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,
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.