2 Kings 11:19 - Exposition

And he took the rulers —literally, princes — over hundreds — i.e. the five centurions of 2 Chronicles 23:2 — and the captains —rather, and the Carites (see the comment on 2 Chronicles 23:4 )— and the guard — i.e. the "runners," the other division of the guard— and all the people of the land— those who had flocked to his standard either originally ( 2 Chronicles 23:2 ) or since— and they brought down the king from the house of the Lord. They escorted Joash from the temple to the palace, first bringing him down into the valley of the Tyropoeon, and then conducting him up the opposite, or western hill, on which the palace stood. And came by the way of the gate of the guard to the king's house. The "gate of the guard" is probably that called in 2 Chronicles 23:6 "the gate behind the guard." We may presume that it was the main entrance to the palace on the eastern side. And he sat on the throne of the kings. Not till he had placed Joash on the royal throne of his ancestors, in the great throne-room of the palace, was Jehoiada content with the work of the day.