Judges 20:17

*Then the men of Israel, besides Benjamin, were numbered, four hundred thousand men who draw the sword; all these were men of war* (Judges 20:17). In the broader narrative of Judges 20, the people of Israel have gathered in response to a grave offense that occurred in Gibeah, a city in the territory of the tribe of Benjamin. This verse describes how the remaining tribes of Israel—a confederation spanning from the north to the south of the promised land—unified and mustered an impressive total of 400,000 soldiers. These men “drew the sword,” implying they were fully prepared and trained for the violence of warfare, serving as a stark testament to the seriousness of the crisis they faced. The tribe of Benjamin stood apart in this conflict, setting the stage for the ensuing civil war.

The situation underscores the deep division within Israel during the days following Joshua’s leadership and prior to the establishment of a monarchy, a period that extended roughly from 1380 BC to 1050 BC. While this verse simply counts the soldiers ready for battle, it is part of a much larger confrontation that would engulf the entire nation. In fact, Benjamin itself was renowned for producing exceptionally skilled warriors, including those famously capable of using their left hands with lethal accuracy (Judges 20:16). Such a formidable reputation meant that even though Israel’s allied force was numerically superior, the conflict ahead was no trivial matter. It would test the moral unity of the nation and highlight the consequences of forsaking God’s law—a recurring theme in the Book of Judges.

Israel’s decision to unite in battle signals how severely they viewed the evil perpetrated within the territory of Benjamin. The 400,000-strong mobilization reveals both a sense of solidarity among the other tribes and a recognition that God’s covenant people must not look the other way in the face of grievous sin. The impending clash, though tragic, demonstrates Israel’s longing to preserve the integrity of their worship and society. As is common in Judges, the tension between moral disorder and God’s desire for righteousness among His people shows that a drift into wrongdoing leads to difficult battles—literal or otherwise—and that unity on behalf of justice remains paramount.

This verse is a sober reminder that sin can fracture a community, while also highlighting the duty of God’s people to stand for what is right.

They mustered a massive army to address sin in their midst, showing that compromise with wickedness can never be taken lightly.