The Israelites, apart from Benjamin, mobilized 400,000 swordsmen, each one an experienced warrior.
Parallel translations
- WEB The men of Israel, besides Benjamin, were counted four hundred thousand men who drew sword. All these were men of war.
- KJV And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword: all these were men of war.
- NKJV Now besides Benjamin, the men of Israel numbered four hundred thousand men who drew the sword; all of these were men of war.
- NASB Then the men of Israel besides Benjamin were counted, four hundred thousand men who drew the sword; all of these were men of war.
- NLT Israel had 400,000 experienced soldiers armed with swords, not counting Benjamin’s warriors.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Israel assembled 400,000 swordsmen against Benjamin, a vast force compared to Benjamin's small army.
Overview
The lopsided numbers (400,000 against roughly 26,000) frame the conflict and make Benjamin's early successes all the more startling. The sheer size of the coalition shows the unity of the other tribes against the outrage at Gibeah, yet numbers alone would not secure the outcome. The narrative repeatedly reminds us that victory belongs to the Lord, not to large armies (cf. Psalm 33:16-17).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Num 1:46And all those counted totaled 603,550.
- Num 26:51These men of Israel numbered 601,730 in all.
- Judg 20:2The leaders of all the people and all the tribes of Israel presented themselves in the assembly of God’s people: 400,000 men on foot, armed with swords.
- 1 Sam 15:4So Saul summoned the troops and numbered them at Telaim—200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men of Judah.
- 1 Sam 11:8And when Saul numbered them at Bezek, there were 300,000 Israelites and 30,000 men of Judah.
- 1 Chr 21:5And Joab reported to David the total number of the troops. In all Israel there were 1,100,000 men who drew the sword, including 470,000 in Judah.
- 2 Chr 17:14–18These are their numbers according to the houses of their fathers: From Judah, the commanders of thousands: Adnah the commander, and with him 300,000 mighty men of valor;
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Christ at the center
Israel's cycle of sin and rescue through flawed deliverers cries out for a Savior who never fails — the true and final Judge and Deliverer who saves his people not for a season but forever.
How Judges 20:17 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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