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

1And the king sent, and they gathered unto him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem. 2And the king went up into the house of Yhwh, and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the people, both small and great: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of Yhwh. And the king stood by a pillar, and made a covenant before Yhwh, to walk after Yhwh, 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. 4And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of Yhwh all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven: and he burned them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried the ashes of them unto Beth–el. 5And he put down the idolatrous priests, whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah, and in the places round about Jerusalem; them also that burned incense unto Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven.

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

• 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
• Yhwhיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · 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 11:14And when she looked, behold, the king stood by a pillar, as the manner was, and the princes and the trumpeters by the king, and all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew with trumpets: and Athaliah rent her clothes, and cried, Treason, Treason.
• 2 Chronicles 23:13And she looked, and, behold, the king stood at his pillar at the entering in, and the princes and the trumpets by the king: and all the people of the land rejoiced, and sounded with trumpets, also the singers with instruments of musick, and such as taught to sing praise. Then Athaliah rent her clothes, and said, Treason, Treason.
• 2 Chronicles 34:31And the king stood in his place, and made a covenant before Yhwh, to walk after Yhwh, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant which are written in this book.
• Exodus 24:7And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, all that Yhwh hath said will we do, and be obedient.
• Deuteronomy 5:1And Moses called all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them.
• Deuteronomy 29:1These are the words of the covenant, which Yhwh commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, beside the covenant which he made with them in Horeb.
• Joshua 24:25So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and set them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem.
• 2 Chronicles 15:12And they entered into a covenant to seek Yhwh God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul;
• 2 Chronicles 23:16And Jehoiada made a covenant between him, and between all the people, and between the king, that they should be Yhwh's people.
• 2 Chronicles 29:10Now it is in mine heart to make a covenant with Yhwh God of Israel, that his fierce wrath may turn away from us.
• Ezra 10:3Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law.
• Nehemiah 9:38And because of all this we make a sure covenant, and write it; and our princes, Levites, and priests, seal unto it.
• Nehemiah 10:28And the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the porters, the singers, the Nethinims, and all they that had separated themselves from the people of the lands unto the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, every one having knowledge, and having understanding;
• Jeremiah 50:5They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, saying, Come, and let us join ourselves to Yhwh in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten.
• Hebrews 8:8For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith 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 the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that 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