2 Chronicles 12 10

2 Chronicles 12:10 kjv

Instead of which king Rehoboam made shields of brass, and committed them to the hands of the chief of the guard, that kept the entrance of the king's house.

2 Chronicles 12:10 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.

2 Chronicles 12:10 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.

2 Chronicles 12:10 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.

2 Chronicles 12:10 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.

2 Chronicles 12 verses

2 Chronicles 12 10 Meaning

This verse details King Rehoboam's action of replacing the original gold shields of the king's house, which had been taken as spoil by Pharaoh Shishak due to Judah's sin, with new ones made of bronze. This act visually and materially symbolizes the spiritual and political degradation of the kingdom of Judah, marking a profound loss of glory, wealth, and divine favor following their unfaithfulness. The exchange from valuable gold to common bronze indicates a significant reduction in royal majesty, national security, and dependence on material substitutes rather than the enduring strength of God's covenant.

2 Chronicles 12 10 Context

Chapter 12 of 2 Chronicles details the reign of King Rehoboam over Judah. After three years of stable rule during which Rehoboam strengthened the kingdom (2 Chron 11:17), he and all Judah abandoned the Law of the LORD (2 Chron 12:1). As a direct consequence of their unfaithfulness, in the fifth year of Rehoboam's reign, Pharaoh Shishak of Egypt invaded Judah with a vast army. This invasion captured fortified cities and advanced upon Jerusalem (2 Chron 12:2-4). A prophet named Shemaiah then delivered God's message: "You abandoned me, so I have abandoned you into the hand of Shishak" (2 Chron 12:5). The king and the princes humbled themselves, prompting God to relent partially, though allowing the subjugation to Shishak to demonstrate the difference between God's service and service to foreign kingdoms (2 Chron 12:6-8). The golden shields were part of the treasury that Shishak plundered from the house of the LORD and the king's house (2 Chron 12:9). Verse 10 specifically describes Rehoboam's inadequate and materially inferior response to this significant loss, signifying the kingdom's reduced status and continued spiritual decline.

2 Chronicles 12 10 Word analysis

• Instead of them: This phrase, emphasizing "in place of," highlights the substitution of the valuable for the inferior, and signifies an irreversible loss and degradation rather than restoration. It marks the shift from opulence to bare functionality.
• King Rehoboam: Identifies the person responsible for this decision. As the sovereign leader, his actions directly reflect the kingdom's state and leadership's priorities. His earlier abandonment of God's law directly led to this diminished state.
• made shields: The Hebrew term is māḡēn (מָגֵן), referring to a large shield or buckler, primarily used for defense. In Solomon's time, they were symbols of national glory and royal splendor; now, their functional purpose comes to the fore.
• of bronze: The Hebrew word nᵊḥōšeṯ (נְחֹשֶׁת) refers to copper or bronze. Bronze was common, utilitarian, and significantly less valuable than gold (zāhāḇ - זָהָב). This material change from gold to bronze is not merely economic but symbolic. Gold signified divine presence, purity, and royal magnificence (as seen in the Tabernacle/Temple furnishings), while bronze indicated a diminished state, lacking luster and value. This swap from an emblem of wealth and glory to a practical but less esteemed material represents the stark downgrade in Judah's spiritual and physical status due to sin and divine judgment.
• and committed them: This verb implies entrusting or handing over, suggesting an active decision by Rehoboam to manage and distribute these new, inferior shields.
• to the hands of the captains of the guard: These were high-ranking officers in charge of the king's personal security detail. Entrusting the shields to them underlines a focus on physical, human-orchestrated protection rather than the divine protection previously symbolized by the kingdom's divinely-granted wealth. It reveals a reliance on earthly might rather than spiritual integrity.
• who guarded the entrance of the king's house: This specific location highlights where the king's personal security and the outward display of royal majesty were maintained. The bronze shields, now symbols of a reduced state, were conspicuously placed where the golden ones once stood, serving as a constant reminder of the kingdom's spiritual and material decline and the consequences of abandoning God.

• "Instead of them King Rehoboam made shields of bronze": This phrase encapsulates the central theme of decline. The gold shields, symbols of God's blessings and Solomon's glory, were replaced by cheap, less significant bronze ones, illustrating a substantial downgrade. It points to a kingdom no longer operating under God's full favor, forced to substitute the genuine and glorious with the imitation and ordinary.
• "committed them to the hands of the captains of the guard, who guarded the entrance of the king’s house": This signifies a shift from the kingdom's wealth being a sign of divine favor and intrinsic glory, to it becoming mere practical defense against a palpable external threat. The King's reliance shifted from God-given prosperity to a purely human, material defense system, representing a broader theological regression.

2 Chronicles 12 10 Bonus section

The narrative subtly points out the transient nature of earthly wealth and glory, especially when not rooted in faithful obedience to God. While Solomon’s gold shields were magnificent, their physical presence could not deter a divinely sanctioned invasion. Their loss and replacement with bronze underscore the futility of relying on material possessions as a measure of true prosperity or security when disconnected from a covenant relationship with God. The very same wealth that symbolized blessing under Solomon became a tempting target for plunder once the kingdom deviated from God's ways. The account emphasizes that true glory and lasting security reside not in outward displays of riches, but in the steadfastness of heart and loyalty to the Divine Protector.

2 Chronicles 12 10 Commentary

2 Chronicles 12:10 serves as a powerful symbolic culmination of Judah's unfaithfulness under Rehoboam. The replacement of Solomon's grand golden shields, which symbolized divine blessing and the kingdom's immense prosperity and glory, with inferior bronze ones, visibly and starkly broadcasts Judah's diminished state. This was not merely an economic loss but a spiritual demotion, indicating the withdrawal of God's evident favor due to the nation's abandonment of His law. The downgrade from gold (representing God's covenant blessings, purity, and excellence) to bronze (representing human effort, commonality, and necessity) underscored that external glory diminishes when internal spiritual integrity is compromised. Instead of relying on God as their shield and protector, Rehoboam resorted to earthly imitations and human guards, confirming that their security now hinged on less valuable, purely physical means rather than divine provision and honor. The incident starkly portrays the consequences of forsaking the Lord, leading to a loss of both honor and security.