The visions of the night are called dreams. And before the more open revelations by the Lord Jesus Christ, certain it is, that the Lord not unfrequently made use of their ministry in the church. Hence, the patriarchs Abraham and Jacob were thus exercised. (Gen. xv; 28.) And Joseph’s dreams, when related to his father and brethren, were made instrumental to excite the envy of his brethren. (Gen. 37. 5, 6, &c.) Yea, the Lord declared concerning dreams, while the church was in the wilderness, that he would make himselfknown to his servants the prophets in this way. (Num. x2: 6.) And even in the days of the New Testament dispensation, dreams were not in disuse for occasionally revealing the mind of the Lord. Concerning the safety of the child Jesus, by removing him into Egypt, this was directed by an angel appearing by night to Joseph in a dream. (Matt. 2: 13.)
But while the Lord was thus pleased, by the means of dreams, to make known to his people, as occasion might require, the purposes of his will, he was no less pleased to direct his servants the prophets, by open revelation, to guard against all imposition from lying dreams, and false visions of men’s own forming. The prophet Jeremiah was taught thus to declare the Lord’s mind concerning these things, "I have heard what the prophets said, that prophecy lies in my name; saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed. How longshallthis be in the heart of the prophets, that prophecy lies? Yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their heart, which think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams. (Jer. 23. 25 - 27.) In the open day - light of that full revelation the gospel hath brought, the greatest caution should be observed respecting attention to dreams. Upon every occasion of the sort, the faithful in Christ Jesus would do well to remember the Lord’s direction upon another subject, in respect to them that sought after familiar spirits; "tothelaw and to the testimony, if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." (Isa. 8. 19, 20.) Far be it from any one to limit the Holy One of Israel; but by this reference upon all exercises of the mind concerning dreams the children of the Lord will be preserved from error. To say that dreams are wholly done away under the gospel dispensation, and that the Lord never doth speak by them to his people, would be opposing a well known Scripture concerning them, which wholly related to thelatter - day ministry. The prophet Joel was commissioned to declare, and the apostle Peter explained what he said, in direct reference to the days of the manifestation of the Holy Ghost, that the Lord would in the last days, "pour out of his Spirit upon all flesh; and that in consequence of his mercy, their sons and their daughters should prophecy, and their old men dream dreams, and their young men see visions." (Joel 2: 28. Acts 2: 17.) So that to say their entire use is done away, would be presuming to be wise above what iswritten. At the same time to suppose, that the common and ordinary dreams of the night are intended to direct the mind of the Lord’s people, would be to lessen the divine authority of God’s holy word, which, in all cases; is able to make us "wise unto salvation through the faith that is in Christ Jesus."
The exercise of the mind in dreams is certainly among the wonders we meet with in life, which are not the least surprising, though the least to be explained. We know that the whole body is perfectly conscious, and asleep; while there is a somewhat in us, or belonging to us, that is, at times, very busily engaged and employed. We talk apparently with others, and we hear them talk with us. We travel far and near; transact great concerns; not unfrequently converse with persons, whom in our waking hours we know to be dead;but yet in sleep sometimes forget this and sometimes not. We hear their voice and perfectly recollect it; their person, manner, and the like, are as familiar to us as when living. Yea, sometimes circumstances of a similar nature are brought before us in our sleep, both with the dead and living whom we never knew. These, with numberless other particularities, are among the dreams of the night, of which the body, asleep and torpid, is wholly unconscious; but of which the mind or thinking faculty, or the somewhatindescribable, be it what it may, is most earnestly engaged in, and highly interested about. Who shall say what this is? Who shall describe it? Who shall define its use? And there is another very striking particularity in dreams, that while it carries the fullest conviction to that thinking faculty, that somewhat indescribable being acted upon, in a way and manner no man can explain, serves to prove, that the whole is somewhat more than the effect of fancy, though not unfrequently the trifling nature of the thing itself is astrifling. I mean when persons far remote from each other, have one and the same dream, or are apparently engaged in one and the same concern in that dream, without any previous communication on the subject; yea, perhaps without any previous knowledge of each other. And let me add another particularity as striking as any, concerning the exercise of the mind, or thinking faculty, in dreams, beyond the power of any man to account for; namely, when we receive instructions or help on any point, during our dreaminghours, from a person or persons, then supposed to be with us, which, without whose aid we could not in ourselves have accomplished. I will beg to illustrate this, by the relation of a plain matter of fact, which I had from a friend of mine, with whom I lived many years in the habits of great intimacy: indeed, the same, more or less, may be found perhaps in every man’s experience, on one point or other. My friend was a good classic, and conversant with the best Latin authors. In one of his dreams he fancied himselfreading one of his favourite books, which he was in the habit of constant reading, when a passage occurred that he could not construe. He tried again and again to translate it, but all to no purpose. Mortified with himself, he was about to close the book and relinquish the attempt, when a person looking over his shoulder gently upbraided him on his dulness (Luke 24. 35.) and construed the passage to him. Now the question is, who was this looker - on, for he himself was asleep, and alone? The reader will sadly mistakemy meaning, from all that I have here said upon dreams, if he thinks I am bringing forward a justification of that farrago of unconnected, trifling, and impertinent stuff, which some make of dreams. Too many there are, whose waking hours are little better than the merest unmeaning dreams of the night. But making all due allowance for such things, certain it is, that in the early ages of the world, the Lord was pleased to make use of the ministry of dreams. And though under the gospel we have a more sure guide totakeheed unto, yet it were to limit the Holy One of Israel to say, that they now are never used, and their ministry hath totally ceased. No doubt, the greatest jealousy maybe proper to exercise concerning them; and certainly, we must be safe in rejecting them in all points, where they are not in perfect agreement with the glorious gospel of the ever - blessed God.
The easterns, in particular the Jews, greatly regarded dreams, and applied for their interpretation to those who undertook to explain them. The ancient Greeks and Romans had the same opinion of them, as appears from their most eminent writers. We see the antiquity of this attention to dreams in the history of Pharaoh’s butler and baker, Genesis 40. Pharaoh himself, and Nebuchadnezzar, are instances. God expressly condemned to death all who pretended to have prophetic dreams, and to foretel futurities, even though what they foretold came to pass, if they had any tendency to promote idolatry, Deu 13:1-3. But the people were not forbidden, when they thought they had a significative dream, to address the prophets of the Lord, or the high priest in his ephod, to have it explained. Saul, before the battle of Gilboa, consulted a woman who had a familiar spirit, “because the Lord would not answer him by dreams, nor by prophets,” 1Sa 28:6-7. The Lord himself sometimes discovered his will in dreams, and enabled persons to explain them. He informed Abimelech in a dream, that Sarah was the wife of Abraham, Gen 20:3; Gen 20:6. He showed Jacob the mysterious ladder in a dream, Gen 28:12-13; and in a dream an angel suggested to him a means of multiplying his flocks, Gen 31:11-12, &c. Joseph was favoured very early with prophetic dreams, whose signification was easily discovered by Jacob, Gen 37:5. God said, that he spake to other prophets in dreams, but to Moses face to face. The Midianites gave credit to dreams, as appears from that which a Midianite related to his companion; and from whose interpretation Gideon took a happy omen, Jdg 7:13; Jdg 7:15. The Prophet Jeremiah exclaims against impostors who pretended to have had dreams, and abused the credulity of the people: “They prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed. The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him tell it faithfully, saith the Lord,” Jer 23:25; Jer 23:28-29. The Prophet Joel promises from God, that in the reign of the Messiah, the effusion of the Holy Spirit should be so copious, that the old men should have prophetic dreams, and the young men should receive visions, Joe 2:28.
Of all the subjects upon which the mind of man has speculated, there is perhaps none which has more perplexed than that of dreaming.
Whatever may be the difficulties attending the subject, still we know that it has formed a channel through which Jehovah was pleased in former times to reveal His character and dispensations to His people.
In regard to the immediate cause of dreaming, the opinions of the ancients were very various.
We believe that dreams are ordinarily the re-embodiment of thoughts which have before, in some shape or other, occupied our minds. They are broken fragments of our former conceptions revived, and heterogeneously brought together. If they break off from their connecting chain, and become loosely associated, they exhibit ofttimes absurd combinations, but the elements still subsist. If, for instance, any irritation, such as pain, fever, etc., should excite the perceptive organs, while the reflective ones are under the influence of sleep, we have a consciousness of objects, colors, or sounds being presented to us, just as if the former organs were actually stimulated by having such impressions communicated to them by the external senses; while, in consequence of the repose of the reflecting power, we are unable to rectify the illusion, and conceive that the scenes passing before us, or the sounds that we hear, have a real existence. This want of mutual cooperation between the different faculties of the mind may account for the disjointed character of dreams. This position might be fully substantiated by an appeal to the evidence of fact. Dr. Beattie speaks of a man who could be made to dream anything by whispering in his ear. Dr. Gregory relates of himself that, having once had occasion to apply a bottle of hot water to his own feet when he retired to bed, he dreamed that he was ascending the side of Mount Etna, and that he found the heat of the ground almost insufferable. Persons who have had a blister applied to their head have been known to dream of being scalped by a party of North American Indians. Sleeping in a smoky room, we may dream of a house or city being in flames. The smell of a flower applied to the nostrils may call forth the idea of walking in a garden; and the sound of a flute may excite in us the most pleasurable associations.
The only one of our mental powers which is not suspended while dreaming is fancy, or imagination. We often find memory and judgment alternately suspended and exercised. Sometimes we fancy ourselves contemporaneous with persons who have lived ages before: here memory is at work, but judgment is set aside. We dream of carrying on a very connected discourse with a deceased friend, and are not conscious that he is no more: here judgment is awake, but memory suspended. These irregularities, or want of mutual cooperation in the different faculties of the mind may form, for aught we know, the plan by which God gives health and vigor to the whole soul.
How God revealed Himself by dreams, and raised up persons to interpret them, the Scriptures abundantly testify. Under the three successive dispensations we find this channel of communication with man adopted. It was doubtless in this way that God appeared to the father of the faithful, ordering him to forsake country, kindred, and his father’s house, and to go into the land that He would show him. To this divine command, Abraham paid a ready obedience. It was by a similar prompt obedience to the admonition conveyed to him in a dream, that Abimelech (Gen 20:3) himself and Abraham, too, were saved from the evil consequences of his meditated act. To Jacob, also, God appeared frequently in a dream (Gen 28:19; Gen 31:10); and his on Joseph, while yet a child, had dreams predictive of his future advancement (Gen 37:6-11).
Such were some of the dreams by which God revealed Himself under the patriarchal dispensation, and that the same divine mode of communicating with man was continued under that of Moses is evident from an express word of promise (Num 12:6). That dreams were one of the ways whereby God used to signify His pleasure, and from the complaint of Saul to the spirit of Samuel (whom the witch pretended to raise up), when he asked him, ’Why hast thou disquieted me to bring me up?’ Saul answered, ’I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answers me no more; neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee that thou mayest make known to me what I shall do.’ And, in order to guard against imposition, Moses pronounced a penalty against dreams which were invented and wickedly made use of, for the promotion of idolatry (Deu 13:1-5). Thus Zechariah (Zec 10:2) complains: ’The idols have spoken vanity, and the diviners have spoken a lie, and have told false dreams; they comfort in vain.’ And so Jeremiah (Jer 23:25), ’I have heard what the prophets said that prophesy lies in My name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed,’ etc. Yet this abuse did not alter God’s plan in the right use of them; for in Jer 23:28 it is said, ’the prophet that hath a dream, and he that hath My word, let him speak My word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the Lord.’
When Gideon warred with the Amalekites, and was alarmed at their vast multitudes, he was encouraged to do God’s will by overhearing one of them relate his dream, and another giving the interpretation (Judges 7). Again, it was in a dream that God was pleased to grant Solomon a promise of wisdom and understanding (1Ki 3:5, etc.). Here we may perceive what converse the Lord was pleased to hold with Solomon in a dream; and the sacred record informs us how punctually everything herein promised was fulfilled.
The knowledge of visions and dreams is reckoned among the principal gifts and graces sometimes bestowed by God upon them that fear Him; so it is said of Daniel and his companions, that ’God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams (Dan 1:17). And the God who had imparted this spirit unto His servant Daniel soon, in the arrangement of His providence, gave the signal occasion for its exercise recorded in the second chapter of his book. In the dream of Nebuchadnezzar a great variety of ends were attained in reference to Babylon, Israel, and indeed the world—all of which were worthy of God’s miraculous interference.
That this method of God’s revealing himself was not confined to the legal dispensation, but was to be extended to the Christian, is evident from Joel (Joe 2:28), ’And afterwards (saith the Lord) I will pour out My spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy; your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.’ In Act 2:17, we find the Apostle Peter applying this to the illumination of the Holy Ghost. Accordingly, we read that when Joseph designed to put Mary away, because he perceived her to be with child, he was turned from his purpose by a dream, in which an angel made the truth of the matter known to him (Mat 1:20). And in the following chapter it is stated, that God, in a dream, warned the wise men not to return to Herod. Moreover, in Mat 2:13; Mat 2:19, Joseph is instructed to flee into and return from Egypt with the child Jesus.
We inquire not how far God may have revealed Himself to man beyond what Holy Scripture records. Some of the dreams both of ancient and modern times, which lay claim to a divine character, are certainly striking, and may, for aught we know, have had, and may still have, a collateral bearing on the development of God’s purposes.
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 1Co 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. Deu 13:1-5; Deu 18:9-14. -- Schaff.
Though associated in some passages with trifles and vanities, Job 7:14; Ecc 5:7, there is yet abundant evidence in the scriptures that God often conveyed His mind to people by means of dreams, and this not only to those who obeyed Him, but also to the heathen. Gen 20:3; Gen 20:6; Jdg 7:13. "God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed: then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction, that he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man." Job 33:14-17. God said that He would instruct His prophets in dreams. Num 12:6. He also used dreams in the case of Nebuchadnezzar and of Daniel in order to reveal His will and purpose concerning, the future.
Joseph, the reputed father of the Lord, was directed several times by means of dreams; and Pilate was warned by his wife to have nothing to do with that just man because of what she had suffered in a dream. Mat 1:20; Mat 2:12-22; Mat 27:19. It is to be remarked that in the last days when God pours out His Spirit on all flesh the sons and daughters will prophesy, and the young men shall see visions, and the old men shall dream dreams. Joe 2:28; Act 2:17. This will be the way that God will make known His mind in those days.
By: Emil G. Hirsch, Solomon Schechter, Ludwig Blau, Cyrus Adler, Joseph Jacobs
—Biblical Data:
Dreams have at all times and among all peoples received much attention. In the youth of a nation, as in the youth of an individual, dreams are so vivid that they appear to be hardly distinguishable from reality. "In the primitive stages of human development, when all insight into the laws of nature and of the human mind was lacking, dream-images were taken to be actual realities" (Lehmann, "Aberglaube und Zauberei," p. 414, Stuttgart, 1898). Dreams were not explained physiologically or psychologically, but were ascribed to intercourse with spirits or taken to be inspirations of the gods. As spirits and gods were supposed to be conversant with the thingsthat are hidden, yet unborn, dreams were looked upon as their whisperings, having the value of divinations and predictions. Since the language of spirits and gods, however, is not like the speech of men, it became necessary that dreams should be interpreted, which was possible only to the "wise man" who had intercourse with spirits and gods. In this way the "science" of dreams and dream-interpretation came into existence.
It is sufficient for the comprehension of the Biblical and Talmudical stories summarized below to compare them with the oneiromancy and oneirocriticism of the ancient world, which are amply treated in Lehmann's book, as well as in the various dictionaries of antiquities, such as Daremberg and Saglio's "Dictionnaire des Antiquités Grecques et Romaines" (ii. 306-308) and Ennemoser's "Gesch. der Magie" (pp. 132-141, Leipsic, 1844). Tylor, in "Primitive Culture" (i. 122, 303, 439; ii. 411), discusses the question from the ethnographic point of view.
The Bible attaches importance to dreams, as is shown by well-known instances in Genesis. But in conformity with its strict monotheism, it is always God who speaks through dreams, either to make known His will or to announce future events. It must be noted, furthermore, that the dreams recorded in the Bible are, almost without exception, intended for the benefit of the race in general and not for that of single individuals (Gen. xx. 3; xxviii. 12; xxxi. 10, 24; xxxvii. 5, 9; xl.; xli.; Judges vii. 13; I Kings iii. 5, 15; Dan. ii. and iv.). The two interpreters of dreams mentioned by name, Joseph and Daniel, expressly refer to the inspiration of God in their interpretations (Gen. xli. 16, 25; Dan. ii. 19). Daniel even has dreams and interpretations in a "vision of the night." Dreams were also taken as divine revelations even if they referred only to the dreamer himself (compare Job xxxiii. 14 et seq.).
Dreams and Prophecy.
Job looks upon the disquieting dreams and the dreadful visions of sleep as terrors sent by God (vii. 14). The prophet also received his prophecies during sleep: in some cases God spoke with him; in others, God caused him to behold a vision (Dan. i. 17). Only Moses spoke with God face to face, without the intervention of dreams, visions, or riddles (Num. xii. 5 et seq.).
Prophets and dreamers are mentioned together because of the connection between prophecy and dreams (I Sam. xxviii. 6, 15; Deut. xiii. 2, 4; Jer. xxiii. 25-32, xxvii. 9, xxix. 8). "I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions" (Joel ii. 28). There is nothing to indicate how the dreams of the true prophets were distinguished from those of the false ones. The higher kind of prophet, however, beheld the vision while awake, either by day or by night (Zech. i. 8, iv. 1; Gen. xv. 12; I Sam. iii. 3, 4; II Sam. vii. 4 et seq.; Dillmann, "Handbuch der Alttestamentlichen Theologie," pp. 476 et seq., Leipsic, 1895).
Interpretation of Dreams.
The interpretations of dreams in the Bible are not dependent upon astrology nor upon any other occult science, but are simple and ingenuous. The dreams are interpreted symbolically. Seven fat kine mean seven fat years, etc. The recurrence of the dream means that it will surely come to pass within a short time (Gen. xli. 32). The dreams of Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. ii. and iv.) are huger and more fantastic, and their interpretation, especially that of the second one, may be termed allegorical. Judges vii. 13 is also interpreted symbolically.
—In Rabbinical Literature:
Jewish tradition furnishes abundant material relating to dreams, the Babylonian Talmud—which originated (200-500) in the home of the Chaldeans, the magicians of the ancient world—being especially rich in them. Berakot (55-58) is a veritable storehouse of dream-interpretations. The following selections will present the views of Palestinian and Babylonian Jews during the first five centuries of the common era.
The fact that the most famous teachers frequently discuss dreams and enunciate doctrines regarding them, shows the strong hold dreams had upon the minds even of the intellectual leaders of Judaism. Belief in dreams was the rule; doubt concerning them, the exception.
Johanan ben Zakkai dreamed that his sister's sons would lose 700 denarii in that year. He therefore pressed them to give alms frequently, so that they might lose that sum gradually in a noble way (B. B. 10a). A man felt some compunction regarding the money left him by his father, which he suspected to be tithe-money. The dispenser of dreams (
) appeared to him, and named the place, the sum, and the uses to which the money was to be put. The scholars held that in such cases dreams could not be taken seriously, and declared the money to be secular (Tosef., Ma'aser Sheni, v. 9; Sanh. 30a). In a similar story it was the father instead of the dispenser of dreams who appeared to the son (Yer. Ma'aser Sheni 55b). Although God had turned His face from Israel, He yet spoke in dreams to individuals (Ḥag. 5b). In conformity with this view, dreams have been regarded as suggestions from Heaven. The patriarch Gamaliel II.'s qualms of conscience were allayed in a dream (Ber. 28a). In the same way the opposing scholars were enjoined to make their peace with the patriarch Simon ben Gamaliel (Hor. 13b).
Meïr had no confidence in a certain innkeeper with an ill-omened name; but two of his colleagues made light of his suspicions; whereupon Meïr was warned against the man in a dream (Yoma 83b). Hints through Biblical passages were given in dreams (Yeb. 93b; Soṭah 31a; etc.). Ḥanina had a dream in which Rab was hanged on a tree; he interpreted this to mean that Rab would be his successor, and therefore treated him as an implacable enemy (Yoma 87b). When R. Naḥma spoke irreverently of Saul, terrifying angels appeared to him in a dream (ib. 22b). For a similar reason King Manasseh appeared to R. Ashi in a dream (Sanh. 102b). When Raba forced rain to come, his father appeared in a dream and scolded him (Ta'an. 24b). One whom R. Judah had honored in death came to thank him in a dream (Shab. 152b). Even an idolappeared in a dream, at a time when there was drought ('Ab. Zarah 55b). Raba prayed that he might receive in a dream the answer to a difficult question (Men. 67a). This actually happened in the case of R. Johanan (Men. 84b, passim). Many teachers of the Law desired to see famous authorities of past ages in their dreams, and had their wishes granted (Eccl. R. ix. 10). If any one was put under ban in a dream, ten persons had to absolve him (Ned. 8a); but if a pagan wished to embrace Judaism because he had been advised in a dream to do so, he was not accepted (Yeb. 24b).
Good and Evil Dreams.
A distinction was made between good and evil dreams. He who goes to bed in a cheerful frame of mind "is shown" a good dream (Shab. 30b), which may come to pass within twenty-two years (Ber. 55b). Good persons do not have good dreams, nor have bad ones evil dreams (ib.). As evil dreams naturally caused anxiety, people prayed not to be disturbed by them (Ber. 60b). The mostNineteenth Century.
("The House of Rabbi"), by Moses Konitz (Vienna, 1805), is a dramatized life of R. Judah ha-Nasi, the compiler of the Mishnah; included in the play is all that is told about Rabbi in the Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmuds.
("The Daughter of Jephthah"), by Moses Neumann (Vienna, 1806), is a Biblical drama.
("Naboth of Jezreel"), by Shalom ha-Kohen, was printed with his "Maṭṭa'e Ḳedem" (Rödelheim, 1807).
("'Amal and Tirzah") is an allegorical drama in three acts, by the same author (Rödelheim, 1812). It is a sequel to Luzzatto's "La-Yesharim Tehillah," employing the same dramatis personæ. The author was induced to complete Luzzatto's work, which presented only the triumph of the good, and omitted the punishment of the wicked. The play was reedited by M. Letteris, Warsaw, 1862.The remaining dramas are:
("Zipporah"), by Gabriel Berger, in "Neuer Sammler" (Königsberg, 1809); Biblical drama.
("Amnon and Tamar"), by Eliezer Raschkow (Breslau, 1812 [?]); Biblical drama.
("Joseph and Asenath"), by Süsskind Raschkow (ib. 1817); Biblical drama in five acts.
("The Industrious and the Idle"), by David Samoscz (ib. 1817).
("The Concubine at Gibeah"), by the same author; Biblical drama, the heroine of which is the Levite's concubine who caused the war between the tribes of Israel and that of Benjamin (ib. 1818).
, or, according to Zeitlin, 
("The Lot of the Just"), by Kalman Kohen Bistritz (Vienna, 1821); Biblical drama in three acts, the hero and heroine being Mordecai and Esther.
("The Remnant of Judah"), by Solomon Judah Rapoport; a free adaptation of Racine's "Esther," in four acts, with an introduction (published in the "Bikkure ha-'Ittim," 1827).
("Ḥananiah, Mishael, and Azariah").by Samuel David Luzzatto (published in the "Bikkure ha-'Ittim," 1875).
("On, Son of Pelet"), by the same author (ib.).
("The History of Moses"), by Isaac b. Saul Kandia (Warsaw, 1829); drama in two acts.
("The Greatness of Joseph"), by Nathan R. Kalkar, in his "Niṭ'e Sha'ashu'im" (Copenhagen, 1834); Biblical drama.
("Boaz and Ruth"), by Israel Jehoiada Cohen (Breslau, 1834).
("The Torrent of Rivers"), by Aaron David Gordon (Wilna, 1836); an allegorical drama in three parts. It is a satire upon the conditions of the time, in which the author flays those who indulge in drinking on the anniversary of a parent's death. He was afterward persecuted by the class at which he aimed his shafts.
("The Trunk of Jesse"), by M. Letteris (Vienna, 1836); a tragedy in five acts, the heroine of which is Athalia.
("The Fall of Sisera"), by Naḥman Isaac Fishmann (Lemberg, 1841); Biblical drama in two acts.
("The Peace of Esther"), by M. Letteris (Prague, 1843); tragedy in three acts.
("On the Walls of Jerusalem"), by Phinehas Kraemer (Vienna, 1865); a tragedy dealing with an episode of the destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans.
("A Virtuous Woman"), by Elias Levin (Wilna, 1866); Biblical drama in one act, the principal characters being David and Abigall.
("Glory to the Intelligent"), by A. B. Gottlober (Jitomir, 1867); an imitation of Luzzatto's "La-Yesharim Tehillah."
("Fable and Satire"), by Meïr Löb Malbim (Paris, 1867, and Warsaw, 1877); allegorical drama in four parts.
("The Fall of Absalom"), by Joshua Bank (Odessa, 1868 and 1878); Biblical tragedy.
("Truth and Belief"), by Ab. B. Lebensohn (Adam ha-Kohen) (Wilna, 1867 and 1870; an allegory in three acts and twelve scenes, attacking superstition.
("Elishah, Son of Abuyah"), the teacher of R. Meïr, who was baptized (Vienna, 1868); an adaptation of Goethe's "Faust."
("Terror of the Nights"), a Talmudic tragedy, the heroes and heroine of which are King Solomon, Asmodeus, and the Queen of Sheba. The subject is the Talmudic legend of the dethronement of Solomon by Asmodeus. This work has not been published (see "Orient," x. 635).
("The Conspiracy of Shebna"), by N. Fishmann (Lemberg, 1870); Biblical drama in five acts.
("Nabal the Righteous"), by A. D. Wechsler (Lemberg, 1874); comedy in five acts, denouncing the hypocrisy of the day. It is an adaptation from Molière's "Tartuffe."
("Hadasa or Esther"), by G. Gitelevicz (Warsaw, 1875): Biblical drama in twelve scenes.
("The Emblem of Love and of Jealousy"), by Aron Margolis (Vienna, 1877); Biblical tragedy, the hero and heroine of which are Amnon and Tamar.
("The Advantage of Wisdom"), by S. Apfel (Czernowitz, 1882); drama in four parts.
("The Russian Emigrant"), by Osias Atlas (Przemysl, 1883); tragedy in three acts.
("Bar Kokba"), by L. Landau (Lemberg, 1884); tragedy in five acts the hero of which is Bar Kokba, leader of the revolt against Hadrian.
("Belief and Enlightening" [Rationalism]), by D. M. Andermann (Drohobycz, 1887); an allegory in five acts; the author imitates Luzzatto.Several other dramas written by Russian Jews have not yet been published.
II. Berliner in his (Preface to "Yesod 'Olam," p. xix.) makes the statement that Letteris was the first translator of dramas into Hebrew. But if the adaptations of Letteris are considered to be translations merely, the priority must be given to David Franco-Mendes, of the end of the eighteenth century, who wrote "Gemul 'Atalyah" (The Punishment of Athalia), a Biblical drama in three acts adapted from Racine and Metastasio (Amsterdam, 1770). It was in the nineteenth century, and especially in its second half, that Hebrew literature was enriched by numerous translations of dramas. Meïr Letteris was certainly the first translator or adapter in the nineteenth century. His translations, or rather his adaptions, are mentioned above, namely: (1) Racine's "Esther" into Hebrew under the title "Shelom Ester"; (2) "Athalie," of the same author, under the title "Geza' Yishai"; (3) "Ben Abuyah," an adaptation of Goethe's "Faust." Racine's "Esther" was also translated by Joseph Haltern and by Solomon J. Rapoport (see above) in four acts (Vienna, 1827). Two other translated dramas have to be added to those of the first half of the nineteenth century: Metastasio's "Isacco," translated by Elijah Bardach under the title "'Aḳedat Yiẓḥaḳ" (The Sacrifice of Isaac; Vienna, 1833); and Kotzebue's "Der Schatz," translated by David Rosenhand under the title of "Ha-Oẓar," or "Le-Yishre Leb Simḥah" (Joy to the Righteous), in two acts (Warsaw, 1845).During the second half of the nineteenth century very many translations were made. The favorite author was Schiller, seven of whose dramas have been translated into Hebrew: (1) "Die Braut von Messina," under the title "Medanim ben Aḥim" (Quarrels Between Brothers), by Jacob Levin (Brody, 1868); (2) "Die Räuber," under the title "Ha-Shodedim," by Moses Schulbaum (Lemberg, 1871); (3) "Wilhelm Tell," in prose, by David Radner, (Wilna, 1878); (4) "Don Carlos," in prose, by the same (ib. 1879); (5) "Marie Stuart," by Solomon Kovner (ib. 1879); (6) "Turandot," under the title "Tirẓah," by Osias Atlas (Przemysl, 1879); (7) "Fiesco, oder die Verschwörung zu Genua," under the title "Ḳesher Fiesko," by Samuel Apfel (Drohobycz, 1889). Five of Lessing's dramas have been translated: (1) "Nathan der Weise," under the title "Natan he-Ḥakam," by S. Bacher (Vienna, 1866); also by A. B. Gottlober, who versified the Hebrew in the same meter as the original (ib. 1874); "Philotas," under the title "Abinadab," by J. Falkovich (Odessa, 1868); (3) "Die Juden," under the title "Ha-Yehudim," in prose, by Jacob Kohn (Warsaw, 1875), also in verse by Hirsch Teller (Vienna, 1881); (4) "Der Freigeist," under the title "Ḥonen we-Noten," by D. Kohn (Przemysl, 1886); (5) "Miss Sara Sampson," under the title "Sarah bat Shimshon," by Isr. Frenkel (Warsaw, 1887).Of other translations the following may be mentioned:Gutzkow's "Uriel Acosta," by Sol. Rubin (Vienna, 1856).Ludwig Philippson's "Jojachin," a tragedy in four acts, by S. Bacher (Vienna, 1859).Shakespeare's "Othello," by Isaac E. Salkinson, under the title "Itiel" (Vienna, 1874).The same author's "Romeo and Juliet," by Isaac E. Salkinson, under the title "Ram we-Ya'el" (Vienna, 1878).Rich. Cumberland's "The Jew," drama in five acts, by Joseph Brill, under the title "Ish Yehudah" (Wilna, 1878).Mosenthal's "Debora," by David Radner (ib. 1880).Shakespeare's "Macbeth," by Isaac Rabb (Drohobycz, 1883).Kotzebue's "Der Arme Poet." by Isidor Brüstiger under the title "Ha-Meshorer he-'Ani" (Lemberg, 1884).Scribe's "La Juive," by Zusmann Marik, under the title "Raḥel ha-Yehudiyyah" (Wilna, 1886).Kozlovski's "Esterka," Polish drama in five acts, by Israel Frenkel, under the title "Massa' Ester" (Warsaw, 1889).
Finally, the following two poems arranged in dialogue form may be added: Dante's "Divina Commedia," under the title "Mar'ot Elohim" (Apparitionsof God), translated by Saul Farmiggini (Triest, 1869); and Milton's "Paradise Lost," under the title "Wa-Yegaresh et ha-Adam" (And He Drove Adam Out), by Isaac E. Salkinson (Vienna, 1871). The two Warsaw literary societies, "Aḥiasaf" and "Tushiyah," are continuing the publication of dramas translated into Hebrew. common and efficient preventive of evil dreams was fasting (
), still practised by many persons (Shab. 11a). It is not always clear what constitutes a good or an evil dream.
A skilful interpretation consisted in an ingenious answer, that often explained two similar dreams in entirely opposite ways. A man came to R. Jose ben Ḥalafta, saying: "I was told in a dream to go to Ḳapudḳia [Cappadocia), where I should find the money of my deceased father." Jose explained the dream as follows: "Count ten beams in your house, and in the tenth you will find the treasure, for 'Kapudkia' means 
[= "beam"] and 
[= "decuria," "ten"]" (for a similar analysis of the same name see Krauss, "Lehnwörter," ii. 459a). The same famous teacher of the Law interpreted a dream of an olive-wreath to mean that the dreamer would advance in the world; while he said to another man who had had a like dream, that he would be beaten. When the latter asked him why his interpretations differed, Jose replied: "The other man saw the olives growing, whereas you saw them after they had been picked", the latter idea being expressed in Hebrew by the words meaning "to beat down" (Yer. Ma'aser Sheni 55b). Such interpretations are generally based on folk-etymology, a striking example of which is given in Blau's "Altjüdisches Zauberwesen" (p. 166). The personality of the dreamer was also considered, so that the same dream (for instance, of drinking wine) might mean success in the case of a scholar, and misfortune in the case of an unlettered person (ib.).
Interpreters of Dreams.
The dreamer as a rule was unable to interpret his own dream (Yoma 28b). Hence the need of interpreters, who were numerous, and asked payment for their skill. The good-will of the interpreter was sought by presents, for it was believed that all dreams came true according to the interpretation (Yer. Ma'aser Sheni 57c; compare Bacher in "Rev. Et. Juives," xxvii. 141). Even teachers of the Law demanded a fee for interpreting a dream. They were consulted also by pagans, just as Jews consulted pagan "Chaldeans." Raba and Abaye, two Babylonian leaders of schools in the first half of the fourth century, laid their dreams before a Chaldean of the name of Bar Hedia, whose avarice and lying were denounced. "Whoever gave him a fee got a favorable answer, and whoever gave no fee got an unfavorable one" (Ber. 56a). He was held up to ridicule, and yet in spite of it was taken seriously.
Rules Concerning Dreams.
Ḥisda, a Babylonian of the third century, laid down the following rules: Every dream, excepting those which occur during fasting, means something. A dream not interpreted is like a letter unread. Neither good nor evil dreams come true entirely. An evil dream is better than a good one, since it leads to repentance; the former is annulled by the pain it causes, and the latter by the joy (Ber. 55a). Similar views are expressed by other Babylonian amoraim. An evil dream can be turned away, according to R. Johanan, by saying to three persons: "I have had a good dream"; they replying: "Yes, it is good; let it be good; may God change it to good," etc. The evil dream can also be annulled by means of certain Bible verses. The prayer for good dreams, which the congregation still pronounces after the first and second blessings of the priest, is recommended as early as the Talmud (Ber. 55b). In addition to learned interpretations—for instance, on the meanings of Biblical passages occurring in dreams—there are also those of a folk-lore character; e.g., a red horse is an ill omen and a white horse a good omen (Sanh. 93a). A 
("good"), is a good omen (B. Ḳ.). The diversity of dreams made the profession of interpreter remunerative. The fee paid for an interpretation was generally one denarius. There were twenty-four interpreters in Jerusalem, each one of whom would, of course, interpret a dream differently from the others.
Belief in dreams was criticized as early as Ecclesiastes, in which it is declared to be vanity (ch. v.). In view of the general and implicit belief in dreams obtaining in the ancient world, Sirach's disbelief in them is proof of his advanced thought. He expresses his views as follows (xxxi. [xxxiv.] 1-8, R. V.):
Vain and false hopes are for a man void of understanding; and dreams give wings to fools.
As one that catcheth at a shadow, and followeth after the wind, so is he that setteth his mind on dreams.
The vision of dreams is as this thing against that, the likeness of a face over against a face.
Of an unclean thing what shall be cleansed? And of that which is false what shall be true?
Divinations and soothsayings and dreams are vain; and the heart fancieth, as a woman's in travail.
If they be not sent from the Most High in thy visitation, give not thy heart unto them.
For dreams have led many astray; and they have failed by putting their hope in them.
Without lying shall the Law be accomplished; and wisdom is perfection to a faithful mouth.
The criticism of R. Simon ben Yoḥai (c. 150), however, shows a certain belief in the meaning of dreams; he says: "As there is no grain without chaff, so there is no dream without vain things." But his contemporary R. Meïr says, "Dreams do not help nor harm" (Hor. 13b). It is noteworthy that Philo wrote five books on dreams (Schürer, "Gesch." 3d ed., iii. 510, note 61). In view of these facts the psychologicinterpretations of dreams by the wise rabbi Joshua ben Ḥananya (c. 100) are worthy of note. As Nebuchadnezzar once asked the Chaldeans, so a Roman emperor (probably Hadrian) asked Joshua what he (Hadrian) was going to dream. Joshua answered: "You shall dream that the Persians will vanquish and ill-treat you." Reflecting on this the whole day, the emperor dreamed accordingly (Ber. 56a). Samuel (d. 257) gave a similar and equally efective answer to the Persian king. Notwithstanding these exceptions, it may be said that the Jews of antiquity held almost the same views regarding dreams as did other ancient peoples.
Bibliography:
Hamburger, R. B. T. ii. 996-998;
Winer, B. R. 3d ed., ii. 632-633;
Ennemoser, Gesch. der Magie, pp. 112-141;
Lehmann, Aberglaube und Zauberei, Stuttgart, 1898.
—In Jewish Folk-Lore:
Uncultured Jews share with, and in most cases derive from, their neighbors most of their superstitions relating to dreams. The general principle seems to be that dreams go by contraries. Thus, if you dream of death, it is a sign that you will live. This belief is common to English, Dutch, and Russian Jews. On the other hand, there is a saying that a sixtieth part of every dream is true, since a dream is that part of prophecy (Ber. 57b). But not all dreams follow the rule of contraries; thus, if a Russian Jew dreams that a dog attempts to bite him, it is regarded as a sign that his enemies wish to harm him. It is generally thought that the dead pay visits to the living in dreams; this is current among the German peasantry (Grimm, list of superstitions at the end of "Teutonic Mythology," No. 633). To dream that a dead person brings fruit with him is regarded as a sign that he is in paradise. It would also appear that Jewish popular thought regards the dream-world as in direct communication with heaven, for the familiar dream-experience of a sudden fall is regarded as a sign that the soul has been suddenly ejected from heaven. On the other hand, it is considered unlucky to accept in a dream a present from one dead. This is found as early as the thirteenth century in the "Ẓawwa'ah" of Judah Ḥasid, § 13. If an unpropitious or in other ways "bad" dream occurs to a pious Jew, he will fast the next day. It is therefore considered an evil omen to have a bad dream on Yom Kippur, when fasting is obligatory, and the dreamer can not ward off the ill effects of his dream by a special fast for that purpose. Hence the curious recipe for preventing bad dreams found among the Jews of Minsk, who say, "Got is a har, Der holem is a nar; Wos vet mir zich haintige nacht holemen, Wel ich morgen nit fasten" (God is master, The dream is a fool; Whatever I may dream to-night, I will not fast to-morrow). The assumption is that the ruler of dreams, finding that he can not force the dreamer to fast, will not take the trouble to send him a bad dream. Dreams are supposed to result in the way they are interpreted, and accordingly it is unwise to tell your dream to a fool; he might interpret it in an unfavorable way.
Dream-Book.
The Jews of eastern Europe have still their special dream-book, a Yiddish translation of Almoli's "Pitron Ḥalomot," an edition of which was published as late as 1902 in Brooklyn, New York. This classifies dreams in accordance with their subjects—as animals, plants, angels, or the dead; or milk, cheese, butter, etc. A few examples will suffice to indicate the character of the work. If you dream that an ox gores you, you will live long; that you see demons, you will earn a great deal of money; that you drink milk, you will fall ill, but rapidly recover. These puerilities are probably derived from medieval dream books of the Mohammedans, since Solomon ben Jacob Almoli lived in Constantinople.
DREAMS.—Sleep impressed primitive savages as a great mystery; and they consequently attributed a peculiar significance to the dreams of sleepers, as phenomena which they could not control by their will or explain by their reason. In the lowest stage of culture all dreams were regarded as objectively real experiences; the god or spirit actually visited the dreamer, the events dreamed actually occurred. Hence any one who was subject to frequent dreaming was looked on as a special medium of Divine energy, and many sought to produce the state by artificial means, e.g. fasting or the use of drugs. In process of time dreams came to be treated rather as Divine warnings than as actual occurrences. Such admonitions could be deliberately sought, e.g. by sleeping in a sacred spot, such as the temples of Asklepios or Serapis or the grotto of Trophonius; or they could come unsought, when the gods wished either to reveal or to deceive. (Plato, however, while allowing that the gods may send dreams, denies that they can wish to deceive men). Thus, for instance, among the Babylonians, the Assyrians, the Arabs, the Egyptians, a profound importance was attached to dreams; there were professional interpreters of them (cf. Gen 40:5; Gen 40:8; Gen 41:1, Dan 2:5), and manuals were compiled to aid the work of elucidation (cf. the Oneirocritica of Artemidorus of Ephesus). Wiser theorists might discriminate between dreams, but popular superstition tended to regard them all as omens, to be explained, as far as possible, in accordance with definite rules.
1. Among the Jews.—In both Testaments we find significance attached to dreams (Gen 37:6; Gen 37:9; Gen 41:25, Jdg 7:13, Dan 2:28; Dan 7:1 ff., Mat 1:20; Mat 2:13; Mat 2:20, Act 23:11; Act 27:23), and in OT times it seems that a great deal of vulgar superstition existed with regard to such phenomena; similarly necromancy and sorcery, though discouraged by the higher thought of the nation (cf. Deu 18:10-11), were undoubtedly practised. We find hardly any traces, however, of dreams being regularly sought; 1Sa 28:15 may be one; and in Gen 28:12-19 and 1Ki 3:5 it is possible to suppose a reference to the practice of sleeping in a sacred locality in order to receive a Divine communication. On the whole, the general trend of OT teaching is as follows:—Dreams may in some cases be genuine communications from God (Job 33:15, Jer 23:28), and as such are reverenced (Gen 20:3; Gen 31:10 ff.), though Num 12:6-8 treats them as an inferior medium; but there are false dreams and lying dreamers, against whom precautions are necessary; and the idea that habitual dreaming is a certain sign of Divine inspiration is stoutly combated (cf. Jer 23:25; Jer 23:32; Jer 27:9; Jer 29:8, Zec 10:2, Ecc 5:7), and it is definitely recognized that the interpretation of dreams belongs to God, and is not a matter of human codification (cf. Gen 40:8).
2. General.—The consideration of dreams is partly a subject for the sciences which treat of the general relations between body and spirit, and partly a matter of common sense. It seems clear that dreams are connected with physical states, and that their psychological origin lies mainly in the region beneath the ‘threshold of consciousness.’ But all dreams and all waking states are states of consciousness, whether it be partial or complete, and as such are subject to law; if any are to be regarded as ‘supernatural,’ it must be owing not to their methods but to their messages. Some dreams convey no message, and can be explained as valuable only by a resort to superstition. Others may be real revelations, and as such Divine; in abnormal cases the power of spiritual perception may be intensified and heightened in the dream-state, and thus an insight into Divine truth may be obtained which had been denied to the waking consciousness. Similarly Condorcet is said to have solved in a dream a mathematical problem which had baffled his waking powers, and Coleridge to have dreamt the poem of Kubla Khan. But under any circumstances the interpretation of a dream ‘belongs to God’; the question whether its message is a Divine communication or not must ultimately be answered by an appeal to the religious consciousness, or in other words to the higher reason. The awakened intelligence must be called in to criticise and appraise the deliverances received in dreams, and its verdict must decide what measure of attention is to be paid to them. Dreams, in short, may be the source of suggestions, but scarcely of authoritative directions.
A. W. F. Blunt.
Dreams are thoughts, images, or emotions that happen during sleep. People have always found dreams fascinating because they feel vivid and real.
Ancient Understanding
Since ancient times, people have seen dreams as mysterious. They believed dreams were a real world where a person lived while sleeping. People sometimes thought dreams, especially those of emperors and kings, were messages from the gods.
Ancient dreams recorded through writing focused on three main areas:
religion,
politics, and
personal destiny.
Religious dreams encouraged devotion to the gods. Political dreams predicted battle outcomes and the future of nations. Personal dreams influenced family decisions and warned of serious crises.
Sometimes the god took the initiative and warned the person about something unexpected. Sometimes the ruler or general went to a pagan temple or holy place and slept there, hoping to have a dream that would help him solve a serious problem. In some dreams, the message was clear. More often, individuals who specialized in dream interpretation had to discover it. They kept records of specific dreams and the events that followed.
Dreams in the Old Testament
Dreams were important to God's people. The Old Testament mentions dreams nearly 120 times. In Genesis, during the early patriarchal period, there are 52 references. The book of Daniel has 29 references. However, only 14 specific dreams are recorded in the Old Testament. Most of these are in Genesis and show God's direct messages to the patriarchs. Daniel describes only two of Nebuchadnezzar's dreams:
the large, human-like image, and
the giant tree that was cut down.
Daniel also shares his own dream about the four beasts and the Ancient of Days.
The Old Testament understanding of dreams had important features. Like others in the ancient world, God's people believed God spoke through dreams. While pagan dream records often describe perverse scenes, Old Testament accounts show restraint.
Another difference is that God initiates these dreams. He gives them when, where, and to whom he chooses, as Saul learned the hard way (1 Samuel 28:6, 15). More importantly, they rejected the secular way of interpreting dreams. Understanding dream symbols did not come from dream books or human skill. When Joseph interpreted the dreams of his Egyptian fellow prisoners and later the pharaoh, he gave full credit to God (Genesis 40:8; 41:7, 25, 28, 39). Similarly, Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar that the God in heaven, who reveals secrets, would explain the king’s dream and its meaning. The king's professional dream interpreters could not accomplish that task (Daniel 2:27–28).
Unlike their neighbors, the Old Testament saints understood that a dream was a "vision in the night" (Job 33:15). The figures and symbols of a dream or vision represented the meaning of the spiritual realm (Job 20:8; Psalms 73:20; 126:1; Isaiah 29:7–8).
In Old Testament times, God used dreams:
to protect his servants (Genesis 20),
to reveal himself in special ways (28:12),
to provide guidance in specific situations (31:10–13),
to warn about personal future events (37:5–20),
to predict the history of nations (chapters 40–41), and
to foretell four great world empires that God's eternal kingdom would replace (Daniel 4:19–27).
In the 1,000 years between Joseph and Daniel, only two dreams are recorded. One dream assured Gideon that God would defeat the Midianites (Judges 7:13–15). The other dream explains how Solomon became wise after he humbly asked for an understanding heart, which pleased God greatly (1 Kings 3:9, 15).
In the last of the recorded Old Testament dreams, God provided Nebuchadnezzar with a summary of future world history (Daniel 2:31–45). This dream also predicted the king’s temporary insanity (Daniel 4:19–27). Daniel’s dream of the four beasts resembled the king’s first dreams. It also included more details about future international relations (Daniel 7:13–14).
People believed that God spoke to prophets through dreams (Numbers 12:6). But how could they tell a true prophet from a fake one? God provided two tests:
the ability to predict the immediate future (Deuteronomy 18:22) and
ensuring the message matched earlier revealed truths (13:1–4).
False prophets were put to death (5). False prophecy was a big issue during Jeremiah's and Zechariah's times (Jeremiah 23:25–32, Zechariah 10:2). Jeremiah repeatedly warned the people against false prophets (Jeremiah 23:32; 27:9–10; 29:8–9). However, the people often preferred listening to false prophets with their empty promises of hope. Dreams were also part of Israel's prophetic hope (Joel 2:28).
Dreams in the New Testament
The few specific dreams in the New Testament all come from Matthew, with five in the first two chapters. They highlight God's care and protection of the infant Jesus. First, God ensured Jesus would grow up with both a father and mother, avoiding the shame of being wrongly called illegitimate (Matthew 1:19–23). Then the wise men were instructed in a dream not to tell Herod where Jesus was living (2:12). A dream also warned Joseph to flee to Egypt with Mary and Jesus to protect them from the jealous King Herod (verse 13). After Herod's death, a dream advised Joseph to return home from Egypt (verse 20). Finally, God warned Joseph to avoid Judea, where Herod's evil son Archelaus ruled, and to settle in Galilee instead (verse 22).
The only other specific dream mentioned in the New Testament prompted Pilate’s wife warn her husband. Because of her dream, she told him to “Have nothing to do with that innocent man” (Matthew 27:19).
See also Prophecy and Visions.
Aquifer Open Bible Dictionary © 2026 Mission Mutual, an adaptation of the Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary © 2023 Tyndale House Publishers. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.