Lexical Summary shachat: To destroy, corrupt, ruin, spoil Original Word: שׁחט Strong's Exhaustive Concordance beat A primitive root (identical with shachat through the idea of striking); to hammer out -- beat. see HEBREW shachat NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originthe same as shachat, q.v. Topical Lexicon Semantic Scope and Core Idea שׁחט describes precious metal that has been labor-intensively beaten, hammered, or worked until it is spread thin and gleaming. The term is never used of ordinary objects; it always modifies gold fashioned for royal display, underscoring splendor painstakingly achieved. Occurrences and Immediate Setting 1 Kings 10:16–17; 2 Chronicles 9:15–16 (note the chronicler repeats the information) situate the word in Solomon’s golden age. “King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of gold went into each shield. And he made three hundred small shields of hammered gold; three minas of gold went into each shield. And the king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon” (1 Kings 10:16–17). Historical Background The House of the Forest of Lebanon functioned as Solomon’s ceremonial armory and reception hall. Shields in that context were not combat gear but parade pieces. Crafting them from שׁחט gold required advanced Near-Eastern metallurgy: ore refined to purity, heated, and repeatedly struck into thin sheets before being shaped over a wooden core. Each large shield consumed roughly fifteen pounds (six hundred shekels) of gold, pointing to unmatched national prosperity and diplomatic standing in the tenth century BC. Royal Theology and Covenant Themes 1. Divine Blessing Manifested—The Deuteronomic promise, “the LORD your God will bless you in the land” (Deuteronomy 28:8), is visibly realized. The hammered gold shields broadcast that Israel’s king reigns under Yahweh’s favor. Symbolic Patterns • Gold beaten thin speaks of wealth yielded to disciplined shaping, a metaphor for hearts refined by divine testing (Job 23:10). Practical Ministry Reflections • Excellence in craftsmanship honors God. Worship spaces and ministry resources ought to reflect integrity, beauty, and sacrifice, never ostentation for its own sake. Christological Trajectory Hammered gold, shaped under pressure yet remaining unbroken, prefigures the suffering Servant “bruised for our iniquities” (Isaiah 53:5). The shimmering shields, hung before Israel, find their ultimate fulfillment in the risen King whose glory no enemy can tarnish and whose protection is eternally secure (Ephesians 6:16; Revelation 21:18). Forms and Transliterations שָׁח֑וּט שָׁח֔וּט שחוט šā·ḥūṭ šāḥūṭ shaChutLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 1 Kings 10:16 HEB: צִנָּ֖ה זָהָ֣ב שָׁח֑וּט שֵׁשׁ־ מֵא֣וֹת KJV: targets [of] beaten gold: INT: large gold beaten six hundred 1 Kings 10:17 2 Chronicles 9:15 2 Chronicles 9:15 2 Chronicles 9:16 5 Occurrences |
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