1 Kings 3 4

1 Kings 3:4 kjv

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 3:4 nkjv

Now the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place: Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.

1 Kings 3:4 niv

The king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices, for that was the most important high place, and Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.

1 Kings 3:4 esv

And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.

1 Kings 3:4 nlt

The most important of these places of worship was at Gibeon, so the king went there and sacrificed 1,000 burnt offerings.

1 Kings 3 verses

1 Kings 3 4 Meaning

King Solomon embarked on a significant spiritual pilgrimage to Gibeon, a highly esteemed place of worship at the beginning of his reign. There, he offered an exceptionally large number of burnt offerings, a staggering thousand, upon the altar. This grand act of sacrifice underscored his early devotion to the Lord and his desire for divine blessing and guidance as he commenced his kingship. It was a formal and public act of seeking God’s favor.

1 Kings 3 4 Context

This verse is situated early in the reign of King Solomon, following his consolidation of power and his marriage alliance with Pharaoh's daughter. It sets the immediate stage for the pivotal event where God appears to Solomon in a dream at Gibeon. Verse 3 has already established that "Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places." This verse elaborates on that activity, specifying the scale of his sacrifice at Gibeon. Gibeon, though a "high place" (bāmāh), was uniquely significant because the Tabernacle, the portable sanctuary of the Lord since the wilderness wandering, was located there. Thus, Solomon’s act of worship was, in its contemporary context before the building of the Temple in Jerusalem, understood as legitimate worship at a central sanctuary, rather than idolatrous worship associated with illicit high places.

1 Kings 3 4 Word analysis

• And the king went to Gibeon:

  • And (וַיֵּלֶךְ, wa·ye·lech): A common Hebrew conjunction initiating narrative action. It signals the immediate next event in Solomon’s early reign.
  • the king (הַמֶּלֶךְ, ha·melech): Refers to Solomon, establishing his royal authority and his personal engagement in this act of worship. This act of the king set a precedent for the nation.
  • went (וַיֵּלֶךְ, wa·ye·lech): Indicates purposeful travel. It implies a journey undertaken for a specific religious purpose.
  • to Gibeon (גִּבְעוֹנָה, Giḇ'onah): Gibeon was an ancient Hivite city, later incorporated into the territory of Benjamin and designated as a Levitical city. Its historical significance included a treaty with Joshua (Josh 9) and being a major worship site after the destruction of Shiloh. Critically, as stated in 2 Chronicles 1:3-6, the Tabernacle of Moses, the bronze altar, and other vessels from the Exodus period were located there. This makes Solomon's pilgrimage to Gibeon distinct from other high places, providing it a degree of legitimacy.

• to sacrifice there:

  • to sacrifice (לִזְבֹּחַ, lizbōaḥ): This infinitive implies the action of performing a sacrifice, typically involving the slaughter and burning of animals as offerings to God. It indicates a ritual act of devotion and propitiation.
  • there (שָׁם, shām): Refers to Gibeon, the designated location for this act.

• for that was the great high place;

  • for that (כִּי־הִיא, ki-hi): "Because it was," providing the reason for Solomon's choice of Gibeon.
  • the great (הַגְּדוֹלָה, hag·gə·ḏō·lāh): This adjective, "great," signifies not only its physical prominence but also its religious significance and reputation as a central site for worship. It distinguishes Gibeon from the many smaller, often illicit, high places scattered across the land.
  • high place (בָּמָה, bāmāh): While bāmāh generally refers to an elevated place of worship, often associated with Canaanite fertility cults and later condemned by prophets as sites of idolatry and syncretism (1 Ki 11:7, Jer 19:5), here it is explicitly qualified as "the great high place." This distinction, coupled with the presence of the Tabernacle at Gibeon (2 Chr 1:3), clarifies that Solomon's worship was considered legitimate by the Deuteronomist for this specific transitional period, prior to the Temple's completion in Jerusalem and its becoming the sole prescribed place of worship according to Mosaic Law.

• a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar.

  • a thousand (אֶלֶף, elef): Literally "one thousand." This massive number emphasizes the extravagance and devotion of Solomon's sacrifice. It signifies a lavish, complete, or superabundant offering, expressing profound earnestness and wealth. It underscores the extraordinary nature of Solomon's seeking the Lord.
  • burnt offerings (עֹלוֹת, ‘ōlōt): These are whole burnt offerings ('olāh), where the entire animal (except the hide, which went to the priests) was consumed by fire on the altar, symbolizing complete dedication and surrender to God, and often an act of atonement. The sheer quantity indicates immense cost and deep commitment.
  • did Solomon offer (שְׁלֹמֹה הֶעֱלָה, Shəlōmōh he‘elāh): "Solomon caused to ascend" (i.e., upon the altar in smoke). This reiterates Solomon's direct and personal involvement and initiative in this significant act of worship, reinforcing his devotion as king.
  • upon that altar (עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ הַהוּא, ‘al-ham·miz·bê·aḥ ha·hū): Refers to the bronze altar associated with the Tabernacle at Gibeon (2 Chr 1:5), which was commanded by God to Moses (Exod 27:1-8). This validates the site as legitimate for Israelite worship, especially considering the Tabernacle was still active there.

1 Kings 3 4 Bonus section

The choice of Gibeon as the location for this momentous sacrifice is crucial. While other "high places" (bāmōt) became synonymous with syncretistic or idolatrous worship later in Israelite history, Gibeon held a unique status as the resting place for the Tabernacle of the Congregation and the altar of burnt offering, both ordained by Moses in the wilderness. This made Gibeon a central and legitimate site for Israelite worship before the construction and dedication of Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem, which was destined to become the singular, permanent dwelling place for the Ark of the Covenant and the divine presence. Solomon's action at Gibeon, therefore, represents adherence to the prevailing accepted form of worship at the time, indicating his respect for the established religious traditions inherited from the wilderness generation.

1 Kings 3 4 Commentary

1 Kings 3:4 portrays Solomon's grand spiritual act at the outset of his reign, underscoring his early piety and earnest desire for God's blessing. His pilgrimage to Gibeon, specifically to "the great high place," was not an act of illicit pagan worship but a solemn visit to the legitimate, albeit temporary, center of Israelite worship where the Mosaic Tabernacle was housed. The offering of a thousand burnt offerings, a staggering quantity, speaks volumes about Solomon's profound commitment, immense resources, and possibly an act of intense petition or thanksgiving to God for his new role. This elaborate ritual served as a powerful declaration of his dependency on God and paved the way for the significant divine encounter and subsequent blessing of wisdom, demonstrating that genuine seeking often precedes great divine favor. It also highlights the transitional phase of Israelite worship before the centralisation in Jerusalem's Temple.