דברי הימים ב, פרק ט״ו, פסוק י״ג

A public gathering of the people resulted in a severe and absolute commitment to their faith. The strict penalty of death for anyone who refused to seek God was not simply an imposed rule. Instead, this harsh consequence served as an actual condition of the renewed covenant. The people willingly accepted this standard upon themselves, making it a foundational part of their new agreement with God during that event [ביאור שטיינזלץ].