# 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]])

# 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 northern tribes of Israel.

# 800,000 ... 500,000

"eight hundred thousand ... five hundred thousand" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-numbers]])

# who drew the sword

This metonym refers to the men 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.