2 Kings 23:3

2 Kings 23:3 in other versions

• King James Version (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.
• New International Version (NIV)The king stood by the pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the Lord—to follow the Lord and keep his commands, statutes and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, thus confirming the words of the covenant written in this book. Then all the people pledged themselves to the covenant.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And the king stood by the 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 his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people joined in the covenant.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then the king stood by a pillar and made a covenant before the Lord, to follow the Lord and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people took a stand for the covenant.

Context of 2 Kings 23:3

1So the king sent messengers, and they gathered all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem to him. 2Then the king went to the Lord’s temple with all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, as well as the priests and the prophets — all the people from the youngest to the oldest. He read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant that had been found in the Lord’s temple. Next, the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant in the Lord’s presence to follow the Lord and to keep his commands, his decrees, and his statutes with all his heart and with all his soul in order to carry out the words of this covenant that were written in this book; all the people agreed to the covenant. 4Then the king commanded the high priest Hilkiah and the priests of the second rank and the doorkeepers to bring out of the Lord’s sanctuary all the articles made for Baal, Asherah, and all the stars in the sky. He burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron and carried their ashes to Bethel. 5Then he did away with the idolatrous priests the kings of Judah had appointed to burn incense at the high places in the cities of Judah and in the areas surrounding Jerusalem. They had burned incense to Baal, and to the sun, moon, constellations, and all the stars in the sky.

2 Kings 23:3 word by word

וַיַּעֲמֹ֣ד הַ֠מֶּלֶךְ עַֽל־הָ֨עַמּ֜וּד וַיִּכְרֹ֥ת אֶֽת־הַבְּרִ֣ית׀ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֗ה לָלֶ֜כֶת אַחַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ וְלִשְׁמֹ֨ר מִצְוֹתָ֜יו וְאֶת־עֵדְוֹתָ֤יו וְאֶת־חֻקֹּתָיו֙ בְּכָל־לֵ֣ב וּבְכָל־נֶ֔פֶשׁ לְהָקִ֗ים אֶת־דִּבְרֵי֙ הַבְּרִ֣ית הַזֹּ֔את הַכְּתֻבִ֖ים עַל־הַסֵּ֣פֶר הַזֶּ֑ה וַיַּעֲמֹ֥ד כָּל־הָעָ֖ם בַּבְּרִֽית׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• stoodעָמַד‛âmad · to stand: standH5975
• by a pillarעַמּוּד‛ammûd ‛ammûd · pillarH5982
• and madeכָּרַתkârath · to cut: make(covenant)H3772
• a covenantבְּרִיתberîyth · covenantH1285
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• to walkיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• afterאַחַר'achar · afterH310
• and to keepשָׁמַרshâmar · to keep: obeyH8104
• his commandmentsמִצְוָהmitsvâh · commandmentH4687
• and his testimoniesעֵדוּת‛êdûth · testimonyH5715
• and his statutesחֻקָּהchûqqâh · statuteH2708
• heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
• soulנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soulH5315
• to performקוּםqûm · to arise: establishH6965
• the wordsדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
• that were writtenכָּתַבkâthab · to writeH3789
• in this bookסֵ֫פֶרsêpher siphrâh · scroll: bookH5612
• And all the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971

Cross-references for 2 Kings 23:3

• 2 Kings 11:14She looked, and there was the king standing by the pillar according to the custom. The commanders and the trumpeters were by the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. Athaliah tore her clothes and screamed “Treason! Treason!”
• 2 Chronicles 23:13As she looked, there was the king standing by his pillar at the entrance. The commanders and the trumpeters were by the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets while the singers with musical instruments were leading the praise. Athaliah tore her clothes and screamed, “Treason! Treason!”
• 2 Chronicles 34:31Then the king stood at his post and made a covenant in the Lord’s presence to follow the Lord and to keep his commands, his decrees, and his statutes with all his heart and with all his soul in order to carry out the words of the covenant written in this book.
• Exodus 24:7He then took the covenant scroll and read it aloud to the people. They responded, “We will do and obey all that the Lord has commanded.”
• Deuteronomy 5:1Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, “Israel, listen to the statutes and ordinances I am proclaiming as you hear them today. Learn and follow them carefully.
• Deuteronomy 29:1These are the words of the covenant that the Lord commanded Moses to make with the Israelites in the land of Moab, in addition to the covenant he had made with them at Horeb.
• Joshua 24:25On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people at Shechem and established a statute and ordinance for them.
• 2 Chronicles 15:12Then they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their ancestors with all their heart and all their soul.
• 2 Chronicles 23:16Then Jehoiada made a covenant between himself, the king, and the people that they would be the Lord’s people.
• 2 Chronicles 29:10It is in my heart now to make a covenant with the Lord, the God of Israel so that his burning anger may turn away from us.
• Ezra 10:3Therefore, let’s make a covenant before our God to send away all the foreign wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the command of our God. Let it be done according to the law.
• Nehemiah 9:38In view of all this, we are making a binding agreement in writing on a sealed document containing the names of our leaders, Levites, and priests.
• Nehemiah 10:28The rest of the people — the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, and temple servants, along with their wives, sons, and daughters, everyone who is able to understand and who has separated themselves from the surrounding peoples to obey the law of God —
• Jeremiah 50:5They will ask about Zion, turning their faces to this road. They will come and join themselves to the Lord in a permanent covenant that will never be forgotten.
• Hebrews 8:8But finding fault with his people, he says: See, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah —
• Hebrews 12:24and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which says better things than the blood of Abel.

Commentaries on 2 Kings 23:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Stood by a pillar - He stood, העמוד על 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 2 Chronicles 6:13, and the parallel places. Made a covenant - This was expressed, In general. To walk after Jehovah; to have no gods besides him. To take his law for the regulation of their conduct. In particular. To bend…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3By a pillar - Rather, “upon the pillar” (see 2 Kings 11:14, note). Made a covenant - “The covenant.” Josiah renewed the old covenant made between God and His people in Horeb Deuteronomy 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…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3the king … made a covenant: The king … renewed the covenant: God’s people renewed their covenant (their promises with God) at several important times in history (see 2 Kings 11:12, 17; Joshua 24:1–27; 1 Kings 8:1–53).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-32Ki 23:1-3. Josiah Causes the Law to Be Read. 1-3. 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. Knowing the richness of the divine clemency and grace to the penitent, he convened the elders of the people, and placing himself at their head…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Kings 23:3

• Covenant
• Decision
• Israel, Prophecies Concerning
• Josiah
• Prophecy
• Temple
• Worship

In the dictionaries

• Jeremiah
• Josiah
• Kings, The Books of
• Pentateuch
• Chemosh
• Covenant, in the Old Testament
• God
• High Place
• Jeremiah (2)
• Jerusalem

Commentaries on 2 Kings 23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings