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.
Original Language Analysis
וַיִּֽתְיַצְּב֞וּ
presented
H3320
וַיִּֽתְיַצְּב֞וּ
presented
Strong's:
H3320
Word #:
1 of 17
to place (any thing so as to stay); reflexively, to station, offer, continue
פִּנּ֣וֹת
And the chief
H6438
פִּנּ֣וֹת
And the chief
Strong's:
H6438
Word #:
2 of 17
an angle; by implication, a pinnacle; figuratively, a chieftain
כָּל
H3605
כָּל
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
3 of 17
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
עַ֣ם
of all the people
H5971
עַ֣ם
of all the people
Strong's:
H5971
Word #:
4 of 17
a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock
כֹּ֚ל
H3605
כֹּ֚ל
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
5 of 17
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
שִׁבְטֵ֣י
even of all the tribes
H7626
שִׁבְטֵ֣י
even of all the tribes
Strong's:
H7626
Word #:
6 of 17
a scion, i.e., (literally) a stick (for punishing, writing, fighting, ruling, walking, etc.) or (figuratively) a clan
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל
of Israel
H3478
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל
of Israel
Strong's:
H3478
Word #:
7 of 17
he will rule as god; jisral, a symbolical name of jacob; also (typically) of his posterity
בִּקְהַ֖ל
themselves in the assembly
H6951
בִּקְהַ֖ל
themselves in the assembly
Strong's:
H6951
Word #:
8 of 17
assemblage (usually concretely)
עַ֣ם
of all the people
H5971
עַ֣ם
of all the people
Strong's:
H5971
Word #:
9 of 17
a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock
הָֽאֱלֹהִ֑ים
of God
H430
הָֽאֱלֹהִ֑ים
of God
Strong's:
H430
Word #:
10 of 17
gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme god; occasionally applied by way of
אֶ֛לֶף
thousand
H505
אֶ֛לֶף
thousand
Strong's:
H505
Word #:
13 of 17
hence (the ox's head being the first letter of the alphabet, and this eventually used as a numeral) a thousand
Cross References
Judges 8:10Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the east: for there fell an hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword.Judges 20:15And the children of Benjamin were numbered at that time out of the cities twenty and six thousand men that drew sword, beside the inhabitants of Gibeah, which were numbered seven hundred chosen men.Judges 20:17And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword: all these were men of war.
Historical Context
Mizpah ('watchtower'), located in Benjamin's territory, served as a gathering place for national assemblies (1 Samuel 7:5-6; 10:17). The 400,000 warriors represents the largest military mobilization mentioned in Judges. While some scholars question this number's literal accuracy, it emphasizes the unprecedented scale of response. Archaeological evidence confirms this period saw significant population in the central hill country.
Questions for Reflection
- How do large numbers, popular consensus, or organizational unity sometimes substitute for genuine dependence on God?
- When has your righteous indignation about others' sins led you to act without fully seeking God's wisdom?
- What distinguishes godly corporate action from mob mentality dressed in religious language?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
The chief of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God—the Hebrew emphasizes comprehensiveness: kol-ha'am (כָּל־הָעָם, 'all the people'), kol-shivtei yisra'el (כָּל־שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, 'all tribes of Israel'). This national assembly at Mizpah represents one of the few times in Judges when Israel acts in unity. Four hundred thousand footmen that drew sword—an enormous military force demonstrating the gravity of Gibeah's crime and Israel's corporate response.
The phrase assembly of the people of God (קְהַל עַם הָאֱלֹהִים, qehal am ha'elohim) ironically highlights that God's covenant people gathered to address sin among themselves. This is simultaneously encouraging (they recognize covenant obligation to maintain holiness) and troubling (the assembled mass will proceed with incomplete consultation of God). The chapter reveals that even righteous causes pursued without proper dependence on God lead to disaster. Numbers don't guarantee divine approval—zealous multitudes can be corporately wrong. Israel's unity in outrage contrasts sharply with their fragmentation throughout Judges, yet unity around the wrong approach (trusting in numbers rather than seeking God's full counsel) proves nearly as destructive as the original crime.