2 Kings 23:2

2 and together they went to the Temple, accompanied by the priests and the prophets and all the rest of the people, rich and poor alike. Before them all the king read aloud the whole book of the covenant which had been found in the Temple.

2 Kings 23:2 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 23:2

And the king went up into the house of the Lord
To the temple, from his palace:

and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him:
they met him there:

and the priests, and the prophets;
the prophets Jeremiah, Zephaniah, and Uriah, who, though they might not be at Jerusalem when the book of the law was found, yet, upon this message of the king's, might come up thither from the countries where they were; the Targum interprets the word "scribes": and some take them to be the sons of the prophets, their disciples; in ( 2 Chronicles 34:30 ) they are called Levites:

and all the people, both small and great;
a very numerous assembly:

and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant
which was found in the house of the Lord:
that is, he caused it to be read by others, and perhaps by more than one, the congregation being so large.

2 Kings 23:2 In-Context

1 King Josiah summoned all the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem,

2 and together they went to the Temple, accompanied by the priests and the prophets and all the rest of the people, rich and poor alike. Before them all the king read aloud the whole book of the covenant which had been found in the Temple.

3 He stood by the royal column and made a covenant with the Lord to obey him, to keep his laws and commands with all his heart and soul, and to put into practice the demands attached to the covenant, as written in the book. And all the people promised to keep the covenant.

4 Then Josiah ordered the High Priest Hilkiah, his assistant priests, and the guards on duty at the entrance to the Temple to bring out of the Temple all the objects used in the worship of Baal, of the goddess Asherah, and of the stars. The king burned all these objects outside the city near Kidron Valley and then had the ashes taken to Bethel.

5 He removed from office the priests that the kings of Judah had ordained to offer sacrifices on the pagan altars in the cities of Judah and in places near Jerusalem - all the priests who offered sacrifices to Baal, to the sun, the moon, the planets, and the stars.