(19) And he took the rulers . . . the land.--Jehoiada now arranges a procession to escort the king in triumph from the Temple to the palace.

The rulers . . . guard.--Rather, the captains of the hundreds (the centurions) and the Carians and the Couriers; or, as Thenius prefers, the lictors and the satellites.

They brought down the king from the house of the Lord.--Down from the Temple to the bridge connecting Moriah with Zion.

And came by the way . . . king's house.--Rather, and entered the king's house by way of the gate of the Couriers. This gate, therefore, belonged not to the Temple, but to the palace, and was probably the chief entrance thereto.

And he sat on the throne.--The proceedings ended with the solemn enthronement of the king in the palace of his fathers. (The LXX. reads more suitably: "And they seated him on the throne;" so Chronicles.)

Verse 19. - 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 ver. 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 ver. 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.

11:17-21 King and people would cleave most firmly to each other, when both had joined themselves to the Lord. It is well with a people, when all the changes that pass over them help to revive, strengthen, and advance the interests of religion among them. Covenants are of use, both to remind us of, and bind us to, the duties already binding on us. They immediately abolished idolatry; and, pursuant to the covenant with one another, they expressed mutual readiness to help each other. The people rejoiced, and Jerusalem was quiet. The way for people to be joyful and at peace, is to engage fully in the service of God; for the voice of joy and thanksgiving is in the dwellings of the righteous, but there is no peace for the wicked.And he took the rulers over hundreds, and the captains, and the guard,.... Of which 2 Kings 11:4 and all the people of the land; as many as were assembled together on this occasion:

and they brought down the king from the house of the Lord; the temple, which was built on an eminence:

and came by the way of the gate to the king's house; the gate of the royal palace, where the king's guards were placed, and did their duty: and he sat on the throne of the kings: where the kings of Judah used to sit, and this finished the formality of his being made king.