2 Kings 23:3
in 2 Kings 23So the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the LORD to follow the LORD and to keep His commandments, decrees, and statutes with all his heart and all his soul, and to carry out the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people entered into the covenant.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the king stood by the pillar, and made a covenant before Jehovah, to walk after Jehovah, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and all his soul, to confirm the words of this covenant that were written in this book: and all the people stood to the covenant.
KJV
And the king stood by a pillar, and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord, and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all their heart and all their soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant.
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This verse in 2 Kings 23
Commentary
8 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
By a pillar - Rather, “upon the pillar” (see 2Ki 11:14, note). Made a covenant - “The covenant.” Josiah renewed the old covenant made between God and His people in Horeb Deu 5:2, so far at least as such renewal was possible by the mere act of an individual. He bound himself by a solemn promise to the faithful performance of the entire Law. With all their heart - “Their” rather than “his,” because the king was considered as pledging the whole nation to obedience with himself.
This site's exposition
all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem
on 2 Kings 23:1-3
Josiah calls every elder to Jerusalem, then reads the whole book of the covenant aloud to the assembled nation. Standing by the pillar, he renews the covenant God cut with Israel at Horeb. Barnes reads the whole nation as pledged along with the king, not the king alone.
This site's exposition
the king stood by the pillar
Adam Clarke reads the Hebrew al haammud as upon the platform, the bronze stand where he says the kings stood to address the people. The covenant binds heart and soul to the book. Matthew Henry reads the people's entry as their consent to keep it.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And the king stood by a pillar,....
All the people likewise stood to the covenant, that is, they signified their consent to it and promised to abide by it. It is of good use to oblige ourselves to our duty with all possible solemnity, and this is especially seasonable after notorious backslidings to sin and decays in that which is good.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
the king sent, and they gathered unto him all the elders--This pious and patriotic king, not content with the promise of his own security, felt, after Huldah's response, an increased desire to avert the threatened calamities from his kingdom and people.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
all the people stood to the covenant--that is, they agreed to the proposals made; they assented to what was required of them.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
Stood by a pillar - He stood, על העמוד al haammud, “upon the stairs or pulpit.” This is what is called the brazen scaffold or pulpit which Solomon made, and on which the kings were accustomed to stand when they addressed the people. See 2Ch 6:13, and the parallel places. Made a covenant - This was expressed, 1. In general. To walk after Jehovah; to have no gods besides him. 2. To take his law for the regulation of their conduct. 3. In particular. To bend their whole heart and soul to the observance of it, so that, they might not only have religion without, but, piety within. To this all the people stood up, thus giving their consent, and binding themselves to obedience.
The words behind it
35 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּעֲמֹ֣ד | vaiyaamod | and he stood | H5975 → | 521 times |
| הַ֠מֶּלֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| עַֽל־ | ʾal- | at | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הָ֨עַמּ֜וּד | haamud | the pillar | H5982 → | 111 times |
| וַיִּכְרֹ֥ת | vaiyikhrot | and he made | H3772 → | 288 times |
| אֶֽת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַבְּרִ֣ית׀ | haberit | the covenant | H1285 → | 284 times |
| לִפְנֵ֣י | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| יְהוָ֗ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| לָלֶ֜כֶת | lalekhet | to walk | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| אַחַ֤ר | ʾachar | after | H310 → | 715 times |
| יְהוָה֙ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| וְלִשְׁמֹ֨ר | velishmor | and to keep | H8104 → | 468 times |
| מִצְוֹתָ֜יו | mitzvotav | commandments his | H4687 → | 181 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עֵדְוֹתָ֤יו | ʾedevotav | testimonies his | H5715 → | 59 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| חֻקֹּתָיו֙ | chukotav | statutes his | H2708 → | 104 times |
| בְּכָל־ | bekhol | with all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| לֵ֣ב | lev | heart | H3820 → | 595 times |
| וּבְכָל־ | uvekhol- | and with all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| נֶ֔פֶשׁ | nefesh | being | H5315 → | 754 times |
| לְהָקִ֗ים | lehakim | to establish | H6965 → | 628 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| דִּבְרֵי֙ | divrei | [the] words of | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| הַבְּרִ֣ית | haberit | the covenant | H1285 → | 284 times |
| הַזֹּ֔את | hazot | <the> this | H2063 → | 603 times |
| הַכְּתֻבִ֖ים | haketuvim | which were written | H3789 → | 224 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַסֵּ֣פֶר | hasefer | the scroll | H5612 → | 186 times |
| הַזֶּ֑ה | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| וַיַּעֲמֹ֥ד | vaiyaamod | and it took its stand | H5975 → | 521 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הָעָ֖ם | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| בַּבְּרִֽית׃ | baberit | in the covenant | H1285 → | 284 times |
וַיַּעֲמֹ֣דand he stood
vaiyaamodH5975 →521 times
הַ֠מֶּלֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
עַֽל־at
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הָ֨עַמּ֜וּדthe pillar
haamudH5982 →111 times
וַיִּכְרֹ֥תand he made
vaiyikhrotH3772 →288 times
אֶֽת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַבְּרִ֣ית׀the covenant
haberitH1285 →284 times
לִפְנֵ֣י<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
יְהוָ֗הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
לָלֶ֜כֶתto walk
lalekhetH1980 →1546 times
אַחַ֤רafter
ʾacharH310 →715 times
יְהוָה֙Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
וְלִשְׁמֹ֨רand to keep
velishmorH8104 →468 times
מִצְוֹתָ֜יוcommandments his
mitzvotavH4687 →181 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
עֵדְוֹתָ֤יוtestimonies his
ʾedevotavH5715 →59 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
חֻקֹּתָיו֙statutes his
chukotavH2708 →104 times
בְּכָל־with all
bekholH3605 →5413 times
לֵ֣בheart
levH3820 →595 times
וּבְכָל־and with all
uvekhol-H3605 →5413 times
נֶ֔פֶשׁbeing
nefeshH5315 →754 times
לְהָקִ֗יםto establish
lehakimH6965 →628 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
דִּבְרֵי֙[the] words of
divreiH1697 →1440 times
הַבְּרִ֣יתthe covenant
haberitH1285 →284 times
הַזֹּ֔את<the> this
hazotH2063 →603 times
הַכְּתֻבִ֖יםwhich were written
haketuvimH3789 →224 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הַסֵּ֣פֶרthe scroll
haseferH5612 →186 times
הַזֶּ֑ה<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
וַיַּעֲמֹ֥דand it took its stand
vaiyaamodH5975 →521 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הָעָ֖םthe people
haamH5971 →1873 times
בַּבְּרִֽית׃in the covenant
baberitH1285 →284 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
Deuteronomy 13:4You are to follow the LORD your God and fear Him. Keep His commandments and listen to His voice; serve Him and hold fast to Him.
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 34:31
So the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the LORD to follow the LORD and to keep His commandments, decrees, and statutes with all his heart and all his soul,…
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Colossians 1:10
so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,
- Deuteronomy 10:20
You are to fear the LORD your God and serve Him. Hold fast to Him and take your oaths in His name.
- 1 Corinthians 6:17
But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with Him in spirit.
- Jeremiah 7:23
but this is what I commanded them: Obey Me, and I will be your God, and you will be My people. You must walk in all the ways I have commanded you, so that…
- 2 Chronicles 34:31
Through
Exodus 24:3When Moses came and told the people all the words and ordinances of the LORD, they all responded with one voice: “All the words that the LORD has spoken, we will do.”
it leads to
- Exodus 19:8
And all the people answered together, “We will do everything that the LORD has spoken.” So Moses brought their words back to the LORD.
- Exodus 24:7
Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people, who replied, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.”
- Joshua 24:22
Then Joshua told them, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the LORD.” “We are witnesses!” they said.
- Exodus 19:8
Where this verse is studied
On this page
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On this verse
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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); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.