1 Kings 3:5 (DBY)

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 burned incense on 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 up 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 shewn unto thy servant David my father great loving-kindness, 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 loving-kindness, that thou hast given him a son who sits upon his throne, as it is this day.

1 Kings 3:7 And now, Jehovah my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father; and I am but a little child: I know not to go out and to 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 shewn 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.