Charles Ellicott Commentary 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 3:5 (ASV)

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).