The Meaning of 2 Kings 23:3 Explained

2 Kings 23:3

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.

YLT: And the king standeth by the pillar, and maketh the covenant before Jehovah, to walk after Jehovah, and to keep His commands, and His testimonies, and His statutes, with all the heart, and with all the soul, to establish the words of this covenant that are written on this book, and all the people stand in the covenant.

Darby: And the king stood on the dais, 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 establish the words of this covenant that are written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant.

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 Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does 2 Kings 23:3 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 23:1-4 - Hearkening To The Message
Josiah's fears were deeply stirred by the evils which the Law of the Lord clearly indicated as imminent, and he immediately sent for advice to the prophetess Huldah, who was held in great veneration. Her answer was full of gentle kindness. Though the king's punishment could not be averted, it should nevertheless be postponed. How quick is God to notice the tears of genuine contrition and to meet the soul that seeks to do His will! If only the whole nation had been equally repentant, its fate would have doubtless been altered.
It is remarkable, however, that even in Josiah's case the prediction of the prophetess was not realized. He died in battle, and his dead body was brought to Jerusalem amid mourning that became proverbial, 2 Kings 23:30; Zechariah 12:2. Why this apparent breach of promise? The answer is suggested by our Lord's temptation. He refused to make bread of stones, because of His absolute faith in God, and when Satan tempted him still further to manifest that faith by casting Himself from the beetling Temple crag, he again refused because such an act was not in the scope of the Father's plan. On the other hand, Josiah, disregarding all counsels to the contrary, needlessly flung himself into the fray between Egypt and Babylon and there lost his life. "Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God!" [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Kings 23

1  Josiah causes the book to be read in a solemn assembly
3  He renews the covenant of the Lord
4  He destroys idolatry
15  He burns dead men's bones upon the altar of Bethel, as was prophesied
21  He keeps a most solemn Passover
24  He puts away witches and all abomination
26  God's final wrath against Judah
29  Josiah, provoking Pharaoh Neco, is slain at Megiddo
31  Jehoahaz, succeeding him,
33  is imprisoned by Pharaoh Neco, who makes Jehoiakim king
36  Jehoiakim's wicked reign

What do the individual words in 2 Kings 23:3 mean?

And stood the king by a pillar and made - a covenant before Yahweh to walk after Yahweh and to keep His commandments and His testimonies His statutes with all [his] heart and all [his] soul to perform - the words of covenant this that were written in book This and took a stand all the people for the covenant
וַיַּעֲמֹ֣ד הַ֠מֶּלֶךְ עַֽל־ הָ֨עַמּ֜וּד וַיִּכְרֹ֥ת אֶֽת־ הַבְּרִ֣ית ׀ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֗ה לָלֶ֜כֶת אַחַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ וְלִשְׁמֹ֨ר מִצְוֺתָ֜יו וְאֶת־ עֵדְוֺתָ֤יו חֻקֹּתָיו֙ בְּכָל־ לֵ֣ב וּבְכָל־ נֶ֔פֶשׁ לְהָקִ֗ים אֶת־ דִּבְרֵי֙ הַבְּרִ֣ית הַזֹּ֔את הַכְּתֻבִ֖ים עַל־ הַסֵּ֣פֶר הַזֶּ֑ה וַיַּעֲמֹ֥ד כָּל־ הָעָ֖ם בַּבְּרִֽית

וַיַּעֲמֹ֣ד  And  stood 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָמַד  
Sense: to stand, remain, endure, take one’s stand.
הַ֠מֶּלֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
הָ֨עַמּ֜וּד  a  pillar 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַמּוּד  
Sense: pillar, column.
וַיִּכְרֹ֥ת  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.
הַבְּרִ֣ית ׀  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.
יְהוָ֗ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
לָלֶ֜כֶת  to  walk 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
אַחַ֤ר  after 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
יְהוָה֙  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וְלִשְׁמֹ֨ר  and  to  keep 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: שָׁמַר  
Sense: to keep, guard, observe, give heed.
מִצְוֺתָ֜יו  His  commandments 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מִצְוָה  
Sense: commandment.
עֵדְוֺתָ֤יו  His  testimonies 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עֵדוּת  
Sense: testimony.
חֻקֹּתָיו֙  His  statutes 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: חֻקָּה  
Sense: statute, ordinance, limit, enactment, something prescribed.
בְּכָל־  with  all 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
לֵ֣ב  [his]  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
וּבְכָל־  and  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
נֶ֔פֶשׁ  [his]  soul 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
לְהָקִ֗ים  to  perform 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
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.
דִּבְרֵי֙  the  words 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
הַבְּרִ֣ית  of  covenant 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: בְּרִית  
Sense: covenant, alliance, pledge.
הַזֹּ֔את  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, feminine singular
Root: זׄאת  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, such.
הַכְּתֻבִ֖ים  that  were  written 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine plural
Root: כָּתַב  
Sense: to write, record, enrol.
הַסֵּ֣פֶר  book 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: סֵפֶר 
Sense: book.
הַזֶּ֑ה  This 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
וַיַּעֲמֹ֥ד  and  took  a  stand 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָמַד  
Sense: to stand, remain, endure, take one’s stand.
הָעָ֖ם  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
בַּבְּרִֽית  for  the  covenant 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: בְּרִית  
Sense: covenant, alliance, pledge.