2 Kings 23:3

And the king stood by a pillar ,.... As the manner of kings was, 2 Kings 11:14 and is thought to be the brasen scaffold erected by Solomon, on which he stood at the dedication of the temple, and now Josiah at the reading of the law, 2 Chronicles 6:13 , it is said to be his place, 2 Chronicles 34:31 ; see Gill on 2 Kings 11:14 .

and made a covenant before the Lord : agreed and promised in the presence of God, both he and his people:

to walk after the Lord : the worship of the Lord, as the Targum; closely to attend to that:

and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes : all the laws of God, moral, civil, and ceremonial:

with all their heart, and all their soul : cordially and sincerely:

to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book : lately found, and now read unto them:

and all the people stood to the covenant : agreed to it, and promised to keep it; so the Targum,"all the people took upon them the covenant,'engaged to observe it.