2 Kings 11:12
in 2 Kings 11Then Jehoiada brought out the king’s son, put the crown on him, presented him with the Testimony, and proclaimed him king. They anointed him, and the people clapped their hands and declared, “Long live the king!”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then he brought out the king’s son, and put the crown upon him, and gave him the testimony; and they made him king, and anointed him; and they clapped their hands, and said, Long live the king.
KJV
And he brought forth the king’s son, and put the crown upon him, and gave him the testimony; and they made him king, and anointed him; and they clapped their hands, and said, God save the king.
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This verse in 2 Kings 11
Commentary
8 notes on this versePut the crown upon him - This was a diadem or golden band that went round the head. And - the testimony - Probably the book of the law, written on a roll of vellum. This was his scepter. Some think that it was placed upon his head, as well as the diadem. The diadem, the testimony, and the anointing oil, were essential to his consecration. They clapped their hands - This I believe is the first instance on record of clapping the hands as a testimony of joy.
This site's exposition
gave him the testimony
The crown and the testimony, the book of the law, are given together, so Judah's kingship begins bound to a written standard rather than to naked power, the same requirement Deuteronomy 17:18 laid on every king. Clarke calls the people's clapping of hands the first instance on record of that gesture used as an expression of joy in Scripture. Six years of silence break into one shout, God save the king.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
"And he brought out the king's son, and put the diadem and the testimony upon him." [2 Kings 11:12] What follows about the same: He brought out the king's son, and put the diadem and the testimony upon him, signifies the kingly insignia on the …
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
Testimony - The book of the law, which he put into the king's hand, to mind him of his duty at his entrance upon his kingdom, which was to read and write out that holy book, Deut. xvii, 18, and to govern himself and his kingdom by it: the law of God being frequently and most properly called a testimony, because it is a witness of God's will, and man's duty.
17 )-- a child indeed, but he had a good guardian, and, which was better, a good God, to go to. Jehoiada, without delay, proceeded to the coronation of this young king; for, though he was not yet capable of despatching business, he would be growing up towards it by degrees. This was done with great solemnity,
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-citation-number+unbalanced-parens
With such acclamations of joy and satisfaction must the kingdom of Christ be welcomed into our hearts when his throne is set up there and Satan the usurper is deposed. Hosanna, blessed is he that comes: clap hands, and say, "Let King Jesus live, for ever live and reign, in my soul, and in all the world;" it is promised ( Ps. lxxii.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
And he brought forth the king's son,....
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The testimony - i. e., “The Book of the Law” which was kept in the ark of the covenant (Dent. 31:26). This Jehoiada placed ou the king’s head at the moment of coronation, perhaps to indicate that the king was not to be above, but under, the direction of the Law of his country.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
[Placed] the crown on him and [gave him] the Testimony. The Torah Scroll, as it is written, “And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life.” 17 Devorim:19.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 6 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
18 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיּוֹצִ֣א | vaiyotzi' | and he brought out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| וַיִּתֵּ֤ן | vaiyiten | and he put | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| עָלָיו֙ | ʾalav | on him | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַנֵּ֙זֶר֙ | hanezer | the crown | H5145 → | |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָ֣עֵד֔וּת | haedut | the testimony | H5715 → | 59 times |
| וַיַּמְלִ֥כוּ | vaiyamlikhu | and they made king | H4427 → | 348 times |
| אֹת֖וֹ | ʾoto | <obj.> him | H853 → | 10935 times |
| וַיִּמְשָׁחֻ֑הוּ | vaiyimshachuhu | and they anointed him | H4886 → | 70 times |
| וַיַּכּוּ־ | vaiyaku- | and they struck | H5221 → | 499 times |
| כָ֔ף | khaf | a palm | H3709 → | 192 times |
| וַיֹּאמְר֖וּ | vaiyomeru | and they said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְחִ֥י | yechi | may he live | H2421 → | 282 times |
| הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ ס | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
וַיּוֹצִ֣אand he brought out
vaiyotzi'H3318 →1067 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
הַמֶּ֗לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
וַיִּתֵּ֤ןand he put
vaiyitenH5414 →2011 times
עָלָיו֙on him
ʾalavH5921 →5755 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַנֵּ֙זֶר֙the crown
hanezerH5145 →
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
הָ֣עֵד֔וּתthe testimony
haedutH5715 →59 times
וַיַּמְלִ֥כוּand they made king
vaiyamlikhuH4427 →348 times
אֹת֖וֹ<obj.> him
ʾotoH853 →10935 times
וַיִּמְשָׁחֻ֑הוּand they anointed him
vaiyimshachuhuH4886 →70 times
וַיַּכּוּ־and they struck
vaiyaku-H5221 →499 times
כָ֔ףa palm
khafH3709 →192 times
וַיֹּאמְר֖וּand they said
vaiyomeruH559 →5305 times
יְחִ֥יmay he live
yechiH2421 →282 times
הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ סthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Exodus 31:18When the LORD had finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, He gave him the two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 4:13
He declared to you His covenant, which He commanded you to follow—the Ten Commandments that He wrote on two tablets of stone.
- Exodus 32:15–16
Then Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands. They were inscribed on both sides, front and back.
- Deuteronomy 5:22
The LORD spoke these commandments in a loud voice to your whole assembly out of the fire, the cloud, and the deep darkness on the mountain; He added nothing more. And He wrote them…
- Exodus 24:12
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and stay here, so that I may give you the tablets of stone, with the law and commandments I have written…
- Exodus 8:19
“This is the finger of God,” the magicians said to Pharaoh. But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.
- Deuteronomy 4:13
Through
1 Kings 1:39Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the tabernacle and anointed Solomon. Then they blew the ram’s horn, and all the people proclaimed, “Long live King Solomon!”
it leads to
- Psalms 89:20
I have found My servant David; with My sacred oil I have anointed him.
- 1 Samuel 10:24
Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the one the LORD has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people.” And all the people shouted, “Long live the king!”
- Psalms 89:20
Through
1 Samuel 10:24Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the one the LORD has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people.” And all the people shouted, “Long live the king!”
it leads to
- 1 Kings 1:25
For today he has gone down and sacrificed an abundance of oxen, fattened calves, and sheep, and has invited all the sons of the king, the commanders of the army, and Abiathar the priest.…
- 1 Kings 1:25
About 2 Kings
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Questions on the Book of Kings #19; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.