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Friday, August 29th, 2025
the Week of Proper 16 / Ordinary 21
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Read the Bible

New King James Version

Judges 20:2

And the leaders of all the people, all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand foot soldiers who drew the sword.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Mizpah;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Jews, the;   Sword, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Benjamin;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Mizpah;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Jabesh (1);   Pentateuch;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Chief;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Benjamin;   Corner, Corner-Stone;   Marriage;   Priests and Levites;   Samson;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Corner-Stone ;   Temple (2);   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Footman;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Gibeah;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Jephthah;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Reign of the Judges;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Ecclesiastes, or the Preacher;   Four;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Chief;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The leaders of all the people and of all the tribes of Israel presented themselves in the assembly of God’s people: four hundred thousand armed foot soldiers.
Hebrew Names Version
The chiefs of all the people, even of all the tribes of Yisra'el, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen who drew sword.
King James Version
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.
Lexham English Bible
And the leaders of all the people, all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand sword-bearing infantry.
English Standard Version
And the chiefs of all the people, of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, 400,000 men on foot that drew the sword.
New Century Version
The leaders of all the tribes of Israel took their places in the meeting of the people of God. There were 400,000 soldiers with swords.
New English Translation
The leaders of all the people from all the tribes of Israel took their places in the assembly of God's people, which numbered four hundred thousand sword-wielding foot soldiers.
Amplified Bible
The chiefs of all the people of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand men on foot who drew the sword.
New American Standard Bible
And the leaders of all the people, all the tribes of Israel, took their stand in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand foot soldiers who drew the sword.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And the chiefe of all the people, and all the tribes of Israel assembled in the Congregation of the people of God foure hundreth thousand footemen that drewe sword.
Legacy Standard Bible
en die hoofde van die hele volk, van al die stamme van Israel, het in die vergadering van die volk van God gaan staan--vier honderd duisend man te voet wat die swaard uittrek.
Complete Jewish Bible
The leaders of all the tribes of Isra'el presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, 400,000 foot soldiers armed with swords.
Darby Translation
And the heads of all the people, of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the congregation of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen that drew sword.
Easy-to-Read Version
The leaders of all the tribes of Israel were there. They took their places in the public meeting of God's people. There were 400,000 soldiers with swords in that place.
George Lamsa Translation
And the chiefs of all the families 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 who could draw sword.
Good News Translation
The leaders of all the tribes of Israel were present at this gathering of God's people, and there were 400,000 foot soldiers.
Literal Translation
And the leaders of all the people of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of all the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen drawing sword.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and there came together of all the quarters of the people, and of all the trybes of Israel in to the congregacion of the people of God, foure hundreth thousande fote men that drue out ye swerde.
American Standard Version
And the chiefs 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.
Bible in Basic English
And the chiefs of the people, out of all the tribes of Israel, took their places in the meeting of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen armed with swords.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And there assembled the chiefe men of all the people, [and] of all the tribes of Israel, in the congregation of the people of God, foure hundred thousande footemen that drewe swordes.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the chiefs 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.--
King James Version (1611)
And the chiefe of al the people, euen of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselues in the assembly of the people of God, foure hundred thousand footmen that drew sword.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And all the tribes of Israel stood before the Lord in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen that drew sword.
English Revised Version
And the chiefs 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.
Berean Standard Bible
The leaders of all the people and all the tribes of Israel presented themselves in the assembly of God's people: 400,000 men on foot, armed with swords.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and alle the lynagis of Israel camen to gidere in to the chirche of `the puple of God, foure hundrid thousynde of `foot men fiyters.
Young's Literal Translation
And the chiefs of all the people, of all the tribes of Israel, station themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen drawing sword.
Update Bible Version
And the chiefs 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 a sword.
Webster's Bible Translation
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.
World English Bible
The chiefs 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 who drew sword.
New Living Translation
The leaders of all the people and all the tribes of Israel—400,000 warriors armed with swords—took their positions in the assembly of the people of God.
New Life Bible
The leaders of all the people, all the families of Israel, showed themselves in the meeting of the people of God. There were 400,000 soldiers on foot who used the sword.
New Revised Standard
The chiefs of all the people, of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand foot-soldiers bearing arms.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And the chiefs of all the people - all the tribes of Israel - presented themselves in the convocation of the people of God, - four hundred thousand footmen, that drew the sword.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And all the chiefs of the people, and all the tribes of Israel, met together in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen fit for war.
Revised Standard Version
And the chiefs of all the people, of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand men on foot that drew the sword.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
The chiefs of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, took their stand in the assembly of the people of God, 400,000 foot soldiers who drew the sword.

Contextual Overview

1 So all the children of Israel came out, from Dan to Beersheba, as well as from the land of Gilead, and the congregation gathered together as one man before the LORD at Mizpah. 2 And the leaders of all the people, all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand foot soldiers who drew the sword. 3 (Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel had gone up to Mizpah.) Then the children of Israel said, "Tell us, how did this wicked deed happen?" 4 So the Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered and said, "My concubine and I went into Gibeah, which belongs to Benjamin, to spend the night. 5 And the men of Gibeah rose against me, and surrounded the house at night because of me. They intended to kill me, but instead they ravished my concubine so that she died. 6 So I took hold of my concubine, cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the territory of the inheritance of Israel, because they committed lewdness and outrage in Israel. 7 Look! All of you are children of Israel; give your advice and counsel here and now!" 8 So all the people arose as one man, saying, "None of us will go to his tent, nor will any turn back to his house; 9 but now this is the thing which we will do to Gibeah: We will go up against it by lot. 10 We will take ten men out of every hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, a hundred out of every thousand, and a thousand out of every ten thousand, to make provisions for the people, that when they come to Gibeah in Benjamin, they may repay all the vileness that they have done in Israel."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

drew sword: Judges 20:15, Judges 20:17, Judges 8:10, 2 Samuel 24:9, 2 Kings 3:26

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 14:38 - chief 2 Samuel 14:13 - people

Cross-References

Genesis 12:15
The princes of Pharaoh also saw her and commended her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken to Pharaoh's house.
Genesis 20:11
And Abraham said, "Because I thought, surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will kill me on account of my wife.
Genesis 20:12
But indeed she is truly my sister. She is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.
Genesis 20:13
And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said to her, "This is your kindness that you should do for me: in every place, wherever we go, say of me, "He is my brother.""'
Genesis 26:1
There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, in Gerar.
Genesis 26:7
And the men of the place asked about his wife. And he said, "She is my sister"; for he was afraid to say, "She is my wife," because he thought, "lest the men of the place kill me for Rebekah, because she is beautiful to behold."
Genesis 26:16
And Abimelech said to Isaac, "Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we."
2 Chronicles 19:2
And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to King Jehoshaphat, "Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD? Therefore the wrath of the LORD is upon you.
2 Chronicles 20:37
But Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, "Because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah, the LORD has destroyed your works." Then the ships were wrecked, so that they were not able to go to Tarshish.
2 Chronicles 32:31
However, regarding the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, whom they sent to him to inquire about the wonder that was done in the land, God withdrew from him, in order to test him, that He might know all that was in his heart.

Gill's Notes on the 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 פנות "anguli", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Munster, Vatablus, Drusius, Tigurine version.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

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

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Judges 20:2. The chief of all the people — The corners פנות pinnoth; for as the corner-stones are the strength of the walls, so are the chiefs the strength of the people. Hence Christ is called the chief corner-stone.

In the assembly of the people of God — The Septuagint translate, And all the tribes of Israel stood up before the face of the Lord, εν εκκλησιᾳ του λαου του Θεου, in the Church of the people of God. Here was a Church, though there was no priest; for, as Tertullian says, Ubi tres, ecclesia est, licet laici; "Wheresoever three are gathered together in the name of the Lord, there is a Church, although there be none but the laity."


 
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