He made three hundred shields of beaten gold: See the comments on the use of the verb made in the previous verse.

For shields see the comments on verse 16. The word used here is not the same as the one translated “large shields” in the previous verse. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh calls these shields “bucklers” (so also Revised English Bible, Anchor Bible, and New American Bible). A buckler is a small round shield held by one hand at arm’s length to protect the upper body and head. New Jerusalem Bible is similar to Good News Translation with “small shields.” Regarding the meaning of the Hebrew word rendered beaten in Revised Standard Version, see the comments on verse 16.

Three minas: A mina was the equivalent of fifty shekels. So three minas is equal to one hundred and fifty shekels, or one-fourth the amount of gold that was used for the large shields. In pounds the equivalent is “nearly four pounds” (Good News Translation), and in kilos the equivalent is “one and a half kilos” (Bible en français courant, Parole de Vie) or “a little more than one and a half kilos” (Biblia Dios Habla Hoy).

The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon: See 1 Kgs 7.2-3. These shields were made for display, to show the wealth of the king, and were not made to be used in battle. They were probably taken out and carried in royal processions. It is not likely that the king himself put all of these shields in this building. The intended meaning is probably that he had others place them there (so Good News Translation, Bible en français courant, Parole de Vie).

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .