Charles Ellicott Commentary 2 Kings 11:14

"and she looked, and, behold, the king stood by the pillar, as the manner was, and the captains and the trumpets by the king; and all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew trumpets. Then Athaliah rent her clothes, and cried, Treason! treason!" — 2 Kings 11:14 (ASV)

And when she looked. —Having entered the court, the whole scene met her astonished gaze.

The king stood by a pillar. —Rather, the king was standing on the stand (Compare to 2 Kings 23:3). The stand (Vulgate, “tribunal”) was apparently a dais reserved for the king only, which stood before the great altar, at the entrance to the inner court (2 Chronicles 23:13; 2 Chronicles 6:13). Thenius maintains that the king stood on the top of the flight of steps leading into the sanctuary. Why, then, does the text not express this meaning more exactly? (Compare to 2 Kings 9:13).

As the manner was — i.e., according to the custom on such occasions.

The princes. —The chiefs of the people, not the centurions of the royal guard, who have their full designation throughout the chapter (See 2 Kings 11:4; 2 Kings 11:9–10; 2 Kings 11:15; 2 Kings 11:19).

The present account has nowhere stated that the nobles were present in the Temple; but this sudden mention of them, as if they had been present throughout the proceedings, is in striking harmony with the chronicler’s express assertion that, after their conference with Jehoiada, the centurions of the guard assembled the Levites and the heads of the clans in the Temple (2 Chronicles 23:3). (The Septuagint and Vulgate render “singers,” because they read shârîm, “singers,” instead of sârîm, “princes.”)

The trumpeters. —Literally, this means the trumpets, in the same way that we speak of “the violins” to mean the players of them. The sacred trumpets or clarions, blown by the priests on solemn occasions, are what is intended (Compare to 2 Kings 12:14; Numbers 10:2; 1 Chronicles 15:24).

This detail is an indication that the priests and Levites were present, as the chronicle so conspicuously represents. Indeed, their presence was to be expected on an occasion when the high priest took the lead and the scene of action was the Temple. The ministering orders of priests, Levitical musicians, temple guards, and priestly attendants must certainly have participated in the proceedings.

All the people of the land. —Secrecy was no longer necessary, as Thenius supposes, once the centurions of the guard had heartily committed to the plot.

Rejoiced ... blew. — Rejoicing ... blowing.

Treason. —Literally, Conspiracy.