17 (he made) three hundred shields of beaten gold; three minas of gold went to one shield: and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
These shields, together with the 500 taken by David from Hadadezer 2-Samuel 8:7 were hung round the outer walls of a building, reckoned as belonging to the "house of the Forest of Lebanon," but separate from it, and called sometimes "the Tower of David" Song 4:4, or from its use "the armoury" Song 4:4; Isaiah 22:8. The practice of hanging shields outside walls for ornamentation seems to have existed at Tyre Ezekiel 27:10-11, Rome, Athens, and elsewhere. Traces of it are thought to be found in the Assyrian sculptures.
He made three hundred shields - The מגן magen was a large shield by which the whole body was protected.
Mr. Reynolds computes that the two hundred targets, on each of which were employed three hundred shekels of gold, were worth 28,131 16s. 9 1/2d.
And the three hundred shields, in forming each of which three pounds of gold were employed, were worth 210,976 7s. 7d.
And he made three hundred shields of beaten gold,.... Which were a lesser sort:
three pounds of gold went to one shield; or three hundred shekels, as in 2-Chronicles 9:16 a hundred shekels made one pound; so that these were but half the value of the former, and one of them was worth but two hundred and twenty five pounds: Eupolemus (o), an Heathen writer, makes mention of those golden shields Solomon made, and which were made for show, and not for war, as follows:
and the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon; one part of which was made an armoury of, see Song 4:4.
(o) Apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 9. c. 34.
Shields - Smaller than targets.
*More commentary available at chapter level.