New English Translation
Judges 20:2
2The leaders of all the people from all the tribes of Israel took their places in the assembly of God’s people, which numbered four hundred thousand sword-wielding foot soldiers.
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 Israelites from Dan to Beer Sheba and from the land of Gilead left their homes and assembled together before the Lord at Mizpah. The leaders of all the people from all the tribes of Israel took their places in the assembly of God’s people, which numbered four hundred thousand sword-wielding foot soldiers. 3The Benjaminites heard that the Israelites had gone up to Mizpah. Then the Israelites said, “Explain how this wicked thing happened!” 4The Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, spoke up, “I and my concubine stopped in Gibeah in the territory of 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 the Benjaminites mustered from their cities twenty-six thousand sword-wielding soldiers, besides seven hundred well-trained soldiers from Gibeah.
- Judges 8:10Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their armies. There were about fifteen thousand survivors from the army of the eastern peoples; a hundred and twenty thousand sword-wielding soldiers had been killed.
- 2 Samuel 24:9Joab reported the number of warriors to the king. In Israel there were 800,000 sword-wielding warriors, and in Judah there were 500,000 soldiers.
- 2 Kings 3:26When the king of Moab realized he was losing the battle, he and 700 swordsmen tried to break through and attack the king of Edom, but they failed.
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
New English Translation — © 1996-2016 Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C.
Commentaries