Shofetim 20:2

2 And the Pinot (Corner pillars, Leaders, Chiefs) kol HaAm, even of kol Shivtei Yisroel, presented themselves in the Kahal Am HaElohim, four hundred thousand foot soldiers armed with cherev.

Shofetim 20:2 Meaning and Commentary

Judges 20:2

And the chief of all the people
The princes of the tribes and heads of families, rulers of thousands, and hundreds, and fifties, and tens; or the "corners" ^F3, who were like the corner stones in a building, which are not only the most valuable and ornamental, but the strength of the building, which cement it, and support it, and hold it together; though Abarbinel thinks this intends the division and separation of each tribe, which encamped in a separate corner and side by itself: but the former sense seems best, and the meaning is, that the principal men of them,

even of all the tribes of Israel;
excepting the tribe of Benjamin:

presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God;
now gathered together: which assembly consisted, besides the heads of them, of

four hundred thousand footmen that drew sword;
or were armed men; there were 600,000 or more in Israel able to bear arms; but as now the wars in Canaan were pretty much at an end, the militia of the nation was not so regularly kept up, and many were employed in tilling the ground, and dressing the vines, and the like; and besides, as there were none of the tribe of Benjamin present, it need not be wondered at there should be no more, but rather that so many should be gathered together on such an occasion.

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FOOTNOTES:

F3 (twnp) "anguli", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Munster, Vatablus, Drusius, Tigurine version.

Shofetim 20:2 In-Context

1 0 Then all the Bnei Yisroel came out, and HaEdah was gathered together as ish echad, from Dan even to Beer-Sheva, including Eretz HaGil`ad, unto Hashem at Mitzpah.

2 And the Pinot (Corner pillars, Leaders, Chiefs) kol HaAm, even of kol Shivtei Yisroel, presented themselves in the Kahal Am HaElohim, four hundred thousand foot soldiers armed with cherev.

3 (Now the Bnei Binyamin heard that the Bnei Yisroel were gone up to Mitzpah.) Then said the Bnei Yisroel, Tell us, how this ra’ah came to be?

4 And the Levi, the ish haisha that was murdered, answered and said, I came into Giv’ah that belongeth to Binyamin, I and my pilegesh, to lodge.

5 And the ba’alei haGiv’ah rose against me, and surrounded the bais upon me by lailah, and intended to have murdered me; and my pilegesh have they raped, that she is dead.