And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men that drew sword: all these were men of war.
The men of Israel, not counting the tribe of Benjamin, numbered 400,000 soldiers who could fight with swords. All of these were experienced warriors.
This verse shows that Israel gathered a massive army of 400,000 trained soldiers (excluding Benjamin) to deal with a serious crisis.
📚 Historical Context
This occurs during the civil war between the tribe of Benjamin and the other eleven tribes of Israel, sparked by the horrific crime in Gibeah where a Levite's concubine was brutally murdered. The other tribes had demanded that Benjamin hand over the guilty men, but Benjamin refused and prepared to defend them instead. This verse shows the overwhelming military advantage the other tribes had - nearly half a million warriors ready for battle.
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