Dreams in the Bible

• A hungry man dreams he is eating, then wakes up hungryIsa 29:8
  The verses

  Isa 29:8as when a hungry man dreams he is eating, then awakens still hungry; as when a thirsty man dreams he is drinking, then awakens faint and parched. So will it be for all the many nations who go to battle against Mount Zion.
• A dream comes through many caresEccl 5:3
  The verses

  Eccl 5:3As a dream comes through many cares, so the speech of a fool comes with many words.
• The Law on a dreamer of dreams who urges other godsDeut 13:1–5
  The verses

  Deut 13:1–5If a prophet or dreamer of dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you, and if the sign or wonder he has spoken to you comes about, but he says, “Let us follow other gods (which you have not known) and let us worship them,” you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. For the LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love Him with all your heart and with all your soul. You are to follow the LORD your God and fear Him. Keep His commandments and listen to His voice; serve Him and hold fast to Him. Such a prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he has advocated rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery; he has tried to turn you from the way in which the LORD your God has commanded you to walk. So you must purge the evil from among you.
• Jeremiah on prophets who keep saying, 'I had a dream!'Jer 23:25–28
  The verses

  Jer 23:25–28“I have heard the sayings of the prophets who prophesy lies in My name: ‘I had a dream! I had a dream!’ How long will this continue in the hearts of these prophets who prophesy falsehood, these prophets of the delusion of their own minds? They suppose the dreams that they tell one another will make My people forget My name, just as their fathers forgot My name through the worship of Baal. Let the prophet who has a dream retell it, but let him who has My word speak it truthfully. For what is straw compared to grain?” declares the LORD.

Dreams told in the Bible

• Abimelech is warned in a dream about SarahGen 20:3
  The verses

  Gen 20:3One night, however, God came to Abimelech in a dream and told him, “You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken, for she is a married woman.”
• Jacob dreams of a ladder reaching to heavenGen 28:12
  The verses

  Gen 28:12And Jacob had a dream about a ladder that rested on the earth with its top reaching up to heaven, and God’s angels were going up and down the ladder.
• Jacob dreams of streaked, spotted, and speckled flocksGen 31:10–13
  The verses

  Gen 31:10–13When the flocks were breeding, I saw in a dream that the streaked, spotted, and speckled males were mating with the females. In that dream the angel of God said to me, ‘Jacob!’ And I replied, ‘Here I am.’ ‘Look up,’ he said, ‘and see that all the males that are mating with the flock are streaked, spotted, or speckled; for I have seen all that Laban has done to you. I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and made a solemn vow to Me. Now get up and leave this land at once, and return to your native land.’”
• Laban is warned in a dream not to harm JacobGen 31:24
  The verses

  Gen 31:24But that night God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream and warned him, “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”
• Joseph dreams of sheaves bowing to his sheafGen 37:5–8
  The verses

  Gen 37:5–8Then Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: We were binding sheaves of grain in the field, and suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to mine.” “Do you intend to reign over us?” his brothers asked. “Will you actually rule us?” So they hated him even more because of his dream and his statements.
• Joseph dreams of the sun, moon, and eleven stars bowingGen 37:9–10
  The verses

  Gen 37:9–10Then Joseph had another dream and told it to his brothers. “Look,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” He told his father and brothers, but his father rebuked him and said, “What is this dream that you have had? Will your mother and brothers and I actually come and bow down to the ground before you?”
• The cupbearer dreams of a vine with three branchesGen 40:9–13
  The verses

  Gen 40:9–13So the chief cupbearer told Joseph his dream: “In my dream there was a vine before me, and on the vine were three branches. As it budded, its blossoms opened and its clusters ripened into grapes. Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes, squeezed them into his cup, and placed the cup in his hand.” Joseph replied, “This is the interpretation: The three branches are three days. Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore your position. You will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just as you did when you were his cupbearer.
• The baker dreams of three baskets of bread on his headGen 40:16–19
  The verses

  Gen 40:16–19When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favorable, he said to Joseph, “I too had a dream: There were three baskets of white bread on my head. In the top basket were all sorts of baked goods for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.” Joseph replied, “This is the interpretation: The three baskets are three days. Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head and hang you on a tree. Then the birds will eat the flesh of your body.”
• Pharaoh dreams of seven fat and seven thin cowsGen 41:1–4
  The verses

  Gen 41:1–4After two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing beside the Nile, when seven cows, sleek and well-fed, came up from the river and began to graze among the reeds. After them, seven other cows, sickly and thin, came up from the Nile and stood beside the well-fed cows on the bank of the river. And the cows that were sickly and thin devoured the seven sleek, well-fed cows. Then Pharaoh woke up,
• Then of seven plump and seven thin heads of grainGen 41:5–7
  The verses

  Gen 41:5–7but he fell back asleep and dreamed a second time: Seven heads of grain, plump and ripe, came up on one stalk. After them, seven other heads of grain sprouted, thin and scorched by the east wind. And the thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven plump, ripe ones. Then Pharaoh awoke and realized it was a dream.
• A Midianite dreams of a barley loaf toppling a tentJudg 7:13–14
  The verses

  Judg 7:13–14And as Gideon arrived, a man was telling his friend about a dream. “Behold, I had a dream,” he said, “and I saw a loaf of barley bread come tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent so hard that the tent overturned and collapsed.” His friend replied: “This is nothing less than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has delivered Midian and the whole camp into his hand.”
• At Gibeon Solomon asks for wisdom in a dream1 Kgs 3:5–15
  The verses

  1 Kgs 3:5–15One night at Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “Ask, and I will give it to you!” Solomon replied, “You have shown much loving devotion to Your servant, my father David, because he walked before You in faithfulness, righteousness, and uprightness of heart. And You have maintained this loving devotion by giving him a son to sit on his throne this very day. And now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in my father David’s place. But I am only a little child, not knowing how to go out or come in. Your servant is here among the people You have chosen, a people too numerous to count or number. Therefore give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to govern this great people of Yours?” Now it pleased the Lord that Solomon had made this request. So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this instead of requesting long life or wealth for yourself or death for your enemies—but you have asked for discernment to administer justice— behold, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has never been nor will ever be another like you. Moreover, I will give you what you did not request—both riches and honor—so that during all your days no man in any kingdom will be your equal. So if you walk in My ways and keep My statutes and commandments, just as your father David did, I will prolong your days.” Then Solomon awoke, and indeed it had been a dream. So he returned to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. Then he held a feast for all his servants.
• Nebuchadnezzar demands that his wise men tell him the dream itselfDan 2:1–9
  The verses

  Dan 2:1–9In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams that troubled his spirit, and sleep escaped him. So the king gave orders to summon the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers to explain his dreams. When they came and stood before the king, he said to them, “I have had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to understand it.” Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, “O king, may you live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation.” The king replied to the astrologers, “My word is final: If you do not tell me the dream and its interpretation, you will be cut into pieces and your houses will be reduced to rubble. But if you tell me the dream and its interpretation, you will receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. So tell me the dream and its interpretation.” They answered a second time, “Let the king tell the dream to his servants, and we will give the interpretation.” The king replied, “I know for sure that you are stalling for time, because you see that my word is final. If you do not tell me the dream, there is only one decree for you. You have conspired to speak before me false and fraudulent words, hoping the situation will change. Therefore tell me the dream, and I will know that you can give me its interpretation.”
• His dream of a great statue of gold, silver, bronze, iron, clayDan 2:31–35
  The verses

  Dan 2:31–35As you, O king, were watching, a great statue appeared. A great and dazzling statue stood before you, and its form was awesome. The head of the statue was pure gold, its chest and arms were silver, its belly and thighs were bronze, its legs were iron, and its feet were part iron and part clay. As you watched, a stone was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay, and crushed them. Then the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold were shattered and became like chaff on the threshing floor in summer. The wind carried them away, and not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that had struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.
• His dream of a great tree cut downDan 4:10–17
  The verses

  Dan 4:10–17In these visions of my mind as I was lying in bed, I saw this come to pass: There was a tree in the midst of the land, and its height was great. The tree grew large and strong; its top reached the sky, and it was visible to the ends of the earth. Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit was abundant, and upon it was food for all. Under it the beasts of the field found shelter, in its branches the birds of the air nested, and from it every creature was fed. As I lay on my bed, I also saw in the visions of my mind a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven. He called out in a loud voice: ‘Cut down the tree and chop off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts flee from under it, and the birds from its branches. But leave the stump with its roots in the ground, and a band of iron and bronze around it, in the tender grass of the field. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven and graze with the beasts on the grass of the earth. Let his mind be changed from that of a man, and let him be given the mind of a beast till seven times pass him by. This decision is the decree of the watchers, the verdict declared by the holy ones, so that the living will know that the Most High rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whom He wishes, setting over it the lowliest of men.’
• Daniel writes down a dream of four beastsDan 7:1–3
  The verses

  Dan 7:1–3In the first year of the reign of Belshazzar over Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he lay on his bed. He wrote down the dream, and this is the summary of his account. Daniel declared: “In my vision in the night I looked, and suddenly the four winds of heaven were churning up the great sea. Then four great beasts came up out of the sea, each one different from the others:
• Joseph is told in a dream to take Mary as his wifeMatt 1:20–21
  The verses

  Matt 1:20–21But after he had pondered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to embrace Mary as your wife, for the One conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”
• The Magi are warned in a dream not to return to HerodMatt 2:12
  The verses

  Matt 2:12And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they withdrew to their country by another route.
• Joseph is told in a dream to flee to Egypt, then to returnMatt 2:13, Matt 2:19–22
  The verses

  Matt 2:13When the Magi had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up!” he said. “Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the Child to kill Him.”

  Matt 2:19–22After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. “Get up!” he said. “Take the Child and His mother and go to the land of Israel, for those seeking the Child’s life are now dead.” So Joseph got up, took the Child and His mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he learned that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee,
• Pilate's wife suffers in a dream because of JesusMatt 27:19
  The verses

  Matt 27:19While Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him this message: “Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered terribly in a dream today because of Him.”

Visions in the night

• God speaks to Jacob at night about going down to EgyptGen 46:2–4
  The verses

  Gen 46:2–4And that night God spoke to Israel in a vision: “Jacob, Jacob!” He said. “Here I am,” replied Jacob. “I am God,” He said, “the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will surely bring you back. And Joseph’s own hands will close your eyes.”
• Eliphaz hears a whisper in visions of the nightJob 4:12–16
  The verses

  Job 4:12–16Now a word came to me secretly; my ears caught a whisper of it. In disquieting visions in the night, when deep sleep falls on men, fear and trembling came over me and made all my bones shudder. Then a spirit glided past my face, and the hair on my body bristled. It stood still, but I could not discern its appearance; a form loomed before my eyes, and I heard a whispering voice:
• Paul sees a man of Macedonia calling, 'Come over and help us'Acts 16:9
  The verses

  Acts 16:9During the night, Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”
• In a storm an angel tells Paul that all on board will liveActs 27:23–24
  The verses

  Acts 27:23–24For just last night an angel of God, whose I am and whom I serve, stood beside me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And look, God has granted you the lives of all who sail with you.’

Interpreters

• Joseph interprets the dreams of the cupbearer and the bakerGen 40:8, Gen 40:12–13, Gen 40:18–19
  The verses

  Gen 40:8“We both had dreams,” they replied, “but there is no one to interpret them.” Then Joseph said to them, “Don’t interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.”

  Gen 40:12–13Joseph replied, “This is the interpretation: The three branches are three days. Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore your position. You will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just as you did when you were his cupbearer.

  Gen 40:18–19Joseph replied, “This is the interpretation: The three baskets are three days. Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head and hang you on a tree. Then the birds will eat the flesh of your body.”
• Joseph interprets Pharaoh's dreams: seven years of plenty, seven of famineGen 41:25–32
  The verses

  Gen 41:25–32At this, Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same. God has revealed to Pharaoh what He is about to do. The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven ripe heads of grain are seven years. The dreams have the same meaning. Moreover, the seven thin, ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and so are the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind—they are seven years of famine. It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do. Behold, seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt, but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in the land of Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will devastate the land. The abundance in the land will not be remembered, since the famine that follows it will be so severe. Moreover, because the dream was given to Pharaoh in two versions, the matter has been decreed by God, and He will carry it out shortly.
• Daniel tells Nebuchadnezzar his dream, then explains itDan 2:27–30, Dan 2:36, Dan 4:19–24
  The verses

  Dan 2:27–30Daniel answered the king, “No wise man, enchanter, medium, or magician can explain to the king the mystery of which he inquires. But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the latter days. Your dream and the visions that came into your mind as you lay on your bed were these: As you lay on your bed, O king, your thoughts turned to the future, and the Revealer of Mysteries made known to you what will happen. And to me this mystery has been revealed, not because I have more wisdom than any man alive, but in order that the interpretation might be made known to the king, and that you may understand the thoughts of your mind.

  Dan 2:36This was the dream; now we will tell the king its interpretation.

  Dan 4:19–24For a time, Daniel, who was also known as Belteshazzar, was perplexed, and his thoughts alarmed him. So the king said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation alarm you.” “My lord,” replied Belteshazzar, “may the dream apply to those who hate you, and its interpretation to your enemies! The tree you saw that grew large and strong, whose top reached the sky and was visible to all the earth, whose foliage was beautiful and whose fruit was abundant, providing food for all, under which the beasts of the field lived, and in whose branches the birds of the air nested— you, O king, are that tree! For you have become great and strong; your greatness has grown to reach the sky, and your dominion extends to the ends of the earth. And you, O king, saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying: ‘Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump with its roots in the ground, and a band of iron and bronze around it, in the tender grass of the field. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and graze with the beasts of the field till seven times pass him by.’ This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree that the Most High has issued against my lord the king: