The Meaning of 2 Chronicles 34:31 Explained

2 Chronicles 34:31

KJV: And the king stood in his place, 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 with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant which are written in this book.

YLT: And the king standeth on his station, and maketh the covenant before Jehovah, to walk after Jehovah, and to keep His commands, and His testimonies, and His statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to do the words of the covenant that are written on this book.

Darby: And the king stood in his place, 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 with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that are written in this book.

ASV: And the king stood in his place, 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 with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the king  stood  in his place,  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 with all his soul,  to perform  the words  of the covenant  which are written  in this book. 

What does 2 Chronicles 34:31 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Chronicles 34:22-33 - Renewing The Covenant
The tender heart is a humble one, 2 Chronicles 34:27. To admit that God is right and we are wrong, and to take home his rebuke, is an admirable position. The penitential tear is like the baptism of dew on foliage parched by the scorching heat. But the tender heart does not confine itself to emotion, it acts. The king gathered all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem, went up to the house of the Lord, and caused all the people to stand to the covenant he proposed. He made all that were found, even in Israel, though they were outside his jurisdiction, to serve the Lord their God. Evidently Josiah was one of those men who have a compelling force because they appeal to the conscience in the heart of all men, and are themselves in close touch with God. Why not surrender yourself wholly to God! There are temples which need repairing, priests and people who require direction and leadership, nations which must be brought back to the God of their fathers. Only be tender, humble, and trustful. The world has yet to learn what God can do by those wholly devoted to Him. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Chronicles 34

1  Josiah's good reign
3  He destroys idolatry
8  He takes order for the repair of the temple
14  Hilkiah, having found a book of the law,
21  Josiah sends to Huldah to enquire of the Lord
23  Huldah prophesies the destruction of Jerusalem, but respite thereof in Josiah's time
29  Josiah, causing it to be read in a solemn assembly, renews the covenant with God

What do the individual words in 2 Chronicles 34:31 mean?

And stood the king in his place and made - a covenant before Yahweh to follow after Yahweh and to keep - His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and all his soul to perform the words of the covenant that were written book this
וַיַּעֲמֹ֨ד הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ עַל־ עָמְד֗וֹ וַיִּכְרֹ֣ת אֶֽת־ הַבְּרִית֮ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָה֒ לָלֶ֜כֶת אַחֲרֵ֣י יְהוָ֗ה וְלִשְׁמ֤וֹר אֶת־ מִצְוֺתָיו֙ וְעֵֽדְוֺתָ֣יו וְחֻקָּ֔יו בְּכָל־ לְבָב֖וֹ וּבְכָל־ נַפְשׁ֑וֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת֙ דִּבְרֵ֣י הַבְּרִ֔ית הַכְּתוּבִ֖ים הַסֵּ֥פֶר הַזֶּֽה

וַיַּעֲמֹ֨ד  And  stood 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָמַד  
Sense: to stand, remain, endure, take one’s stand.
הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
עָמְד֗וֹ  his  place 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עֹמֶד  
Sense: standing place.
וַיִּכְרֹ֣ת  and  made 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּרַת  
Sense: to cut, cut off, cut down, cut off a body part, cut out, eliminate, kill, cut a covenant.
אֶֽת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַבְּרִית֮  a  covenant 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: בְּרִית  
Sense: covenant, alliance, pledge.
לִפְנֵ֣י  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
יְהוָה֒  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
לָלֶ֜כֶת  to  follow 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
אַחֲרֵ֣י  after 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
יְהוָ֗ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וְלִשְׁמ֤וֹר  and  to  keep 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: שָׁמַר  
Sense: to keep, guard, observe, give heed.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
מִצְוֺתָיו֙  His  commandments 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מִצְוָה  
Sense: commandment.
וְעֵֽדְוֺתָ֣יו  and  His  testimonies 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עֵדוּת  
Sense: testimony.
וְחֻקָּ֔יו  and  His  statutes 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: חֹק  
Sense: statute, ordinance, limit, something prescribed, due.
בְּכָל־  with  all 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
לְבָב֖וֹ  his  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: לֵבָב  
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, soul, understanding.
וּבְכָל־  and  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
נַפְשׁ֑וֹ  his  soul 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
לַעֲשׂוֹת֙  to  perform 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
דִּבְרֵ֣י  the  words 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
הַבְּרִ֔ית  of  the  covenant 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: בְּרִית  
Sense: covenant, alliance, pledge.
הַכְּתוּבִ֖ים  that  were  written 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine plural
Root: כָּתַב  
Sense: to write, record, enrol.
הַסֵּ֥פֶר  book 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: סֵפֶר 
Sense: book.
הַזֶּֽה  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.