2 Kings 11:12 - Exposition

And he — i.e. Jehoiada— brought forth the king's son —produced him, i.e; from the chamber or chambers where he had been concealed hitherto. (On the temple chambers, see Nehemiah 13:4-9 .) And put the crown upon him. That the Israelite kings actually wore crowns appears from 2 Samuel 1:10 and 1 Chronicles 20:2 . The crown was probably a band of gold, either plain or set with jewels ( Zechariah 9:16 ), fastened behind with a riband. It receives here the same name that is given to the high priest's diadem in Exodus 29:6 and Exodus 39:30 . And gave him the testimony. The words "gave him" are not in the original, and are superfluous. What is meant plainly is that the high priest laid on the young king's head a copy of the Law, or of some essential portion of it, perhaps the Decalogue, which is often called "the testimony" ( Exodus 16:34 ; Exodus 25:16 , Exodus 25:21 , etc.). The object apparently was to show that the king was to rule by law, not arbitrarily—that he was to be, as Dean Stanley says, "not above, but beneath, the law of his country". The ceremony seems to have been a new one, and is indicative of the gradual curtailment of the regal power under the later monarchy. And they made him king, and anointed him. A change is made from the singular to the plural, because, as we learn from 2 Chronicles 23:11 , "Jehoiada and his sons anointed him." We have had no mention of the anointing of a new monarch in Judah since the time of Solomon ( 1 Kings 1:39 ). It may, however, have been the usual practice. And they — i.e. the people—all who were present— clapped their hands —an ordinary sign of joy (see Psalms 47:1 ; Psalms 98:8 ; Isaiah 4:1-6 :12; Nahum 3:19 , etc.)— and said, God save the king! literally, long live the king !.