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.

And it was so, that, as oft as the king went into the house of Jehovah, the guard bare them, and brought them back into the guard-chamber.

And when the king went into the house of the Lord, they whose office it was to go before him, carried them: and afterwards they brought them back to the armoury of the shieldbearers.

And it was so, that as often as the king entered into the house of Jehovah, the couriers bore them, and brought them again into the chamber of the couriers.

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

and it cometh to pass, from the going in of the king to the house of Jehovah, the runners bear them, and have brought them back unto the chamber of the runners.

And whenever the king went into the house of the Lord, the armed men went with him taking the body-covers, and then took them back to their room.

And it was so, that as oft as the king went into the house of the LORD, the guard bore them, and brought them back into the guard-chamber.

And when the king entered into the house of the Lord, these were carried by those who held the office to go before him. And afterward, they carried them back to the armory of the shield bearers.

It appears from this verse that Rehoboam, notwithstanding that he encouraged, and perhaps secretly practiced, idolatry (1-Kings 14:22-24, compare 1-Kings 15:3, 1-Kings 15:12; 2-Chronicles 12:1), maintained a public profession of faith in Yahweh, and attended in state the temple services. Compare the conduct of Solomon, 1-Kings 9:25.

The guard bare them - The guard probably were just three hundred, answering to the number of the shields.

And it was so, when the king went into the house of the Lord,.... The temple; for though he had fallen into idolatry, he had not wholly forsaken the worship of God in the temple, and perhaps by the late humbling providence he might be stirred up to attend there more frequently:
that the guard bare them: before him, partly for pomp and grandeur, and partly to keep in awe such as were inclined to mutiny and sedition:
and brought them back into the guard chamber; when the king returned, the place where the guard lodged and slept by turns.

Whenever the king went into the house of Jehovah, the runners carried these shields; from which we may see that the king was accustomed to go to the temple with solemn pomp. These shields were not kept in the state-house of the forest of Lebanon (1-Kings 10:17) as the golden shields were, but in the guard-chamber (תּא; see at Ezekiel 40:7) of the runners.

To the house, &c. - By which it seems the affliction had done him some good, and brought him back to the worship of God, which he had forsaken.