Judges 20:40

Judges 20:40 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But when the flame began to arise up out of the city with a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and, behold, the flame of the city ascended up to heaven.
• New International Version (NIV)But when the column of smoke began to rise from the city, the Benjamites turned and saw the whole city going up in smoke.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But when the signal began to rise out of the city in a column of smoke, the Benjaminites looked behind them, and behold, the whole of the city went up in smoke to heaven.
• New King James Version (NKJV)But when the cloud began to rise from the city in a column of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and there was the whole city going up in smoke to heaven.

Context of Judges 20:40

38Now the appointed signal between the men of Israel and the men in ambush was that they would make a great cloud of smoke rise from the city. 39So the men of Israel turned in the battle, and Benjamin began to strike and kill about thirty men of Israel, for they said, “Certainly they are defeated before us as in the first battle!” But when the [signal] cloud began to rise out of the city in a column of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them; and behold, the entire city went up in smoke to heaven. 41When the men of Israel turned back again, the men of Benjamin were terrified, for they saw that disaster had fallen upon them. 42Therefore, they turned their backs before the men of Israel [and fled] toward the direction of the wilderness, but the battle followed and overtook them. As the [fighting men of the] sons of Benjamin ran among them, the Israelites of the cities came out and destroyed them.

Judges 20:40 word by word

וְהַמַּשְׂאֵ֗ת הֵחֵ֛לָּה לַעֲל֥וֹת מִן־הָעִ֖יר עַמּ֣וּד עָשָׁ֑ן וַיִּ֤פֶן בִּנְיָמִן֙ אַחֲרָ֔יו וְהִנֵּ֛ה עָלָ֥ה כְלִיל־הָעִ֖יר הַשָּׁמָֽיְמָה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• But when the flameמַשְׂאֵתmaώ'êth · tributeH4864
• beganחָלַלchâlal · to profane/begin: beginH2490
• to arise upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
• out of the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• with a pillarעַמּוּד‛ammûd ‛ammûd · pillarH5982
• of smokeעָשָׁן‛âshân · smokeH6227
• the Benjamitesבֶּן־יְמִינִיben-yemîynîy ben-ha-yemînîy ben-'îysh yemîynîy · BenjaminiteH1145
• lookedפָּנָהpânâh · to turnH6437
• behindאַחַר'achar · afterH310
• them, and, behold, the flameכָּלִילkâlîyl · entireH3632
• to heavenשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064

Cross-references for Judges 20:40

• Genesis 19:28and he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the valley [of the Dead Sea]; and he saw, and behold, the smoke of the land went up like the smoke of a kiln (pottery furnace).
• Joel 2:30I will show signs and wonders [displaying My power] in the heavens and on the earth, Blood and fire and columns of smoke.
• Revelation 19:3And a second time they said, “Hallelujah! Her smoke shall ascend forever and ever.”
• Joshua 8:20When the men of Ai turned back and looked, behold, the smoke of the city was ascending toward the sky, and they had no opportunity to run this way or that way. Then the people who had been running to the wilderness turned back toward the pursuers.

Commentaries on Judges 20:40

• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 36-48This section provides another description of the battle.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 29-4829-48. And Israel set liers-in-wait round about Gibeah--A plan was formed of taking that city by stratagem, similar to that employed in the capture of Ai [Jos 8:9].Read the comment

Topics related to Judges 20:40

• Ambush
• Armies
• Strategy

In the dictionaries

• Congregation
• Fetch
• Gibeah
• Glean
• Trust
• Wickedness
• Wolf
• Archery
• Ascend
• Flame

Commentaries on Judges 20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• Darby Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary