God’s Word Translation
Judges 20:2
2The leaders of all Israel’s tribes took their places in the congregation of God’s people. There were 400,000 foot soldiers with swords.
Judges 20:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the chief of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen that drew sword.
- New International Version (NIV)The leaders of all the people of the tribes of Israel took their places in the assembly of God’s people, four hundred thousand men armed with swords.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And the chiefs of all the people, of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, 400,000 men on foot that drew the sword.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And the leaders of all the people, all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand foot soldiers who drew the sword.
Context of Judges 20:2
1All the people of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and from Gilead came to Mizpah. The congregation stood united in the presence of the Lord. The leaders of all Israel’s tribes took their places in the congregation of God’s people. There were 400,000 foot soldiers with swords. 3The people of Benjamin heard that Israel had come to Mizpah. The people of Israel said, “Tell us how such an evil thing could happen.” 4The Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, answered, “My concubine and I went to Gibeah in Benjamin to spend the night.
Read all of Judges 20Judges 20:2 word by word
וַיִּֽתְיַצְּב֞וּ פִּנּ֣וֹת כָּל־הָעָ֗ם כֹּ֚ל שִׁבְטֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בִּקְהַ֖ל עַ֣ם הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים אַרְבַּ֨ע מֵא֥וֹת אֶ֛לֶף אִ֥ישׁ רַגְלִ֖י שֹׁ֥לֵֽף חָֽרֶב׃ פRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the chiefפִּנָּהpinnâh · cornerH6438
- of all the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- of all the tribesשֵׁ֫בֶטshêbeţ · tribeH7626
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- presentedיָצַבyâtsab · to standH3320
- themselves in the assemblyקָהָלqâhâl · assemblyH6951
- of Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- fourאַרְבַּע'arba‛ 'arbâ‛âh · fourH702
- hundredמֵאָהmê'âh mê'yâh · hundredH3967
- thousandאֶ֫לֶף'eleph · thousandH505
- footmenרַגְלִיraglîy · on footH7273
- footmenאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- that drewשָׁלַףshâlaph · to drawH8025
- swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
Cross-references for Judges 20:2
- Judges 20:15That day 26,000 men armed with swords came from Benjamin’s cities and organized for battle along with 700 of Gibeah’s best men.
- Judges 8:10Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with an army of about 15,000 men. This was all that was left of Kedem’s entire army. In the battle, 120,000 soldiers died.
- 2 Samuel 24:9Joab reported the census figures to the king: In Israel there were 800,000 able-bodied men who could serve in the army, and in Judah there were 500,000.
- 2 Kings 3:26When the king of Moab saw he was losing the battle, he took 700 swordsmen to try to break through to the king of Edom. But they couldn’t do it.
Commentaries on Judges 20:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2The chief of all the people - The corners פנות pinnoth ; for as the corner-stones are the strength of the walls, so are the chiefs the strength of the people. Hence Christ is called the chief corner-stone. In the assembly of the people of God - The Septuagint translate, And all the tribes of Israel stood up before the face of the Lord, ͅ , in the Church of the people of God. Here was a Church, though there was no priest; for, as Tertullian says, Ubi tres…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2The chief - literally, “the corner stones.” (Compare 1 Samuel 14:38.)Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-48These two epilogues (Judges 17–18 and 19–21) show that inspired but unstructured leadership cannot last. As society moved toward chaos and civil war, the phrase, In those days there was no king in Israel appears four times. The phrase, everyone did what was right in his own eyes is added twice (Judges 17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25). The era of inspired leadership declined and ended in disorder. Something important was missing.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-71-2. all ... the congregation was gathered as one man--In consequence of the immense sensation the horrid tragedy of Gibeah had produced, a national assembly was convened, at which "the chief of all the people" from all parts of the land, including the eastern tribes, appeared as delegates. Mizpeh--the place of convention (for there were other Mizpehs), was in a town situated on the confines of Judah and Benjamin (Jos 15:38; 18:26). Assemblies were…Read the comment
Topics related to Judges 20:2
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Judges 20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- Darby Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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