Judges 20:17

Judges 20:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword: all these were men of war.
• New International Version (NIV)Israel, apart from Benjamin, mustered four hundred thousand swordsmen, all of them fit for battle.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And the men of Israel, apart from Benjamin, mustered 400,000 men who drew the sword; all these were men of war.
• New Living Translation (NLT)Israel had 400,000 experienced soldiers armed with swords, not counting Benjamin’s warriors.

Context of Judges 20:17

15And 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. 16Among all this people were seven hundred select men who were left-handed; every one could sling a stone at a hair’s breadth and not miss. Now besides Benjamin, the men of Israel numbered four hundred thousand men who drew the sword; all of these were men of war. 18Then the children of Israel arose and went up to the house of God to inquire of God. They said, “Which of us shall go up first to battle against the children of Benjamin?” The Lord said, “Judah first!” 19So the children of Israel rose in the morning and encamped against Gibeah.

Judges 20:17 word by word

וְאִ֨ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל הִתְפָּֽקְד֗וּ לְבַד֙ מִבִּנְיָמִ֔ן אַרְבַּ֨ע מֵא֥וֹת אֶ֛לֶף אִ֖ישׁ שֹׁ֣לֵֽף חָ֑רֶב כָּל־זֶ֖ה אִ֥ישׁ מִלְחָמָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the menאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• beside Benjaminבִּנְיָמִיןbinyâmîyn · BenjaminH1144
• were numberedפָּקַדpâqad · to reckon: listH6485
• fourאַרְבַּע'arba‛ 'arbâ‛âh · fourH702
• hundredמֵאָהmê'âh mê'yâh · hundredH3967
• thousandאֶ֫לֶף'eleph · thousandH505
• that drewשָׁלַףshâlaph · to drawH8025
• swordחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
• of warמִלְחָמָהmilchâmâh · battleH4421

People and places in Judges 20:17

• Benjamin
• Israel

Cross-references for Judges 20:17

• Judges 20:2And 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.
• Numbers 1:46all who were numbered were six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty.
• Numbers 26:51These are those who were numbered of the children of Israel: six hundred and one thousand seven hundred and thirty.
• 1 Samuel 11:8When he numbered them in Bezek, the children of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.
• 1 Samuel 15:4So Saul gathered the people together and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men of Judah.
• 1 Chronicles 21:5Then Joab gave the sum of the number of the people to David. All Israel had one million one hundred thousand men who drew the sword, and Judah had four hundred and seventy thousand men who drew the sword.
• 2 Chronicles 17:14These are their numbers, according to their fathers’ houses. Of Judah, the captains of thousands: Adnah the captain, and with him three hundred thousand mighty men of valor;

Commentaries on Judges 20:17

• 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

• Benjamin
• Israel
• Four Hundred
• Congregation
• Fetch
• Gibeah
• Glean
• Trust
• Wickedness
• Wolf

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