Judges 20:15-16
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What's striking here isn't just the size of Benjamin's army, but the decrease in their numbers compared to earlier censuses, showing how settled times and internal strife could weaken a people. It also highlights that their entire fighting force resided within cities, suggesting the surrounding lands weren't safe enough to inhabit.
And the people of Benjamin mustered out of their cities on that day 26,000 men who drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who mustered 700 chosen men. Among all these were 700 chosen men who were left-handed; every one could sling a stone at a hair and not miss.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Following a horrific crime committed in Gibeah, the other tribes of Israel have come together and voted to wage war against the tribe of Benjamin to bring the perpetrators to justice. This verse details the formidable fighting force Benjamin could muster, totaling over 26,000 men, highlighting the immense challenge and potential bloodshed that lay ahead for the united tribes.
The verses leading up to this one describe an unthinkable atrocity committed by the tribe of Benjamin. Now, when the rest of Israel calls them to account, Benjamin doesn't back down. Instead, they gather their full strength.
Here, we see Benjamin mustering an impressive force: 26,000 soldiers, plus 700 elite fighters from Gibeah. This isn't a small militia; it's the organized might of an entire tribe, ready for war.
The Weight of Their Numbers
This muster shows their absolute commitment to their wicked cause, refusing to yield even when facing the unified fury of the other eleven tribes.
When you compare the number of fighting men Benjamin mustered here to their strength in the wilderness centuries earlier, a stark and troubling picture emerges.
The numbers presented in Judges 20:15 are significant, but they represent a dramatic decrease from Benjamin's population recorded much earlier in Israel's history.
A Tribe Diminished
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Possible Reasons for Decline
Understand the original words
chereb · Hebrew Noun
The primary tool of warfare in the ancient world, often symbolizing military readiness, judgment, or the authority of the state to execute justice.
bachur · Hebrew Adjective/Noun
Refers to warriors or soldiers who are specifically skilled, trained, or designated for a task, often implying they are the elite or the best of the group.
itter yad-yemino · Hebrew Adjective phrase
Literally 'bound as to the right hand,' indicating a physical distinction. In the biblical context, it often highlights a unique tactical advantage or rarity in ancient warfare.
qela · Hebrew Noun
An ancient weapon consisting of a strap or pouch used to hurl stones with great force and precision; a common tool for both shepherds and elite warriors.
The staggering military numbers mentioned in this verse, while debated by scholars, highlight the extreme gravity of the situation and the scale of the impending civil war, which threatened to wipe out an entire Israelite tribe.
c. 1400-1070 BC
Period of the Judges
A turbulent era in Israel's history following the conquest of Canaan, characterized by cycles of disobedience, oppression, and deliverance led by charismatic figures known as judges.
c. 1400-1350 BC
Incomplete Canaanite Subjugation
Despite initial victories, many Canaanite strongholds remained unconquered, forcing Israelites into fortified cities for safety and limiting settlement in open country.
Undated (during Judges)
Decline in Israelite Population
Both the tribe of Benjamin and Israel as a whole experienced a significant decrease in population compared to earlier censuses, possibly due to ongoing conflicts and unstable times.
Undated (during Judges)— this verse
The Crime at Gibeah
A Levite's concubine is brutally assaulted and murdered by men of Gibeah in the tribe of Benjamin, leading to a national outcry and a call for justice.
Undated (following the crime)
Israel's Civil War Against Benjamin
The other tribes of Israel wage a devastating war against the tribe of Benjamin to punish Gibeah's crime, resulting in near annihilation of the Benjamites.
This passage provides the original census count for the tribe of Benjamin, highlighting the significant decrease in their numbers by the time of the events in Judges 20, indicating a period of decline or conflict.
Numbers 26:41This provides a later census of Benjamin, also showing a substantial drop from earlier numbers, reinforcing the context of a tribe that had diminished significantly by the era of the Judges.
Judges 20:35This verse details the devastating defeat of Benjamin, showing the vast majority of the 26,700 mobilized men were slain, illustrating the catastrophic outcome of their actions.
Judges 20:47This passage reveals that only 600 men from the entire tribe of Benjamin escaped the slaughter, underscoring the near annihilation of the tribe and the severity of the judgment.
1 Samuel 15:3This verse from Saul's story mirrors the command to utterly destroy the Amalekites, echoing the total judgment called for against Benjamin in Judges 20, highlighting a pattern of divine judgment against persistent sin.
gillJudges 20:15: "And the children of Benjamin were numbered at that time out of the cities twenty and six thousand men that drew sword, beside the inhabitants of Gibeah, which were numbered seven hundred chosen men."
And the children of Benjamin were numbered at that time out of the cities,.... 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 t…
clarkeJudges 20:15: "And the children of Benjamin were numbered at that time out of the cities twenty and six thousand men that drew sword, beside the inhabitants of Gibeah, which were numbered seven hundred chosen men."
Twenty and six thousand - Some copies of the Septuagint have twenty-three thousand, others twenty-five thousand. The Vulgate has this latter number; the Complutensian Polyglot and Josephus have the same.
What's striking here isn't just the size of Benjamin's army, but the decrease in their numbers compared to earlier censuses, showing how settled times and internal strife could weaken a people. It also highlights that their entire fighting force resided within cities, suggesting the surrounding lands weren't safe enough to inhabit.
Following a horrific crime committed in Gibeah, the other tribes of Israel have come together and voted to wage war against the tribe of Benjamin to bring the perpetrators to justice. This verse details the formidable fighting force Benjamin could muster, totaling over 26,000 men, highlighting the immense challenge and potential bloodshed that lay ahead for the united tribes.
Following a horrific crime committed in Gibeah, the other tribes of Israel have come together and voted to wage war against the tribe of Benjamin to bring the perpetrators to justice. This verse details the formidable fighting force Benjamin could muster, totaling over 26,000 men, highlighting the immense challenge and potential bloodshed that lay ahead for the united tribes.
"And the people of Benjamin mustered out of their cities on that day 26,000 men who drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who mustered 700 chosen men. Among all these were 700 chosen men who were left-handed; every one could sl…" — What's striking here isn't just the size of Benjamin's army, but the decrease in their numbers compared to earlier censuses, showing how settled times and internal strife could weaken a people. It…
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Last reviewed October 2026
