2 Chronicles 34:32 kjv
And he caused all that were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to it. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.
2 Chronicles 34:32 nkjv
And he made all who were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin take a stand. So the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.
2 Chronicles 34:32 niv
Then he had everyone in Jerusalem and Benjamin pledge themselves to it; the people of Jerusalem did this in accordance with the covenant of God, the God of their ancestors.
2 Chronicles 34:32 esv
Then he made all who were present in Jerusalem and in Benjamin join in it. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.
2 Chronicles 34:32 nlt
And he required everyone in Jerusalem and the people of Benjamin to make a similar pledge. The people of Jerusalem did so, renewing their covenant with God, the God of their ancestors.
2 Chronicles 34 32 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Chron 15:12-13 | They entered into a covenant to seek the LORD…and whoever would not seek…should be put to death. | National covenant with consequences. |
| 2 Chron 23:16 | Jehoiada made a covenant between himself, and all the people, and the king… | Covenant renewal under Jehoiada. |
| 2 Kgs 23:1-3 | The king went up to the house of the LORD…and read in their hearing all…the covenant…And all the people joined in the covenant. | Parallel account of Josiah's covenant renewal. |
| Deut 29:10-13 | You are standing today…that you may enter into the covenant of the LORD… | Corporate standing in covenant. |
| Deut 30:19 | I have set before you life and death…choose life, that you and your offspring may live. | Call for covenant choice. |
| Josh 24:22 | Joshua said to the people, "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the LORD." | Voluntary choice and commitment to God. |
| Neh 9:38 | "Because of all this we make a firm covenant and write it…sealed by our princes, Levites, and priests." | Post-exilic covenant renewal. |
| Jer 31:31-33 | "Behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant…" | Prophecy of a deeper, internal covenant. |
| Heb 8:10-12 | "For this is the covenant that I will make…I will put My laws into their minds…" | Fulfillment of the New Covenant in Christ. |
| Ez 11:19-20 | "I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them…" | God's transformation for covenant keeping. |
| Gen 17:7 | "I will establish My covenant between Me and you…to be God to you and to your offspring." | God's eternal covenant with fathers. |
| Ex 24:7 | Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people; and they said, "All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!" | Israelites' pledge to the Mosaic covenant. |
| Ps 78:36-37 | But they flattered Him with their mouth…for their heart was not steadfast toward Him… | Warning against outward show without true heart. |
| Matt 15:8 | "This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me." | Christ's teaching on superficial obedience. |
| Isa 29:13 | Forasmuch as this people draw near Me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor Me, but have removed their heart far from Me… | Superficial worship denounced. |
| Jer 24:7 | "I will give them a heart to know that I am the LORD; and they shall be My people and I will be their God…" | Promise of inward transformation. |
| Joel 2:12-13 | "Yet even now," declares the LORD, "return to Me with all your heart…rend your heart and not your garments." | Call for genuine repentance. |
| Eph 2:12 | remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise… | Gentiles outside the covenants of promise. |
| Acts 3:25 | "You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with your fathers…" | Affirmation of Israel's covenant heritage. |
| 1 Cor 10:1-5 | Our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea…nevertheless, with most of them God was not well pleased. | Warning about outward participation lacking true faith. |
2 Chronicles 34 verses
2 Chronicles 34 32 Meaning
2 Chronicles 34:32 describes King Josiah's decisive act of leadership, compelling all individuals present in the regions of Jerusalem and Benjamin to commit themselves to the covenant relationship with God. This was a forceful re-establishment of the national adherence to the Law found during his reforms, affirming allegiance to the God of their ancestors.
2 Chronicles 34 32 Context
2 Chronicles 34 chronicles King Josiah's widespread religious reforms in Judah and Israel. Before our verse, the narrative details Josiah's efforts to purge idolatry from the land (vv. 3-7), the repair of the temple (vv. 8-13), and most significantly, the discovery of the Book of the Law (vv. 14-18). Upon hearing the words of the Law, Josiah was deeply convicted (vv. 19-21) and consulted the prophetess Huldah (vv. 22-28), who confirmed impending judgment but deferred it during Josiah's reign due to his humility. Immediately preceding 2 Chronicles 34:32, Josiah gathers all the elders, priests, prophets, and the entire populace in Jerusalem, reads the Book of the Covenant aloud, and makes a covenant himself before the LORD to follow God's commands (vv. 29-31). Verse 32 shows Josiah extending this personal commitment into a mandatory national pledge for those under his immediate influence, reinforcing the communal obligation to the covenant. This national initiative aimed to bring the people back into alignment with the terms of the God's law.
2 Chronicles 34 32 Word analysis
- And he made all that were present: This signifies Josiah's kingly authority (Hiphil verb "he made stand" - ya'amîd, from the root amad) to enforce or bring about the public's participation. It's an active, compelling act, demonstrating strong leadership. It means more than simply allowing them to stand, but causing them to stand or affirm. The phrase "all that were present" indicates a broad public assembly, implying a corporate and solemn act.
- in Jerusalem and Benjamin: This specifies the geographical extent of this immediate, direct covenant enforcement. It refers to the tribal territory that constituted the core of the Southern Kingdom of Judah, with Jerusalem as its capital. While Josiah's reforms reached further (2 Chron 34:6-7 mentions Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, and as far as Naphtali), the binding "stand to the covenant" here is focused on the heartland of Judah. This acknowledges the reality of the divided kingdom and the practical limits of his immediate influence for direct covenant obligation.
- to stand to the covenant: This phrase, la'amod bab-berîth, signifies entering into, upholding, or taking a formal public oath of allegiance to the covenant. It implies acknowledging and pledging obedience to its terms. In ancient Near Eastern treaties, to "stand to a treaty" meant to confirm one's commitment and submission to its stipulations.
- of God: ('Elōhîm) This emphasizes that the covenant is divinely ordained, not a human invention. It reinforces the authority and holiness of the Law found.
- the God of their fathers: ('Elōhê 'abôthām) This crucial phrase connects the covenant renewed by Josiah back to the historical, ancestral covenants God made with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and through Moses. It rooted the present national commitment in Israel's foundational identity and long-standing relationship with Yahweh. This stood as a direct theological counter to the prevailing Baal and Asherah worship, which were foreign and recently adopted. It was a polemic asserting the sole, continuous, and legitimate God of Israel against false deities.
2 Chronicles 34 32 Bonus section
The "standing to the covenant" act was a formal, liturgical act, mirroring ancient treaty swearing ceremonies where subjects publicly pledged loyalty to a king. This emphasizes the suzerainty (sovereignty) of Yahweh over Israel. While effective for outward conformity and halting idol worship temporarily, history shows that such forced compliance, without a deep individual conviction, often proves superficial and short-lived. This event also underscores the profound influence a righteous king could have on the spiritual trajectory of a nation, albeit often fleeting when personal faith wasn't deeply embedded in the populace. The territorial limitation to Jerusalem and Benjamin in this verse likely refers to the strongest presence of "all who were present" from the remnant of Judah at that central assembly, distinct from Josiah's broader, earlier purges throughout the former territories of Israel.
2 Chronicles 34 32 Commentary
2 Chronicles 34:32 highlights Josiah's forceful and authoritative leadership in confronting Judah's pervasive idolatry. Having discovered the Law and personally humbled himself, Josiah didn't stop at individual piety. He extended this commitment to a national mandate, compelling all present in his direct sphere of influence (Jerusalem and Benjamin) to formally reaffirm their allegiance to the Mosaic Covenant. The act of "making them stand" indicates a public, solemn, and likely coerced declaration, emphasizing the collective responsibility before God. This was a radical break from the syncretism of previous reigns, insisting on exclusive worship of "the God of their fathers"—the one true, historic God of Israel, counteracting the pervasive lure of foreign gods. While such state-mandated religion often fell short of true heart transformation, Josiah's initiative was crucial in re-establishing a national awareness of divine expectations and serving as a last, great effort to prevent judgment by adhering to the law. This enforced return demonstrates that covenant responsibilities extend to the entire community, and righteous leaders are expected to facilitate such obedience.