## they had gone ##

"Joab and the commanders had gone"

## nine months and twenty days ##

"9 months and 20 days" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-numbers]] and [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/biblicaltime]])

## Then Joab reported the total of the count of the fighting men to the king ##

"Then Joab told the king the total number of men ready for battle"

## in Israel ##

This refers to the the northern tribes of Israel.

## eight hundred thousand...five hundred thousand ##

"800,000...500,000"

## who drew the sword ##

AT: "who were ready to fight in the army" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]])

## of Judah ##

This refers to the southern tribe of Judah.