King James Bible Dictionary

God has frequently made use of dreams in communicating his will to men. The most remarkable instances of this are recorded in the history of Jacob (Genesis 28:12; 31:10), Laban (31:24), Joseph (37:9-11), Gideon (Judges 7), and Solomon (1 Kings 3:5). Other significant dreams are also recorded, such as those of Abimelech (Genesis 20:3-7), Pharaoh's chief butler and baker (40:5), Pharaoh (41:1-8), the Midianites (Judges 7:13), Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 2:1; 4:10, 18), the wise men from the east (Matthew 2:12), and Pilate's wife (27:19).

To Joseph "the Lord appeared in a dream," and gave him instructions regarding the infant Jesus (Matthew 1:20; 2:12, 13, 19). In a vision of the night a "man of Macedonia" stood before Paul and said, "Come over into Macedonia and help us" (Acts 16:9; see also 18:9; 27:23).

Evanescent
Job 20:8

Vanity of
Ecclesiastes 5:3; Ecclesiastes 5:7

Instances of:

Abimelech, concerning Sarah
Genesis 20:3

Jacob:

Concerning the ladder
Genesis 28:12

The ring-streaked cattle
Genesis 31:10-13

Concerning his going down into Egypt
Genesis 46:2

Laban, concerning Jacob
Genesis 31:24

Joseph, concerning the sheaves
Genesis 37:5-10

The Midianite, concerning the cake of barley
Judges 7:13

Solomon, concerning his choice of wisdom
1 Kings 3:3-15

Eliphaz, of a spirit speaking to him
Job 4:12-21

Daniel, concerning the four beasts
Job 27:7

Joseph:

Concerning Mary's innocence
Matthew 1:20-21

Concerning the flight into Egypt
Matthew 2:13

Concerning the return into Palestine
Matthew 2:19-22

Pilate's wife, concerning Jesus
Matthew 27:19

Cornelius' vision, concerning Peter
Acts 10:3-6

Peter's vision of the unclean beasts
Acts 10:10-16

Paul's vision:

Of the man in Macedonia, crying, Come over into Macedonia
Acts 16:9

Relating to his going to Rome
Acts 23:11

Concerning the shipwreck, and the safety of all on board
Acts 28:23-24

Revelations by:

General references
Numbers 12:6; Jeremiah 23:28; Joel 2:28; Acts 2:17

The dreams of the butler and baker
Genesis 40:8-23

The dreams of Pharaoh
Genesis 41:1-36

Interpreted by:

Joseph
Genesis 40:12-13; Genesis 40:18-19; Genesis 41:25-32

Daniel
Daniel 2:16-23; Daniel 2:28-30; Daniel 27:4

Delusive
Isaiah 29:7-8

False prophets pretended to receive revelations through
Deuteronomy 13:1-5; Jeremiah 23:25-32; Jeremiah 27:9; Jeremiah 29:8; Zech 10:2
Vision

DREAM, noun [G.]

1. The thought or series of thoughts of a person in sleep. We apply dream in the singular, to a series of thoughts, which occupy the mind of a sleeping person, in which he imagines he has a view of real things or transactions. A dream is a series of thoughts not under the command of reason, and hence wild and irregular.

2. In scripture, dreams were sometimes impressions on the minds of sleeping persons, made by divine agency. God came to Abimelech in a dream Joseph was warned by God in a dream Genesis 20:3. Matthew 2:12.

3. A vain fancy; a wild conceit; an unfounded suspicion.

DREAM, verb intransitive preterit tense dreamed or dreamt. [G.]

1. To have ideas or images in the mind, in the state of sleep; with of before a noun; as, to dream of a battle; to dream of an absent friend.

2. To think; to imagine; as, he little dreamed of his approaching fate.

3. To think idly.

They dream on in a course of reading, without digesting.

4. To be sluggish; to waste time in vain thoughts; as, to dream away life.

DREAM, verb transitive To see in a dream

And dreamt the future fight.

It is followed by a noun of the like signification; as, to dream a dream

DREAMER, noun

1. One who dreams.

2. A fanciful man; a visionary; one who forms or entertains vain schemes; as a political dreamer

3. A man lost in wild imagination; a mope; a sluggard.

DREAMFUL, adjective Full of dreams.

DREAMING, participle present tense Having thoughts or ideas in sleep.

DREAMLESS, adjective Free from dreams.

The Scripture declares that the influence of the Spirit of God upon the soul extends to its sleeping as well as its waking thoughts. But, in accordance with the principle enunciated by St. Paul in (1 Corinthians 14:15) dreams, in which the understanding is asleep, are placed below the visions of prophecy, in which the understanding plays its part. Under the Christian dispensation, while we read frequently of trances and vision, dreams are never referred to as vehicles of divine revelation. In exact accordance with this principle are the actual records of the dreams sent by God. The greater number of such dreams were granted, for prediction or for warning, to those who were aliens to the Jewish covenant. And where dreams are recorded as means of God's revelation to his chosen servants, they are almost always referred to the periods of their earliest and most imperfect knowledge of him. Among the Jews, "if any person dreamed a dream which was peculiarly striking and significant, he was permitted to go to the high priest in a peculiar way, and see if it had any special import. But the observance of ordinary dreams and the consulting of those who pretend to skill in their interpretation are repeatedly forbidden. (13:1-5; 18:9-14)

Schaff.

DREAMT, participle passive Dremt. From dream.