Judges 20:17 - Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

Bible Comments

And the men of Israel, excluding Benjamin, were numbered four hundred eleph men who drew sword. All these were men of war.'

The opposing tribal confederacy had four hundred fighting units (see Judges 20:2). But as verse 10 may be telling us, they were at first only committing forty. Again they were recognised warriors.

Judges 20:17

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