Like Hezekiah before him (2 Kings 19:1), Josiah tore his clothes in deep sorrow for his own spiritual state and that of the people of Judah.
have not obeyed the words of this book: The part Shaphan read to Josiah reminded him of God's claim on his people, the need to stay faithful to the covenant, and the consequences for unfaithfulness (see Deuteronomy 28). Realizing that Judah had not followed the law, Josiah rightly feared the Lord's great anger.