1 Kings 14 27

1 Kings 14:27 kjv

And king Rehoboam made in their stead brazen shields, and committed them unto the hands of the chief of the guard, which kept the door of the king's house.

1 Kings 14:27 nkjv

Then King Rehoboam made bronze shields in their place, and committed them to the hands of the captains of the guard, who guarded the doorway of the king's house.

1 Kings 14:27 niv

So King Rehoboam made bronze shields to replace them and assigned these to the commanders of the guard on duty at the entrance to the royal palace.

1 Kings 14:27 esv

and King Rehoboam made in their place shields of bronze, and committed them to the hands of the officers of the guard, who kept the door of the king's house.

1 Kings 14:27 nlt

King Rehoboam later replaced them with bronze shields as substitutes, and he entrusted them to the care of the commanders of the guard who protected the entrance to the royal palace.

1 Kings 14 verses

1 Kings 14 27 Meaning

1 Kings 14:27 describes King Rehoboam's decision to replace the gold shields taken by Pharaoh Shishak with inferior bronze ones. This act signifies a profound downgrade in the kingdom's wealth, glory, and symbolic prestige. It represents not only a material loss but also a tangible sign of Judah's spiritual decline and the diminished divine favor under Rehoboam's reign, marking a clear departure from the opulent glory of Solomon's time.

1 Kings 14 27 Context

1 Kings 14 records the continued spiritual decline of Israel and Judah after the unified kingdom under Solomon. Specifically, this verse follows the invasion of Pharaoh Shishak of Egypt, who plundered the temple and the royal palace, carrying away all the treasures, including the 500 golden shields made by King Solomon (v. 25-26). These golden shields were significant symbols of Solomon's divinely granted wealth and the kingdom's glory, embodying God's blessing on a faithful ruler (1 Ki 10:16-17). Rehoboam's decision to replace them with bronze ones directly underscores the profound loss and national humiliation. The chapter as a whole depicts God's judgment unfolding due to the widespread idolatry and disobedience that flourished under both Jeroboam (in Israel) and Rehoboam (in Judah), showing that national strength and security are contingent on covenant faithfulness, not material wealth or military might.

1 Kings 14 27 Word analysis

• וַיַּעַשׂ (wayya‘as) – "And made": This verb indicates an action of creation or construction. Rehoboam actively creates a substitute, highlighting his reliance on human effort to salvage prestige after divine favor and blessings have visibly diminished.

• הַמֶּלֶךְ רְחַבְעָם (hammèleḵ Rəḥab‘ām) – "King Rehoboam": Identifies the specific ruler. Rehoboam, Solomon's son, inherited a divided kingdom and proved to be an unwise and unfaithful king, leading Judah into further decline. His name itself, meaning "he enlarges the people," ironically contrasts with his reign of diminishment and loss.

• תַּחְתֵּיהֶם (taḥtêhem) – "instead of them": This crucial phrase signifies direct replacement. It's not an addition but a substitution, explicitly pointing to the removal of the original, superior gold shields. This implies a significant degradation in status and value.

• מָגִנֵּי נְחֹשֶׁת (maginê nĕḥōšeṯ) – "bronze shields":

  • maginê (מָגִנֵּי) refers to "shields" (plural, construct state). Shields symbolize protection, authority, and the visible strength of the monarchy.
  • nĕḥōšeṯ (נְחֹשֶׁת) means "bronze" or "copper." In ancient Near Eastern metallurgy, bronze was far less precious than gold, symbolizing inferiority and a decline in splendor and value. This transition from gold to bronze visually represented the kingdom's diminished status and spiritual impoverishment.

• וְהִפְקִיד (wəhip̄qîḏ) – "and assigned them" / "and appointed": This verb denotes giving a charge or placing something under someone's responsibility. It shows Rehoboam taking steps to reorganize what remained of his palace's guard.

• עַל־יְדֵי שָׂרֵי הָרָצִים (al-yəde sārê hārāṣîm) – "to the commanders of the guard": Literally, "over the hands of the chiefs of the runners."

  • śārê (שָׂרֵי) means "chiefs" or "commanders."
  • hārāṣîm (הָרָצִים) refers to the "runners" or "dispatchers," who were typically the king's swift, elite bodyguards or couriers, prominently associated with royal authority and prestige. Giving them bronze shields would have reduced their external grandeur and perhaps their morale, symbolizing the king's waning glory.

• שֹׁמְרֵי פֶּתַח בֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ (šōmərê peṯaḥ bêt hammèleḵ) – "who guarded the entrance to the royal palace":

  • šōmərê (שֹׁמְרֵי) means "keepers" or "guardians."
  • peṯaḥ (פֶּתַח) is "entrance" or "doorway."
  • bêt hammèleḵ (בֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ) is "house of the king" or "royal palace."
  • This specifies the public role of these guards. The change in the shields was visible to all entering the palace, making the downgrade a public spectacle and a stark reminder of the nation's reduced circumstances.

• "made bronze shields instead": This phrase succinctly encapsulates the key action. It highlights a reactive and imitative act by Rehoboam, attempting to restore a semblance of past glory without addressing the spiritual root causes of its loss. The contrast between gold and bronze symbolizes the material, and more importantly, the spiritual degradation of Judah.

1 Kings 14 27 Bonus section

The account of the bronze shields in 1 Kings 14:27 has parallels in 2 Chronicles 12:9-10. This duplication emphasizes the significance of this event. In 2 Chronicles, it's explicitly tied to Judah's unfaithfulness: "He [Shishak] carried away all the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king’s house; he carried away everything. He also carried away the shields of gold that Solomon had made. Instead of them King Rehoboam made shields of bronze..." This confirms the act as a direct result of "breaking faith with the LORD." The symbolism extends beyond mere economics; it is a visible indicator that the covenant blessings were conditional and were being withdrawn due to sin. The replacement shows Rehoboam attempting to maintain outward appearances of majesty without the inward reality of divine presence or obedience. It mirrors the common human tendency to patch up external problems while ignoring the internal, spiritual issues that truly matter.

1 Kings 14 27 Commentary

1 Kings 14:27 provides a poignant illustration of the consequences of spiritual decline and misplaced trust. The magnificent golden shields of Solomon represented a kingdom blessed by God, reflecting the wealth and glory that flowed from his faithfulness. Their removal by an external power, Shishak of Egypt, served as a clear sign of God's judgment on Israel for their disobedience and idolatry under Rehoboam. Replacing them with bronze, a cheaper and less lustrous metal, was more than just an economic necessity; it was a powerful symbol of Judah's lost honor and God's diminished favor. Rehoboam’s action was a human attempt to cover a divinely revealed poverty, manifesting as a public downgrade of the palace guard. This highlights a superficial restoration of appearance rather than a repentance that might restore true glory. It serves as a reminder that worldly treasures and displays of power are ephemeral when God's favor is withdrawn. The passage subtly underscores that true security and splendor derive from divine blessing through obedience, not from material wealth or human efforts to imitate what has been lost.