1 Kings 3:15

1Ki 3:15 And Solomon awoke; and, behold, [it was] a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.

Ver. 15. And behold it was a dream.] But a divine dream, very well worth the heeding. There are also dreams diabolical. Eusebius writeth that Simon Magus had his devils ονειροπομποι, by whom he caused people to dream great matters of him, and highly to admire him. That was a strange dream which Jerome {a} had, when he was not only reproved but beaten black and blue for reading Cicero rather than the Holy Scriptures; this voice being uttered, as he perfectly remembered, Ciceronianus es, non Christianus, - Thou art a better Ciceronian than Christian.

{a} Epist. 18, ad Eustoch.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Ki 3:15. Behold, it was a dream — He perceived that it was a dream; not a vain dream, such as those wherewith men are commonly deluded, but a divine dream, assuring him of the things promised, which he knew, by a divine impression, after he was awaked, and by the vast alteration which he presently found within himself in point of wisdom and knowledge. And stood before the ark — Which was there in the city of David, (2Sa 6:17,) before which he presented himself in a way of holy adoration. And offered up burnt-offerings — Chiefly for the expiation of his and his people’s sin, through the blood of Christ, manifestly signified in these sacrifices. And peace-offerings — Solemnly to praise God for all his mercies, and especially for giving him quiet possession of the kingdom, and for his glorious appearance to him in the dream, and for the promise therein made to him, and the actual accomplishment of it.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

3:15 Solomon’s sacrifice after the dream completes the narrative.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

He knew that God had appeared unto him in a dream.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

behold, it was a dream--The vivid impression, the indelible recollection he had of this dream, together with the new and increased energy communicated to his mind, and the flow of worldly prosperity that rushed upon him, gave him assurance that it came by divine inspiration and originated in the grace of God. The wisdom, however, that was asked and obtained was not so much of the heart as of the head--it was wisdom not for himself personally, but for his office, such as would qualify him for the administration of justice, the government of a kingdom, and for the attainment of general scientific knowledge.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(15) Stood before the ark of the covenant, in its Tabernacle on Mount Sion, which now constituted a second, and probably still more sacred, place of worship. The great sacrifice—now distinctly a thank-offering, followed as usual by a sacred feast—is naturally repeated there.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

15. behold it was a dream] So of Pharaoh (Gen_41:7). This expression does not imply, as at first sight might be supposed, that the vision was something illusory and not to be trusted to. On the contrary, the dream was one of the recognized modes whereby men expected to receive knowledge of the divine will. (See above on 1Ki_3:5.) Hence in this case, Solomon goes to Jerusalem and offers there a solemn sacrifice; while Pharaoh deemed his dream of so much concern, that ‘his spirit was troubled’ until he could find some one to interpret it.

before the ark of the covenant of the Lord] Which David had brought and set up on Mt Zion in the city of David. See 2Sa_6:12; 1Ch_15:1; 1Ch_16:1.

The king’s burnt offerings, peace offerings, and the feast to his servants were tokens of his faith in, and joy over, the promises which had been made to him in his dream.

The LXX. by way of comment says ‘he stood before the altar which was before the ark of the covenant of the Lord on Zion.’ In the Chronicles (2Ch_1:13) there is no mention of this second sacrifice on Zion. Probably the compiler deemed the splendid ceremonial and sacrifices at Gibeon, before the tabernacle of the congregation, to be so much the most important as to render the service on Zion not needful to be recorded.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Then came there two women that were harlots unto the king,.... The same day, as Abarbinel thinks, the night before which the Lord had appeared to Solomon; this came to pass through the providence of God, that there should be immediately an instance and proof of the wisdom and understanding the Lord had given to Solomon; these women, according to the Targum, were victuallers or inn keepers; and so Ben Gersom thinks they were sellers of food, as Rahab; though he observes it is possible they might, prostitute themselves: this may be said in their favour, that common prostitutes do not usually bear children, or, when they do, take no care of them, have no affection for them, and much less are fond of them, as these seem to be; but, on the other hand, no mention being made of their husbands, and living together in one house, and alone, and being impudent, brawling, and litigious, give great suspicion of the truth of the character they bear in our version and others:

and stood before him; to lay their case before him, and each plead their own cause; it may be, it had been tried in another court before, and could not be determined, and so was brought to the king; and, if so, the wisdom of Solomon was the more conspicuous, in deciding it in the manner he did.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Solomon determined to inaugurate his reign by a grand religious ceremonial at each of the two holy places which at this time divided between them the reverence of the Jews. Having completed the religious service at Gibeon, where was the tabernacle of the congregation, he proceeded to Jerusalem, and sacrificed before the ark of the covenant, which was in Mount Zion 2Sa 6:12. A great feast naturally followed on a large sacrifice of peace-offerings. In these the sacrificer always partook of the flesh of the victim, and he was commanded to call in to the feast the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow Deu 14:29. Compare 2Sa 6:19; 1Ch 16:3.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Dream. Sent by God, as [in] Genesis xli. 1. (Calmet)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

It was a dream, i.e. he perceived that it was a dream; not a vain dream, wherewith men are commonly deluded; but a Divine knew, dream, assuring him of the thing; which he partly by a Divine impression and inspiration thereof in his mind after he was awakened; and partly by the vast alteration which he presently found within himself in point of wisdom and knowledge.

The ark of the covenant of the Lord was there in the city of David, 2Sa 6:17, before which he presented himself in the way of holy ministration and adoration, which may be noted by the word stood. Or that word may note his abode there for some consider able time, as the offering of so many sacrifices required.

Offered up burnt-offerings, chiefly for the expiation of his and his people’s sins, through the blood of Christ, manifestly signified in these sacrifices.

And offered peace-offerings, solemnly to praise God for all his mercies, and especially for giving him a quiet and fixed possession of the kingdom, and for his glorious appearance to him in a dream, and for the great promise therein made to him, and the actual accomplishment of it since wrought in him.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

15. Behold, it was a dream — Nevertheless it was a real Divine communication, given by inspiration of God. See note on 1Ki_3:5.

Came to Jerusalem — The tabernacle was at Gibeon, the ark at Jerusalem, and Solomon’s going from the former to the latter place with sacrificial offerings was a most significant act, opening a new epoch in the history of Israelitish worship. It was, probably, the last public service of the kind at Gibeon, and so, in effect, was a public transfer of sacrificial worship from the wandering, unsettled tabernacle, to that divinely chosen spot where alone henceforth Jehovah would be pleased to accept the more public offerings and vows of Israel. See Deu_12:5. It also symbolized that coming hour when, under the “greater than Solomon,” all separation of tabernacle and ark would be forever past, and the true worshippers would advance from a cultus that made locality a test, to find their great altar in the inner temple of the spirit, and to worship the Father in spirit and in truth. Joh_4:21-24.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And Solomon awoke; and, behold, it was a dream That is to say, this passed while Solomon slept; but it was more than a dream. The same words are used of Pharaoh (Gen_41:7) when God showed him what He was about to do, (vers. 25, 28, cf. Gen_40:8) and this was such a dream as Pharaoh"s and as Joseph"s. (Mat_1:20 Mat_2:19) It was a dream, i.e., in which a Divine revelation was made to him. Words refers to Solomon"s words, "I sleep, but my heart waketh, (Son_5:2) and "He giveth to his beloved (Jedidiah) in sleep". (Psa_127:2) And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant the other sanctuary of that period (1Ch_16:37-40) and offered up burnt offerings (probably in continuation of the sacrifices of Gibeon, ver. 4), and offered peace offerings (in testimony of his thankfulness for the signal favour recently vouchsafed to him) and made a feast lit., a drinking. After the example of David, 1Ch_16:3. Cf. 1Ki_8:65. It was not exclusively a symposium. The flesh of the animals offered in sacrifice was eaten by the worshippers and their guests. (Lev_7:15, 31 1Sa_2:16 1Co_8:13) This was "a sacrificial meal of the (Keil). (See on 1Ki_6:17 1Ki_8:63) to all his servants.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

A dream - Not a vain dream, wherewith men are commonly deluded; but a divine dream, assuring him of the thing: which he knew, by a divine impression after he was awakened: and by the vast alteration which he presently found within himself in point of wisdom and knowledge. The ark - Which was there in the city of David, 2 Sam. vi, 17, before which he presented himself in a way of holy adoration. Burnt offerings - Chiefly for the expiation of his and his peoples sin, through the blood of Christ, manifestly signified in these sacrifices. Peace offerings - Solemnly to praise God for all his mercies, and especially for giving him quiet possession of the kingdom, and for his glorious appearance to him in the dream, and for the promise therein made to him, and the actual accomplishment of it.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

behold

The word "behold" here shows that Solomon saw something interesting.

translationWords

dream

Jerusalem

ark of the covenant

lord

burnt offering

peace offering

feast

servant

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

Shlomo woke up and behold it was a dream. And behold he understood that his dream was true. He heard a bird chirping and understood its language, a dog barking and he understood its language.

And [he] made a feast. Out of his heart’s happiness [he celebrated] because he realized that his dream was true.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.