Judges 20:2

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.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(2) The chief.—The Hebrew word is pinnoth, “corner-stones,” as in 1Samuel 14:38; Isaiah 19:13.

Four hundred thousand.—Hence we learn the interesting fact that in their struggles against the Canaanites the number of the people had been diminished one-third—i.e., to a far greater extent than they had been diminished by the wanderings in the wilderness. For at the census in the first year of the wanderings their numbers were (including 35,400 of Benjamin) 603,550 (Numbers 1:46); and in the census in the last year they were 601,730, excluding the Benjamites, who, unlike the other tribes, had increased in numbers, for they were then 45,600 in number.

Footmen.—The Israelites were forbidden to use either chariots or cavalry. (See Notes on Judges 1:19; Judges 4:3.)

That drew sword.—Judges 8:10.

Benson Commentary

Jdg 20:2. Four hundred thousand — The number is here set down, to show their zeal and forwardness in punishing such a villany; the strange blindness of the Benjamites, that durst oppose so great and united a body; and that the success of battles depends not upon great numbers, seeing this great host was twice defeated by the Benjamites.

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

The chief - literally, "the corner stones." (Compare 1 Samuel 14:38.)

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

CHAPTER 20

Jud 20:1-7. The Levite, in a General Assembly, Declares His Wrong.

1, 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 frequently held there afterwards (1Sa 7:11; 10:17); and it was but a short distance from Shiloh. The phrase, "unto the Lord," may be taken in its usual sense, as denoting consultation of the oracle. This circumstance, together with the convention being called "the assembly of the people of God," seems to indicate, that amid the excited passions of the nation, those present felt the profound gravity of the occasion and adopted the best means of maintaining a becoming deportment.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

The chief, Heb. the corners, i.e. the nobles and rulers, which are oft so called, because, like corner-stones, they both unite, and support, and adorn the whole building.

Four hundred thousand, or, and four hundred thousand. It is an ellipsis of the particle and, of which examples have been given before: for the chief of the people were not so many; but the common soldiers, and these were all footmen; whereas many of the rulers rode upon horses, or asses, Judges 5:10 10:4 12:14. The number is here set down, to show both their zeal and forwardness in punishing such a villany; and the strange blindness of the Benjamites that durst oppose so great and united body; and that the success of battles depends not upon great numbers, seeing this great host was twice defeated by the Benjamites, but wholly upon God’s blessing.

Footmen; for horsemen they had few or none in their armies.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And the chief of all the people,.... The princes of the tribes and heads of families, rulers of thousands, and hundreds, and fifties, and tens; or the "corners" (c), who were like the corner stones in a building, which are not only the most valuable and ornamental, but the strength of the building, which cement it, and support it, and hold it together; though Abarbinel thinks this intends the division and separation of each tribe, which encamped in a separate corner and side by itself: but the former sense seems best, and the meaning is, that the principal men of them:

even of all the tribes of Israel; excepting the tribe of Benjamin:

presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God; now gathered together: which assembly consisted, besides the heads of them, of

four hundred thousand footmen that drew sword; or were armed men; there were 600,000 or more in Israel able to bear arms; but as now the wars in Canaan were pretty much at an end, the militia of the nation was not so regularly kept up, and many were employed in tilling the ground, and dressing the vines, and the like; and besides, as there were none of the tribe of Benjamin present, it need not be wondered at there should be no more, but rather that so many should be gathered together on such an occasion.

(c) "anguli", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Munster, Vatablus, Drusius, Tigurine version.

Geneva Study Bible

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 {c} drew sword.

(c) Meaning, men able to handle their weapons.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

2. chiefs] Lit. the word = corner, of a house Job 1:19, or of a city Nehemiah 3:24; Nehemiah 3:31 f.; also a corner-stone Isaiah 28:16, cf. Jeremiah 51:26. As suggestive of support or prominence, the corner could be used in a metaphorical sense; cf. 1 Samuel 14:38, Isaiah 19:13.

even of all the tribes] even of is not in the Hebr.; read and all the tribes with LXX. cod. A.

presented themselves] took their stand, ready for what might happen; cf. Exodus 19:17, Deuteronomy 31:14, 1 Samuel 17:16.

the assembly of the people of God] Only here; usually the assembly of Jehovah or of God, Deuteronomy 23:1-3, Nehemiah 13:1. The number 400,000 is obviously exaggerated; contrast the Song of Deborah, which reckons the warriors of all Israel at 40,000, Jdg 5:8. The treatment of history in the narrative of B reflects the ideas of the church-nation of a later day; cf. the impossible figures of P, Exodus 12:37. Moore notes that the Roman army which destroyed Jerusalem in a.d. 70 numbered about 60,000; and the German army which captured Paris in 1870, about 240,000.

that drew sword] Cf. Jdg 20:15; Jdg 20:17; Jdg 20:25; Jdg 20:35; Jdg 20:46, Jdg 8:10, 2 Samuel 24:9.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 2. - The chief. The word here used means the corner-stones of a building. Hence it is applied to the chief men, who, as it were, bind and keep together the whole people. Their presence at this great meeting is mentioned to show that it was a regularly constituted assembly of all Israel. The same phrase occurs 1 Samuel 14:38, and Isaiah 19:13 (the stay of the tribes, A.V.). The numbers (400,000) are of course those of the whole congregation. The assembly of the people of God. So, Numbers 16:3; Numbers 20:4, Israel is called the congregation of the Lord; and Nehemiah 13:1, the congregation of God. Not dissimilar was the first great council of the Church, consisting of the Church (ἡ ἐκελησια) i.e. the assembly of disciples) and the apostles and elders (who were the cornerstones, the lapides angulares, thereof). See Acts 15:4, 6, 12. Four hundred thousand. See ver. 17. The enumeration in the wilderness gave 603,550 (Numbers 2:32; Numbers 11:21), and at the second numbering 601,730 (Numbers 26:51). In 1 Samuel 11:8 a general assembly of the whole people, summoned by sending a piece of the flesh of a yoke of oxen "throughout all the coasts of Israel," amounted to 330,000. David's numbering gave of Israel 800,000, and of Judah 500,000, in all 1,300,000; but these were not assembled together, but numbered at their own homes. Jehoshaphat's men of war amounted to 1,160,000 according to 2 Chronicles 17:14-18. In the time of Amaziah there were of Judah alone 300,000 men able to go forth to war (2 Chronicles 24:6). Judges 20:2

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

Decree of the Congregation concerning Gibeah. - Judges 20:1, Judges 20:2. All the Israelites went out (rose up from their dwelling-places) to assemble together as a congregation like one man; all the tribes from Dan, the northern boundary of the land (i.e., Dan-laish, Judges 18:29), to Beersheba, the most southerly town of Canaan (see at Genesis 21:31), and the land of Gilead, i.e., the inhabitants of the land to the east of the Jordan, "to Jehovah at Mizpeh" in Benjamin, i.e., the present Nebi-samwil, in the neighbourhood of Kirjath-jearim, on the western border of the tribe of Benjamin (see at Joshua 18:26). It by no means follows with certainty from the expression "to Jehovah," that there was a sanctuary at Mizpeh, or that the ark of the covenant was taken thither, but simply that the meeting took place in the sight of Jehovah, or that the congregation assembled together to hold a judicial court, which they held in the name of Jehovah, analogous to the expression el-Elohim in Exodus 21:6; Exodus 22:7. It was not essential to a judicial proceeding that the ark should be present. At this assembly the pinnoth (the corner-pillars) of the whole nation presented themselves, i.e., the heads and fathers as the supports of the congregation or of the sate organism (vid., 1 Samuel 14:38; Isaiah 19:13), even of all the tribes of Israel four hundred thousand men on foot, drawing the sword, i.e., armed foot soldiers ready for battle.