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 King James Version (NKJV)Now besides Benjamin, the men of Israel numbered four hundred thousand men who drew the sword; all of these were men of war.

Context of Judges 20:17

15In all, 26,000 of their warriors armed with swords arrived in Gibeah to join the 700 elite troops who lived there. 16Among Benjamin’s elite troops, 700 were left-handed, and each of them could sling a rock and hit a target within a hairsbreadth without missing. Israel had 400,000 experienced soldiers armed with swords, not counting Benjamin’s warriors. 18Before the battle the Israelites went to Bethel and asked God, “Which tribe should go first to attack the people of Benjamin?” The Lord answered, “Judah is to go first.” 19So the Israelites left early the next morning and camped near 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

Cross-references for Judges 20:17

• Judges 20:2The leaders of all the people and all the tribes of Israel—400,000 warriors armed with swords—took their positions in the assembly of the people of God.
• Numbers 1:46The total number was 603,550.
• Numbers 26:51In summary, the registered troops of all Israel numbered 601,730.
• 1 Samuel 11:8When Saul mobilized them at Bezek, he found that there were 300,000 men from Israel and 30,000 men from Judah.
• 1 Samuel 15:4So Saul mobilized his army at Telaim. There were 200,000 soldiers from Israel and 10,000 men from Judah.
• 1 Chronicles 21:5and reported the number of people to David. There were 1,100,000 warriors in all Israel who could handle a sword, and 470,000 in Judah.
• 2 Chronicles 17:14His army was enrolled according to ancestral clans. From Judah there were 300,000 troops organized in units of 1,000, under the command of Adnah.

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