מלכים א, פרק י׳, פסוק ט״ז

King Solomon's unprecedented economic power found expression in the creation of weapons and armor crafted from pure gold, items that would normally be forged from common iron [מצודת דוד, אברבנאל]. Among these golden defenses was an exceptionally large shield or suit of metal armor designed to protect a warrior in battle against sword strikes. Unlike a standard shield that offers defense from only a single direction, this massive piece of armor was designed to wrap around the wearer, enclosing the body from three different sides [רש"י, מלבי"ם, רלב"ג, אברבנאל, מצודת ציון].

The exact nature of the gold used to forge these defenses is understood in two distinct ways. One perspective suggests it was a highly refined, flexible gold that could be easily stretched and pulled, much like wax [מצודת ציון, אברבנאל, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Another approach focuses on the manufacturing process itself. In this view, the gold was treated to remove its natural red tint, whitening it through the use of impurities. This specific refining process reduced the moisture within the metal, ultimately resulting in a stronger, more durable shield [רלב"ג, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The sheer scale of wealth involved is evident in the exact amount of gold dedicated to each piece. A massive weight of six hundred gold shekels or dinars went into the creation of every individual shield [רד"ק, מצודת דוד]. Commentators note that this amount is equivalent to six standard measures of weight known as a maneh, as each maneh contained one hundred dinars [רש"י, מלבי"ם, אברבנאל]. In modern terms, the staggering amount of precious metal poured into a single shield is estimated to weigh around seven kilograms [ביאור שטיינזלץ].