1 Kings 3:5 - Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

The Lord appeared. — This direct communication to Solomon by a dream — standing in contrast with the indirect knowledge of the Lord’s will by David through the prophets Nathan and Gad (2 Samuel 7:2-17; 2 Samuel 12:1-14; 2 Samuel 24:11-14), and by “enquiring of the Lord” through the priest (1 Samuel 23:9-12; 1 Samuel 30:7; 2 Samuel 2:1) — is perhaps the first indication of some temporary abeyance of the prophetic office, and (as appears still more clearly from the history of the consecration of the Temple), of a loss of leadership in the priesthood. At the same time it is to be noted that the vision of the Lord through dreams, being of a lower type than the waking vision, is mostly recorded as given to those outside the Covenant, as Abimelech (Genesis 20:3-7), Laban (Genesis 31:24), Pharaoh and his servants (Genesis 40:5; Genesis 41:1-8), the Midianite (Judges 7:13), and Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 2:1; Daniel 4:10-18); as belonging to the early stages of revelation, to Abraham (Genesis 15:12), Jacob (Genesis 28:12-15), and Joseph (Genesis 37:5-10); and as marking the time of cessation of the regular succession of the prophets during the Captivity (Daniel 2:19; Daniel 7:1).