דברי הימים ב, פרק כ׳, פסוק י״ג

A great assembly of the nation took place, serving as a powerful moment of repentance, prayer, and pleading. The people came to stand directly before God, positioning themselves in front of the House of God and within the Temple [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Entire families attended this event together. The crowd was not limited to men, but included women, infants, and older children [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The presence of these families was a natural reality of the wartime crisis. As enemy forces invaded the land, residents were forced to flee from their exposed, open villages to protect their lives. They sought refuge in fortified cities, which ultimately brought the entire population together into a single safe haven [רש״י].