MPV Commentary

Solomon loved the Lord, as is evident from what follows. The phrase "only" does not imply any criticism of him; rather, it describes a generally prevailing mode of worship before the temple was built.

The high places were altars erected on natural or artificial elevations, likely because people believed they brought them closer to God. Although used by patriarchs and widespread among the heathen, these high places had become associated with idolatry. They were prohibited in the law (Lev 17:3-4; Deut 12:13-14; Jer 7:31; Ezek 6:3-4; Hosea 10:8). However, as long as the tabernacle was mobile and national worship facilities were temporary, the use of high places for worship was tolerated. This is why it's stated that God had not yet chosen a permanent and exclusive place for his worship.

The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, where the old tabernacle and brazen altar made by Moses in the wilderness were located (1 Chronicles 16:39; 21:29; 2 Chronicles 1:3-6). The royal procession was a significant public event, marking a season of national devotion. Solomon was accompanied by his principal nobles (2 Chronicles 1:2), and as this occasion likely coincided with one of the major annual festivals lasting seven days, the grandeur of the sacrifices can be partly attributed to the rank of the offerer and the daily offerings.

In Gibeon, the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream, probably at the close of this period when his mind was elevated by prolonged worship. Solomon had expressed an intense desire for wisdom and offered a fervent petition (1 Kings 3:9-12). In his sleep, he dreamed that God granted him the option of anything in the world; he asked for wisdom, and God gave it to him. This dream was merely an imaginative repetition of his earlier desire, but God's grant of it was real.