Judges 20:1-3

Civil War Breaks Out

20:1 All the Israelites from Dan to Beer Sheba ¹  and from the land of Gilead ²  left their homes ³  and assembled together ⁴  before the Lord at Mizpah. 20:2 The leaders ⁵  of all the people from all the tribes of Israel took their places in the assembly of God’s people, which numbered ⁶  four hundred thousand sword-wielding foot soldiers. 20:3 The Benjaminites heard that the Israelites had gone up to Mizpah. Then the Israelites said, “Explain how this wicked thing happened!”

[20:1]  ¹ sn Dan was located in the far north of the country, while Beer Sheba was located in the far south. This encompassed all the territory of the land of Canaan occupied by the Israelites.

[20:1]  ² sn The land of Gilead was on the eastern side of the Jordan River.

[20:1]  ³ tn Heb “went out.”

[20:1]  ⁴ tn Heb “and the assembly was convened as one man.”

[20:2]  ⁵ tn Heb “the cornerstones”; or “the supports.” The word is used of leaders in only three other texts – 1 Sam 14:38; Isa 19:13; Zech 10:4.

[20:2]  ⁶ tn The words “which numbered” are supplied in the translation for clarification.