New English Translation
Judges 20:15
15That day the Benjaminites mustered from their cities twenty-six thousand sword-wielding soldiers, besides seven hundred well-trained soldiers from Gibeah.
Judges 20:15 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the children of Benjamin were numbered at that time out of the cities twenty and six thousand men that drew sword, beside the inhabitants of Gibeah, which were numbered seven hundred chosen men.
- New International Version (NIV)At once the Benjamites mobilized twenty-six thousand swordsmen from their towns, in addition to seven hundred able young men from those living in Gibeah.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And the people of Benjamin mustered out of their cities on that day 26,000 men who drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who mustered 700 chosen men.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And from their cities at that time the children of Benjamin numbered twenty-six thousand men who drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who numbered seven hundred select men.
Context of Judges 20:15
13Now, hand over the good-for-nothings in Gibeah so we can execute them and purge Israel of wickedness.” But the Benjaminites refused to listen to their Israelite brothers. 14The Benjaminites came from their cities and assembled at Gibeah to make war against the Israelites. That day the Benjaminites mustered from their cities twenty-six thousand sword-wielding soldiers, besides seven hundred well-trained soldiers from Gibeah. 16Among this army were seven hundred specially-trained left-handed soldiers. Each one could sling a stone and hit even the smallest target. 17The men of Israel (not counting Benjamin) had mustered four hundred thousand sword-wielding soldiers, every one an experienced warrior.
Read all of Judges 20Judges 20:15 word by word
וַיִּתְפָּֽקְדוּ֩ בְנֵ֨י בִנְיָמִ֜ן בַּיּ֤וֹם הַהוּא֙ מֵהֶ֣עָרִ֔ים עֶשְׂרִ֨ים וְשִׁשָּׁ֥ה אֶ֛לֶף אִ֖ישׁ שֹׁ֣לֵֽף חָ֑רֶב לְ֠בַד מִיֹּשְׁבֵ֤י הַגִּבְעָה֙ הִתְפָּ֣קְד֔וּ שְׁבַ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת אִ֥ישׁ בָּחֽוּר׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the childrenבֵּןbên · son: descendant/peopleH1121
- of Benjaminבִּנְיָמִיןbinyâmîyn · BenjaminH1144
- were numberedפָּקַדpâqad · to reckon: listH6485
- at that timeיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- out of the citiesעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- twentyעֶשְׂרִים‛eώrîym · twentyH6242
- and sixשֵׁשׁshêsh shishshâh · sixH8337
- thousandאֶ֫לֶף'eleph · thousandH505
- menאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- that drewשָׁלַףshâlaph · to drawH8025
- swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
- beside the inhabitantsיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- of Gibeahגִּבְעָהgib‛âh · GibeahH1390
- sevenשֶׁ֫בַעsheba‛ shib‛âh · sevenH7651
- hundredמֵאָהmê'âh mê'yâh · hundredH3967
- chosenבָּחַרbâchar · to chooseH977
Cross-references for Judges 20:15
Commentaries on Judges 20:15
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15Twenty and six thousand - Some copies of the Septuagint have twenty-three thousand, others twenty-five thousand. The Vulgate has this latter number; the Complutensian Polyglot and Josephus have the same.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15-17Verses 15-17 Comparing the numbers here with those in Judges 20:16 See Judges 3:15, and note. In the Septuagint and Vulgate the 700 chosen men of Gibeah are represented as the seven hundred left-handed slingers.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13-17Benjamin's response matched its independent and warlike nature (compare Genesis 49:27). The tribe had strong confidence in its famous warriors (Judges 3:12–30; 1 Chronicles 12:2). Although outnumbered nearly three to one, they defeated the rest of Israel twice and caused many casualties (Judges 20:18–24).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 14-1714-17. the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah--Allowing their valor to be ever so great, nothing but blind passion and unbending obstinacy could have impelled them to take the field against their brethren with such a disparity of numbers.Read the comment
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
New English Translation — © 1996-2016 Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C.
Commentaries