Judges 20:17

THE MESSAGE

The men of Israel, excluding Benjamin, mobilized four hundred divisions of sword-wielding fighting men.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The Israelites, apart from Benjamin, mobilized four hundred thousand armed men, every one an experienced warrior.

Hebrew Names Version
The men of Yisra'el, besides Binyamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men who drew sword: all these were men of war.

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

Lexham English Bible
And the men of Israel besides Benjamin were counted four hundred thousand sword-wielding men; all were warriors.

English Standard Version
And the men of Israel, apart from Benjamin, mustered 400,000 men who drew the sword; all these were men of war.

New Century Version
The Israelites, except for the Benjaminites, gathered 400,000 soldiers with swords.

New English Translation
The men of Israel (not counting Benjamin) had mustered four hundred thousand sword-wielding soldiers, every one an experienced warrior.

Amplified Bible
Then the men of Israel, other than Benjamin, assembled four hundred thousand men who drew the sword; all of these were men of war.

New American Standard Bible
Then the men of Israel besides Benjamin were counted, four hundred thousand men who drew the sword; all of these were men of war.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Also the men of Israel, beside Beniamin, were nombred foure hundreth thousande men that drew sword, euen all men of warre.

Legacy Standard Bible
En die manne van Israel, behalwe Benjamin, is getel: vier honderd duisend man wat die swaard uittrek, hulle almal was krygsmanne.

Contemporary English Version
The other Israelite tribes organized their army and found they had four hundred thousand experienced soldiers.

Complete Jewish Bible
The army of Isra'el, apart from Binyamin, numbered 400,000 men with swords; they were all experienced soldiers.

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

Easy-to-Read Version
All the tribes of Israel, except Benjamin, gathered together 400,000 fighting men with swords. Each one was a trained soldier.

George Lamsa Translation
And the men of Israel, as compared with the Benjamites, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword; all these were men of war.

Good News Translation
Not counting the tribe of Benjamin, the Israelites gathered 400,000 trained soldiers.

Literal Translation
And the men of Israel numbered themselves, besides Benjamin, four hundred thousand men drawing sword, each of these a man of war.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But the men of Israel, beside them of BeIamin, were nobred foure hudreth thousande, which drue the swerde, & were all men of armes.

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

Bible in Basic English
And the men of Israel, other than Benjamin, were four hundred thousand in number, all armed with swords; they were all men of war.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the children of Israel beside Beniamin, were numbred foure hundred thousand men that drewe swordes, and were all men of warre.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword; all these were men of war.

King James Version (1611)
And the men of Israel, beside Beniamin, were numbred foure hundred thousand men that drewe sword; all these were men of warre.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the men of Israel, exclusive of Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword; all these were men of war.

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

Berean Standard Bible
The Israelites, apart from Benjamin, mustered 400,000 swordsmen, each one an experienced warrior.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Also of the men of Israel, with out the sones of Beniamin, weren foundun foure hundrid thousynd `of men drawynge swerd and redi to batel.

Young's Literal Translation
And the men of Israel numbered themselves, apart from Benjamin, four hundred thousand men, drawing sword, each of these a man of war.

Update Bible Version
And the men of Israel, besides Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand swordsmen: all these were men of war.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the men of Israel, besides Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword: all these [were] men of war.

World English Bible
The men of Israel, besides Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men who drew sword: all these were men of war.

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

New Living Translation
Israel had 400,000 experienced soldiers armed with swords, not counting Benjamin's warriors.

New Life Bible
Apart from Benjamin, there were 400,000 men of Israel who used the sword. All of them were men of war.

New Revised Standard
And the Israelites, apart from Benjamin, mustered four hundred thousand armed men, all of them warriors.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, the men of Israel, were numbered, apart from Benjamin, four hundred thousand men, that drew the sword, - every one of these being a man of war.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Of the men of Israel also, beside the children of Benjamin, were found four hundred thousand that drew swords and were prepared to fight.

Revised Standard Version
And the men of Israel, apart from Benjamin, mustered four hundred thousand men that drew sword; all these were men of war.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then the men of Israel besides Benjamin were numbered, 400,000 men who draw the sword; all these were men of war.

Contextual Overview

¹²The Israelite tribes sent messengers throughout the tribe of Benjamin saying, "What's the meaning of this outrage that took place among you? Surrender the men right here and now, these hell-raisers of Gibeah. We'll put them to death and burn the evil out of Israel." But they wouldn't do it. The Benjaminites refused to listen to their brothers, the People of Israel. Instead they raised an army from all their cities and rallied at Gibeah to go to war against the People of Israel. In no time at all they had recruited from their cities twenty-six divisions of sword-wielding infantry. From Gibeah they got seven hundred hand-picked fighters, the best. There were another seven hundred supermarksmen who were ambidextrous—they could sling a stone at a hair and not miss. The men of Israel, excluding Benjamin, mobilized four hundred divisions of sword-wielding fighting men. They set out and went to Bethel to inquire of God. The People of Israel said, "Who of us shall be first to go into battle with the Benjaminites?" God said, "Judah goes first." The People of Israel got up the next morning and camped before Gibeah. The army of Israel marched out against Benjamin and took up their positions, ready to attack Gibeah. But the Benjaminites poured out of Gibeah and devastated twenty-two Israelite divisions on the ground. The Israelites went back to the sanctuary and wept before God until evening. They again inquired of God , "Shall we again go into battle against the Benjaminites, our brothers?" God said, "Yes. Attack." The army took heart. The men of Israel took up the positions they had deployed on the first day. On the second day, the Israelites again advanced against Benjamin. This time as the Benjaminites came out of the city, on this second day, they devastated another eighteen Israelite divisions, all swordsmen. All the People of Israel, the whole army, were back at Bethel, weeping, sitting there in the presence of God . That day they fasted until evening. They sacrificed Whole-Burnt-Offerings and Peace-Offerings before God . And they again inquired of God . The Chest of God's Covenant was there at that time with Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, as the ministering priest. They asked, "Shall we again march into battle against the Benjaminites, our brothers? Or should we call it quits?" And God said, "Attack. Tomorrow I'll give you victory." This time Israel placed men in ambush all around Gibeah. On the third day when Israel set out, they took up the same positions before the Benjaminites as before. When the Benjaminites came out to meet the army, they moved out from the city. Benjaminites began to cut down some of the troops just as they had before. About thirty men fell in the field and on the roads to Bethel and Gibeah. The Benjaminites started bragging, "We're dropping them like flies, just as before!" But the Israelites strategized: "Now let's retreat and pull them out of the city onto the main roads." So every Israelite moved farther out to Baal Tamar; at the same time the Israelite ambush rushed from its place west of Gibeah. Ten crack divisions from all over Israel now arrived at Gibeah—intense, bloody fighting! The Benjaminites had no idea that they were about to go down in defeat— God routed them before Israel. The Israelites decimated twenty-five divisions of Benjamin that day—25,100 killed. They were all swordsmen. The Benjaminites saw that they were beaten. The men of Israel acted like they were retreating before Benjamin, knowing that they could depend on the ambush they had prepared for Gibeah. The ambush erupted and made quick work of Gibeah. The ambush spread out and massacred the city. The strategy for the main body of the ambush was that they send up a smoke signal from the city. Then the men of Israel would turn in battle. When that happened, Benjamin had killed about thirty Israelites and thought they were on their way to victory, yelling out, "They're on the run, just as in the first battle!" But then the signal went up from the city—a huge column of smoke. When the Benjaminites looked back, there it was, the whole city going up in smoke. By the time the men of Israel had turned back on them, the men of Benjamin fell apart—they could see that they were trapped. Confronted by the Israelites, they tried to get away down the wilderness road, but by now the battle was everywhere. The men of Israel poured out of the towns, killing them right and left, hot on their trail, picking them off east of Gibeah. Eighteen divisions of Benjaminites were wiped out, all their best fighters. Five divisions turned to escape to the wilderness, to Rimmon Rock, but the Israelites caught and slaughtered them on roads. Keeping the pressure on, the Israelites brought down two more divisions. The total of the Benjaminites killed that day came to twenty-five divisions of infantry, their best swordsmen. Six hundred men got away. They made it to Rimmon Rock in the wilderness and held out there for four months. The men of Israel came back and killed all the Benjaminites who were left, all the men and animals they found in every town, and then torched the towns, sending them up in flames. ¹⁴ Then all the People of Israel came out. The congregation met in the presence of God at Mizpah. They were all there, from Dan to Beersheba, as one person! The leaders of all the people, representing all the tribes of Israel, took their places in the gathering of God's people. There were four hundred divisions of sword-wielding infantry. Meanwhile the Benjaminites got wind that the Israelites were meeting at Mizpah. The People of Israel said, "Now tell us. How did this outrageous evil happen?" The Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, spoke: "My concubine and I came to spend the night at Gibeah, a Benjaminite town. That night the men of Gibeah came after me. They surrounded the house, intending to kill me. They gang-raped my concubine and she died. So I took my concubine, cut up her body, and sent her piece by piece—twelve pieces!—to every part of Israel's inheritance. This vile and outrageous crime was committed in Israel! So, Israelites, make up your minds. Decide on some action!" All the people were at once and as one person on their feet. "None of us will go home; not a single one of us will go to his own house. Here's our plan for dealing with Gibeah: We'll march against it by drawing lots. We'll take ten of every hundred men from all the tribes of Israel (a hundred of every thousand, and a thousand of every ten thousand) to carry food for the army. When the troops arrive at Gibeah they will settle accounts for this outrageous and vile evil that was done in Israel." So all the men in Israel were gathered against the city, totally united. The Israelite tribes sent messengers throughout the tribe of Benjamin saying, "What's the meaning of this outrage that took place among you? Surrender the men right here and now, these hell-raisers of Gibeah. We'll put them to death and burn the evil out of Israel." But they wouldn't do it. The Benjaminites refused to listen to their brothers, the People of Israel. Instead they raised an army from all their cities and rallied at Gibeah to go to war against the People of Israel. In no time at all they had recruited from their cities twenty-six divisions of sword-wielding infantry. From Gibeah they got seven hundred hand-picked fighters, the best. There were another seven hundred supermarksmen who were ambidextrous—they could sling a stone at a hair and not miss. The men of Israel, excluding Benjamin, mobilized four hundred divisions of sword-wielding fighting men. They set out and went to Bethel to inquire of God. The People of Israel said, "Who of us shall be first to go into battle with the Benjaminites?" God said, "Judah goes first." The People of Israel got up the next morning and camped before Gibeah. The army of Israel marched out against Benjamin and took up their positions, ready to attack Gibeah. But the Benjaminites poured out of Gibeah and devastated twenty-two Israelite divisions on the ground. The Israelites went back to the sanctuary and wept before God until evening. They again inquired of God , "Shall we again go into battle against the Benjaminites, our brothers?" God said, "Yes. Attack." The army took heart. The men of Israel took up the positions they had deployed on the first day. On the second day, the Israelites again advanced against Benjamin. This time as the Benjaminites came out of the city, on this second day, they devastated another eighteen Israelite divisions, all swordsmen. All the People of Israel, the whole army, were back at Bethel, weeping, sitting there in the presence of God . That day they fasted until evening. They sacrificed Whole-Burnt-Offerings and Peace-Offerings before God . And they again inquired of God . The Chest of God's Covenant was there at that time with Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, as the ministering priest. They asked, "Shall we again march into battle against the Benjaminites, our brothers? Or should we call it quits?" And God said, "Attack. Tomorrow I'll give you victory." This time Israel placed men in ambush all around Gibeah. On the third day when Israel set out, they took up the same positions before the Benjaminites as before. When the Benjaminites came out to meet the army, they moved out from the city. Benjaminites began to cut down some of the troops just as they had before. About thirty men fell in the field and on the roads to Bethel and Gibeah. The Benjaminites started bragging, "We're dropping them like flies, just as before!" But the Israelites strategized: "Now let's retreat and pull them out of the city onto the main roads." So every Israelite moved farther out to Baal Tamar; at the same time the Israelite ambush rushed from its place west of Gibeah. Ten crack divisions from all over Israel now arrived at Gibeah—intense, bloody fighting! The Benjaminites had no idea that they were about to go down in defeat— God routed them before Israel. The Israelites decimated twenty-five divisions of Benjamin that day—25,100 killed. They were all swordsmen. The Benjaminites saw that they were beaten. The men of Israel acted like they were retreating before Benjamin, knowing that they could depend on the ambush they had prepared for Gibeah. The ambush erupted and made quick work of Gibeah. The ambush spread out and massacred the city. The strategy for the main body of the ambush was that they send up a smoke signal from the city. Then the men of Israel would turn in battle. When that happened, Benjamin had killed about thirty Israelites and thought they were on their way to victory, yelling out, "They're on the run, just as in the first battle!" But then the signal went up from the city—a huge column of smoke. When the Benjaminites looked back, there it was, the whole city going up in smoke. By the time the men of Israel had turned back on them, the men of Benjamin fell apart—they could see that they were trapped. Confronted by the Israelites, they tried to get away down the wilderness road, but by now the battle was everywhere. The men of Israel poured out of the towns, killing them right and left, hot on their trail, picking them off east of Gibeah. Eighteen divisions of Benjaminites were wiped out, all their best fighters. Five divisions turned to escape to the wilderness, to Rimmon Rock, but the Israelites caught and slaughtered them on roads. Keeping the pressure on, the Israelites brought down two more divisions. The total of the Benjaminites killed that day came to twenty-five divisions of infantry, their best swordsmen. Six hundred men got away. They made it to Rimmon Rock in the wilderness and held out there for four months. The men of Israel came back and killed all the Benjaminites who were left, all the men and animals they found in every town, and then torched the towns, sending them up in flames. ¹⁵ Then all the People of Israel came out. The congregation met in the presence of God at Mizpah. They were all there, from Dan to Beersheba, as one person! The leaders of all the people, representing all the tribes of Israel, took their places in the gathering of God's people. There were four hundred divisions of sword-wielding infantry. Meanwhile the Benjaminites got wind that the Israelites were meeting at Mizpah. The People of Israel said, "Now tell us. How did this outrageous evil happen?" The Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, spoke: "My concubine and I came to spend the night at Gibeah, a Benjaminite town. That night the men of Gibeah came after me. They surrounded the house, intending to kill me. They gang-raped my concubine and she died. So I took my concubine, cut up her body, and sent her piece by piece—twelve pieces!—to every part of Israel's inheritance. This vile and outrageous crime was committed in Israel! So, Israelites, make up your minds. Decide on some action!" All the people were at once and as one person on their feet. "None of us will go home; not a single one of us will go to his own house. Here's our plan for dealing with Gibeah: We'll march against it by drawing lots. We'll take ten of every hundred men from all the tribes of Israel (a hundred of every thousand, and a thousand of every ten thousand) to carry food for the army. When the troops arrive at Gibeah they will settle accounts for this outrageous and vile evil that was done in Israel." So all the men in Israel were gathered against the city, totally united. The Israelite tribes sent messengers throughout the tribe of Benjamin saying, "What's the meaning of this outrage that took place among you? Surrender the men right here and now, these hell-raisers of Gibeah. We'll put them to death and burn the evil out of Israel." But they wouldn't do it. The Benjaminites refused to listen to their brothers, the People of Israel. Instead they raised an army from all their cities and rallied at Gibeah to go to war against the People of Israel. In no time at all they had recruited from their cities twenty-six divisions of sword-wielding infantry. From Gibeah they got seven hundred hand-picked fighters, the best. There were another seven hundred supermarksmen who were ambidextrous—they could sling a stone at a hair and not miss. The men of Israel, excluding Benjamin, mobilized four hundred divisions of sword-wielding fighting men. They set out and went to Bethel to inquire of God. The People of Israel said, "Who of us shall be first to go into battle with the Benjaminites?" God said, "Judah goes first." The People of Israel got up the next morning and camped before Gibeah. The army of Israel marched out against Benjamin and took up their positions, ready to attack Gibeah. But the Benjaminites poured out of Gibeah and devastated twenty-two Israelite divisions on the ground. The Israelites went back to the sanctuary and wept before God until evening. They again inquired of God , "Shall we again go into battle against the Benjaminites, our brothers?" God said, "Yes. Attack." The army took heart. The men of Israel took up the positions they had deployed on the first day. On the second day, the Israelites again advanced against Benjamin. This time as the Benjaminites came out of the city, on this second day, they devastated another eighteen Israelite divisions, all swordsmen. All the People of Israel, the whole army, were back at Bethel, weeping, sitting there in the presence of God . That day they fasted until evening. They sacrificed Whole-Burnt-Offerings and Peace-Offerings before God . And they again inquired of God . The Chest of God's Covenant was there at that time with Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, as the ministering priest. They asked, "Shall we again march into battle against the Benjaminites, our brothers? Or should we call it quits?" And God said, "Attack. Tomorrow I'll give you victory." This time Israel placed men in ambush all around Gibeah. On the third day when Israel set out, they took up the same positions before the Benjaminites as before. When the Benjaminites came out to meet the army, they moved out from the city. Benjaminites began to cut down some of the troops just as they had before. About thirty men fell in the field and on the roads to Bethel and Gibeah. The Benjaminites started bragging, "We're dropping them like flies, just as before!" But the Israelites strategized: "Now let's retreat and pull them out of the city onto the main roads." So every Israelite moved farther out to Baal Tamar; at the same time the Israelite ambush rushed from its place west of Gibeah. Ten crack divisions from all over Israel now arrived at Gibeah—intense, bloody fighting! The Benjaminites had no idea that they were about to go down in defeat— God routed them before Israel. The Israelites decimated twenty-five divisions of Benjamin that day—25,100 killed. They were all swordsmen. The Benjaminites saw that they were beaten. The men of Israel acted like they were retreating before Benjamin, knowing that they could depend on the ambush they had prepared for Gibeah. The ambush erupted and made quick work of Gibeah. The ambush spread out and massacred the city. The strategy for the main body of the ambush was that they send up a smoke signal from the city. Then the men of Israel would turn in battle. When that happened, Benjamin had killed about thirty Israelites and thought they were on their way to victory, yelling out, "They're on the run, just as in the first battle!" But then the signal went up from the city—a huge column of smoke. When the Benjaminites looked back, there it was, the whole city going up in smoke. By the time the men of Israel had turned back on them, the men of Benjamin fell apart—they could see that they were trapped. Confronted by the Israelites, they tried to get away down the wilderness road, but by now the battle was everywhere. The men of Israel poured out of the towns, killing them right and left, hot on their trail, picking them off east of Gibeah. Eighteen divisions of Benjaminites were wiped out, all their best fighters. Five divisions turned to escape to the wilderness, to Rimmon Rock, but the Israelites caught and slaughtered them on roads. Keeping the pressure on, the Israelites brought down two more divisions. The total of the Benjaminites killed that day came to twenty-five divisions of infantry, their best swordsmen. Six hundred men got away. They made it to Rimmon Rock in the wilderness and held out there for four months. The men of Israel came back and killed all the Benjaminites who were left, all the men and animals they found in every town, and then torched the towns, sending them up in flames. ¹⁶ Then all the People of Israel came out. The congregation met in the presence of God at Mizpah. They were all there, from Dan to Beersheba, as one person! The leaders of all the people, representing all the tribes of Israel, took their places in the gathering of God's people. There were four hundred divisions of sword-wielding infantry. Meanwhile the Benjaminites got wind that the Israelites were meeting at Mizpah. The People of Israel said, "Now tell us. How did this outrageous evil happen?" The Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, spoke: "My concubine and I came to spend the night at Gibeah, a Benjaminite town. That night the men of Gibeah came after me. They surrounded the house, intending to kill me. They gang-raped my concubine and she died. So I took my concubine, cut up her body, and sent her piece by piece—twelve pieces!—to every part of Israel's inheritance. This vile and outrageous crime was committed in Israel! So, Israelites, make up your minds. Decide on some action!" All the people were at once and as one person on their feet. "None of us will go home; not a single one of us will go to his own house. Here's our plan for dealing with Gibeah: We'll march against it by drawing lots. We'll take ten of every hundred men from all the tribes of Israel (a hundred of every thousand, and a thousand of every ten thousand) to carry food for the army. When the troops arrive at Gibeah they will settle accounts for this outrageous and vile evil that was done in Israel." So all the men in Israel were gathered against the city, totally united. The Israelite tribes sent messengers throughout the tribe of Benjamin saying, "What's the meaning of this outrage that took place among you? Surrender the men right here and now, these hell-raisers of Gibeah. We'll put them to death and burn the evil out of Israel." But they wouldn't do it. The Benjaminites refused to listen to their brothers, the People of Israel. Instead they raised an army from all their cities and rallied at Gibeah to go to war against the People of Israel. In no time at all they had recruited from their cities twenty-six divisions of sword-wielding infantry. From Gibeah they got seven hundred hand-picked fighters, the best. There were another seven hundred supermarksmen who were ambidextrous—they could sling a stone at a hair and not miss. ¹⁷ The men of Israel, excluding Benjamin, mobilized four hundred divisions of sword-wielding fighting men.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

four hundred: Judges 20:2, Numbers 1:46, Numbers 26:51, 1 Samuel 11:8, 1 Samuel 15:4, 1 Chronicles 21:5, 2 Chronicles 17:14-18

Reciprocal: Judges 8:10 - fell an hundred Judges 20:22 - encouraged Hosea 10:9 - the battle

Cross-References

Genesis 20:10
Abimelech went on to Abraham, "Whatever were you thinking of when you did this thing?"

Genesis 20:11
Abraham said, "I just assumed that there was no fear of God in this place and that they'd kill me to get my wife. Besides, the truth is that she is my half sister; she's my father's daughter but not my mother's. When God sent me out as a wanderer from my father's home, I told her, ‘Do me a favor; wherever we go, tell people that I'm your brother.'"

Genesis 29:31
When God realized that Leah was unloved, he opened her womb. But Rachel was barren. Leah became pregnant and had a son. She named him Reuben (Look-It's-a-Boy!). "This is a sign," she said, "that God has seen my misery; and a sign that now my husband will love me."

Proverbs 15:8
God can't stand pious poses, but he delights in genuine prayers.

Proverbs 15:29
God keeps his distance from the wicked; he closely attends to the prayers of God-loyal people.

Isaiah 45:11
Thus God , The Holy of Israel, Israel's Maker, says: "Do you question who or what I'm making? Are you telling me what I can or cannot do? I made earth, and I created man and woman to live on it. I handcrafted the skies and direct all the constellations in their turnings. And now I've got Cyrus on the move. I've rolled out the red carpet before him. He will build my city. He will bring home my exiles. I didn't hire him to do this. I told him. I, God -of-the-Angel-Armies."

Matthew 7:7
"Don't bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This isn't a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we're in. If your child asks for bread, do you trick him with sawdust? If he asks for fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? As bad as you are, you wouldn't think of such a thing. You're at least decent to your own children. So don't you think the God who conceived you in love will be even better?

Acts 3:24
"All the prophets from Samuel on down said the same thing, said most emphatically that these days would come. These prophets, along with the covenant God made with your ancestors, are your family tree. God's covenant-word to Abraham provides the text: ‘By your offspring all the families of the earth will be blessed.' But you are first in line: God, having raised up his Son, sent him to bless you as you turn, one by one, from your evil ways."

Philippians 4:6
Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

1 Thessalonians 5:25
Friends, keep up your prayers for us. Greet all the followers of Jesus there with a holy embrace. And make sure this letter gets read to all the brothers and sisters. Don't leave anyone out.

Gill's Notes on the 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.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Comparing the numbers here with those in Numbers 1:0; Numbers 26:0, it is seen that in the case both of the Benjamites and the Israelites the numbers are diminished by about one-third, i. e., they appear as about two-thirds only of what they were at the last numbering in the plains of Moab. This diminution seems to indicate disturbed and harassing times. With this agrees the mention of the cities, as containing the whole Benjamite population. The inference is that the open country and unwalled villages were not safe, but that the Benjamites kept the Canaanites in subjection only by dwelling in fortified towns.

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.