“Then he brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him.” 2 Kings 11:12 (ESV)
In many Bible story pictures of the kings of Israel, such as Saul, David, or Solomon, we see them seated on a throne, dressed in royal robes, and wearing a shiny gold crown. Although those pictures may be somewhat accurate, we really do not know exactly what the king’s crown looked like. According to historians most kings did wear some sort of headgear, but it may have been more likely a turban decorated with fine jewels. Often the crowns we see in pictures are more like the ones worn by European kings.
The first Bible mention of a king’s gold crown was when David defeated the Ammonites. Second Samuel 12:30 (ESV) says, “He took the crown of their king from his head. The weight of it was a talent of gold (about 75 pounds), and in it was a precious stone, and it was placed on David’s head.” In Psalm 21:3 (ESV), David again mentions the crown of gold, “You meet him with rich blessings; you set a crown of fine gold upon his head.”
We also know that queens wore crowns. When Esther became queen, we read, “He set the royal crown on her head and made her queen” (Esther 2:17).
In the New Testament the picture of a crown is often used to signify the crown of glory we will wear in heaven. “When the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory” (1 Peter 5:4). What a wonderful day that will be. Revelation 3:11 tells us to “hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.”
From Precious Words of the Bible by Reynold R. Kremer