For Phacee the son of Romelia slew of Juda a hundred and twenty thousand in one day, all valiant men: because they had forsaken the Lord the God of their fathers.

And Pekah son of Remaliah slayeth in Judah a hundred and twenty thousand in one day (the whole are sons of valour), because of their forsaking Jehovah, God of their fathers.

For Pekah, the son of Remaliah, in one day put to death a hundred and twenty thousand men of Judah, all of them good fighting-men; because they had given up the Lord, the God of their fathers.

And Pekah, the son of Remaliah, killed, on one day, one hundred twenty thousand, all of them men of war from Judah, because they had forsaken the Lord, the God of their fathers.

The fearful loss here described may have been due to a complete defeat followed by panic.

A hundred and twenty thousand - It is very probable that there is a mistake in this number. It is hardly possible that a hundred and twenty thousand men could have been slain in one day; yet all the versions and MSS. agree in this number. The whole people seem to have been given up into the hands of their enemies.

For (c) Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah an hundred and twenty thousand in one day, [which were] all valiant men; because they had forsaken the LORD God of their fathers.
(c) Who was king of Israel.

For Pekah son of Remaliah,.... Who was at this time king of Israel:
slew in Judah an hundred and twenty thousand in one day, which were all
valiant men; a great slaughter to be made at one time, and of valiant men, but not so great as that in 2-Chronicles 13:17,
because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers; this was not a reason with Pekah for slaying them, he himself being an idolater, but why the Lord suffered them to be slain by him.

Forsaken - Ahaz walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and God chose the king of Israel for his scourge: it is just with God, to make them a plague to us, whom we have made our patterns, or partners in sin.