Albert Barnes Commentary 1 Kings 3

It is uncertain which Pharaoh is meant. It must have been a predecessor of Shishak (or Sheshonk), who invaded Judea more than forty years later (1 Kings 14:25). The evidence suggests it was not Psusennes II, the last king of Manetho’s 21st dynasty, but his predecessor, Psinaces. This Tanite dynasty had become very weak, especially toward its end. From this, we can understand why it would have gladly allied itself with the powerful house of David.

The Jews were not forbidden to marry foreign wives if they became proselytes. Since Solomon is not blamed for this marriage either here or in 1 Kings 11:1, and since the idol temples he allowed to be built (1 Kings 11:5–7) were in no case dedicated to Egyptian deities, we can presume that his Egyptian wife adopted her husband’s religion.

The city of David—This refers to the city situated on the eastern hill, or the true Zion, where the temple was later built, opposite the city of the Jebusites (1 Kings 9:24; compare to 2 Chronicles 8:11).

The word “only” introduces a contrast. The author is highlighting an exception to the otherwise prosperous conditions he has just described: namely, that the people sacrificed in high places (compare the next verse).

The Law did not forbid worship at “high places” directly, but only by implication. It required the complete destruction of all high places that had been defiled by idolatrous rites (Deuteronomy 12:2). Furthermore, the command to offer sacrifices only at the entrance of the tabernacle (Leviticus 17:3–5) was an indirect prohibition of them, or at least of the way the Israelites were using them. However, it was reasonably questioned whether this command was meant to be in effect before the Lord chose the specific place where the Lord would cause His name to dwell (see Deuteronomy 12:11, 14).

As a result, high places were used for the worship of Yahweh from the time of the Judges onward (Judges 6:25; Judges 13:16; 1 Samuel 7:10; 1 Samuel 13:9; 1 Samuel 14:35; 1 Samuel 16:5; 1 Chronicles 21:26) by people who were entirely unaware of any wrongdoing. God even overlooked this ignorance to the extent that He accepted the worship offered in this way, as is evident from the vision granted to Solomon on this occasion.

There were two reasons for the prohibition of high places. First was the danger that old idolatry would creep back in if its former locations were still used for worship. Second was the danger to the nation’s unity if there were more than one legitimate religious center. In fact, the continued worship at high places ultimately facilitated the division of the kingdom.

Gibeon - The transfer to Gibeon of the “tabernacle of the congregation” and the bronze “altar of burnt offerings” made by Moses, which were removed there from Nob (Compare 1 Samuel 21:6 and its marginal notes), had made it “the great high-place”—that is, more sacred than any other in the holy land, unless it was Mount Zion, where the ark had been brought by David. For the location of Gibeon, see the note on Joshua 9:3.

A thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer. He presented the victims, while the priests were the actual sacrificers (1 Kings 8:5). A sacrifice of a thousand victims was an act of royal magnificence suited to the greatness of Solomon. In the same way, Xerxes offered 1,000 oxen at Troy. If the offerings in this case were “whole burnt offerings” and were all offered on the altar of Moses, the sacrifice must have lasted several days.

The Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream - Compare the marginal references and Genesis 15:1; Genesis 28:12; Genesis 37:5.

This great kindness—David himself had regarded this as God’s crowning mercy to him (1 Kings 1:48).