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Judges 20:15

Old Testament Historical ASV (1901)

What does Judges 20:15 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And the children of Benjamin were numbered on that day out of the cities twenty and six thousand men that drew sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who were numbered seven hundred chosen men.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And the children of Benjamin were numbered on that day out of the cities twenty and six thousand men that drew sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who were numbered seven hundred chosen men.
Judges 20:15 — American Standard Version

Context — Judges 20

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
12And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that is come to pass among you?
13Now therefore deliver up the men, the base fellows, that are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from Israel. But Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of their brethren the children of Israel.
14And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah, to go out to battle against the children of Israel.
15And the children of Benjamin were numbered on that day out of the cities twenty and six thousand men that drew sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who were numbered seven hundred chosen men.
16Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men lefthanded; every one could sling stones at a hair-breadth, and not miss.
17And the men of Israel, besides Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword: all these were men of war.
18And the children of Israel arose, and went up to Beth-el, and asked counsel of God; and they said, Who shall go up for us first to battle against the children of Benjamin? And Jehovah said, Judah [shall go up] first.
← Judges 20:14Judges 20:16 →
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What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And the children of Benjamin were numbered at that time out of the cities, etc.] All that they could muster up, and gather together out of their several cities, were no more man than twenty and six thousand men that drew the sword able bodied men fit for war, and expert in it: beside the inhabitants of Gibeah, which were numbered seven hundred chosen men young, stout, and strong, and in all but 26,700; and what are these to an army of 400,000 men, or however 360,000 that came up against Gibeah, while 40,000 were employed in getting provisions for them? Josephus f414 makes the number of the Benjaminites still less, no more than 25,600, led thereunto by an later account, that 25,000…”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“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…”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“Were numbered - "How does this agree with the following numbers? For all that were slain of Benjamin were twenty - five thousand and one hundred men, Jdg 20:35, and there were only six hundred that survived, Jdg 20:47, which make only twenty - five thousand and seven hundred." The other thousand men were either left in some of their cities, where they were slain, Jdg 20:48, or were cut off in the two first battles, wherein it is unreasonable to think they had an unbloody victory: and as for these twenty - five thousand and one hundred men, they were all slain in the third battle. Judges 20:16”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“twenty: Jdg 20:25, Jdg 20:35, Jdg 20:46, Jdg 20:47; Num 26:41 Judges 20:16”
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