Judges 20:17

And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword: all these were men of war.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Benson Commentary

Jdg 20:17. The men of Israel were four hundred thousand — That is, those that were here present, for it is probable they had a far greater number of men, being six hundred thousand before their entrance into Canaan.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

17:7-13 Micah thought it was a sign of God's favour to him and his images, that a Levite should come to his door. Thus those who please themselves with their own delusions, if Providence unexpectedly bring any thing to their hands that further them in their evil way, are apt from thence to think that God is pleased with them.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

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.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

16. left-handed; every one could sling stones at an hair-breadth, and not miss—The sling was one of the earliest weapons used in war. The Hebrew sling was probably similar to that of the Egyptian, consisting of a leather thong, broad in the middle, with a loop at one end, by which it was firmly held with the hand; the other end terminated in a lash, which was let slip when the stone was thrown. Those skilled in the use of it, as the Benjamites were, could hit the mark with unerring certainty. A good sling could carry its full force to the distance of two hundred yards.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

The men of Israel, to wit, such as were here present, Judges 20:2, for otherwise it is most probable they had a far greater number of men, being 600,000 before their entrance into Canaan, Numbers 1:2.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin,.... Who did not join them in this affair, but opposed them:

were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword: see Judges 20:9.

all these were men of war; inured to it, skilful and courageous.

Geneva Study Bible

And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword: all these were men of war.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 17. - A repetition of the statement in ver. 2.

CHAPTER 20:18-48 Judges 20:17

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

The forces of the other tribes amounted when numbered to 400,000 men. These numbers (26,000 Benjaminites and 400,000 Israelites) will not appear too great if we consider that the whole of the congregation of Israel took part in the war, with the simple exception of Jabesh in Gilead (Judges 21:8), and that in the time of Moses the twelve tribes numbered more than 600,000 men of twenty years old and upwards (Numbers 26), so that not much more than two-thirds of the whole of the fighting men went out to the war.