibeon", "jehovah", "appeared", "solomon", "dream", "night", "said", and "shall". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "gibeon" and "jehovah", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "And the king went to Gibeon to..." into verse 6's "And Solomon said Thou hast showed unto...", so "gibeon" and "jehovah" belong inside that flow. In 1 Kings context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "gibeon" and "jehovah" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.