And he made three hundred shields of beaten gold: See the comments on the previous verse. The Hebrew word for shields here is not the same one translated “large shields” in the previous verse. It refers to smaller shields. For a description of these shields, see the comments on 1 Chr 5.18. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh calls them “bucklers” (also Revised English Bible, New American Bible). New Jerusalem Bible is similar to Good News Translation with “small shields.”

Three hundred shekels of gold when into each shield: As in the previous verse, Revised Standard Version supplies the word shekels. The parallel text in 1 Kgs 10.17 says that the smaller shields had three minas of gold in each shield. A mina equaled fifty shekels. New International Version supplies the word “bekas” instead of shekels in order to harmonize the text here in 2 Chronicles with that in 1 Kgs 10. A beka was the equivalent of a half-shekel, so 300 bekas equaled 150 shekels, which was also the equivalent of three minas. The New International Version solution causes the amount of gold in the smaller shields to be the same in both 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles. But normal Hebrew usage does not support the New International Version translation with “bekas” in verses 15-16. Three hundred shekels is equivalent to about “7½ pounds” (God’s Word) or “a little more than three kilos” (Biblia Dios Habla Hoy).

And the king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon: It is not likely that Solomon himself put these larger and smaller shields in the building mentioned here. He probably had others place them there (so Good News Translation). These shields were made for display, to show the wealth of the king; they were not intended to be used in battle. They were probably taken out and carried in royal processions. Ancient Hittite, Egyptian, and Assyrian texts refer to heavy gold weapons that were used in ceremonial processions and display only, not in war. The House of the Forest of Lebanon is described in more detail in 1 Kgs 7.2-3. This building was a large ceremonial hall. It probably received this name because it was built with dozens of pillars and beams made of cedar wood and paneled with cedar wood from Lebanon. The text in 1 Kings does not clearly indicate the relationship of this building to the other buildings of the palace complex, but it seems that this was a separate building, not connected to the others. For this reason “the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon” (New International Version, New Living Translation, New Century Version) may be a better translation than “the Hall of the Forest of Lebanon” (Good News Translation). Weapons and precious objects were stored in this building (see verse 20 and 1 Kgs 10.21).

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Chronicles, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2014. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .