שופטים, פרק כ׳, פסוק ב׳

An unprecedented gathering reflects a rare moment of national unity, as the tribes of Israel come together from their various lands to demand justice and defend the honor of God. It was one of the largest assemblies of that era, especially notable since the tribes were already scattered across their individual territories [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The gathering was defined by a pure, zealous desire to protect the honor of God [מלבי״ם], and the total number of those who assembled reached four hundred thousand men [מצודת דוד].

The primary approach among commentators is that the leadership of the nation stood at the forefront of this vast crowd, taking charge to investigate how such a great evil could have occurred [רש״י, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Alternatively, the arrangement of the people points to the remarkable physical order of the assembly. Rather than forming a chaotic mob, each tribe stood completely separated in its own designated area without mixing [מצודת ציון, מצודת דוד]. Some even suggest they arranged themselves precisely according to the ancient formation of their banners from their journeys in the desert [מלבי״ם].

This massive force consisted entirely of foot soldiers rather than cavalry [מצודת ציון, מלבי״ם]. They arrived with their weapons already drawn and ready for combat [מצודת ציון]. This immediate readiness reveals that even before conducting a full investigation into the tragedy, the men had already firmly decided to launch a military campaign to punish the sinful city [ביאור שטיינזלץ].