And it was so, when the king went into the house of the LORD, that the guard bare them, and brought them back into the guard chamber.

1 KINGS 14:28KJV
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1 Kings 14:28 (KJV)

What does 1 Kings 14:28 mean?

1 Kings 14:28 describes how, whenever the king entered the house of the LORD (the temple), the guards would carry certain objects and then return them to the guard chamber afterward. This verse shows a specific routine involving the king and his guards during visits to the temple.

The context is about King Rehoboam of Judah, after the original gold shields made by Solomon had been stolen. The guards now used bronze shields, and there was a careful process for handling them when the king went to the temple. The verse highlights the ceremonial care and security around the king’s movements and the temple’s treasures during this period.

The Hebrew behind 1 Kings 14:28

  • בֵּית (beit, "house"): This word refers to the temple, the house of the LORD, making it clear that the king’s visit is to a sacred place, not just any building.
  • נָשָׂא (nasa, "bare" or "carried"): This verb emphasizes the active role of the guards in physically carrying the shields, showing their responsibility and the importance of the objects.
  • שָׁב (shav, "brought back" or "returned"): This word underlines that the shields were not left out but were returned to the guard chamber, stressing the security and value placed on these items.
  • מִשְׁמָר (mishmar, "guard" or "guard chamber"): The repetition of this word highlights the guarded and protected nature of the temple’s treasures, and the organized system in place for their safekeeping.

Why 1 Kings 14:28 matters

  • This verse clarifies that after the loss of the original gold shields, there was a new, careful protocol for handling the replacement shields, reflecting a change in the kingdom’s circumstances.
  • The routine described shows the continued respect for temple rituals and the king’s public image, even after a national setback.
  • It connects to the wider passage by illustrating the decline from Solomon’s golden age to Rehoboam’s reign, where even ceremonial objects had to be guarded more closely and were made of less precious materials.

Where else these words appear

“chamber” Hebrew H8372 · used in 11 verses

  • 2 Chronicles 12:11 And when the king entered into the house of the LORD, the guard came and fetched them, and brought them again into the guard chamber.
  • Ezekiel 40:12 The space also before the little chambers was one cubit on this side, and the space was one cubit on that side: and the little chambers were six cubits on this side, and six cubits on that side.
  • Ezekiel 40:21 And the little chambers thereof were three on this side and three on that side; and the posts thereof and the arches thereof were after the measure of the first gate: the length thereof was fifty cubits, and the breadth five and twenty cubits.

“when” Hebrew H1767 · used in 35 verses

  • Exodus 36:5 And they spake unto Moses, saying, The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work, which the LORD commanded to make.
  • 1 Samuel 18:30 Then the princes of the Philistines went forth: and it came to pass, after they went forth, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul; so that his name was much set by.
  • Isaiah 40:16 And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering.

“guard” Hebrew H7323 · used in 92 verses

  • Genesis 18:2 And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,
  • 2 Samuel 18:22 Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet again to Joab, But howsoever, let me, I pray thee, also run after Cushi. And Joab said, Wherefore wilt thou run, my son, seeing that thou hast no tidings ready?
  • Job 9:25 Now my days are swifter than a post: they flee away, they see no good.