מלכים ב, פרק כ״ג, פסוק ב׳

A rare and monumental event unfolds at the Temple as the king gathers every layer of society, from the highest national leaders to the simplest commoners. The purpose of this massive assembly is to read from a newly discovered scroll, intending to shake the nation to its core and inspire a profound return to God through the renewal of their covenant with Him.

Among the vast crowd, the presence of prophets is noted, though their exact identity is a matter of interpretation [רד״ק]. One perspective suggests this refers to scribes and scholars, as actual prophets were not present in Jerusalem at that time. Another view takes the description literally, explaining that the prominent prophets of the era, such as Jeremiah and Zephaniah, had been away when the scroll was initially found but traveled to Jerusalem specifically to participate in this extraordinary gathering.

The scroll read to the people is widely understood to be the specific section of rebukes and curses located near the end of the Book of Deuteronomy. When the scroll was discovered in the Temple, it was found open to this exact passage. Realizing that this was the original, sacred Torah scroll handwritten by Moses himself, combined with the ominous passage it presented, deeply terrified the people and powerfully motivated them to repent and return to God [מצודת דוד].

The specific title given to this scroll carries deep historical resonance. The section of rebukes in the Torah concludes by declaring that these are the words of the covenant, immediately preceding the narrative where Moses gathered all the Israelites to formally enter them into that agreement. King Josiah's actions directly mirror those of Moses. By using this title and assembling the entire nation, the king intentionally recreated that ancient moment, bringing the people together to renew their commitment and re-enter God's covenant and oath [מלבי״ם].