Judges 20:38

Judges 20:38 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Now there was an appointed sign between the men of Israel and the liers in wait, that they should make a great flame with smoke rise up out of the city.
• New International Version (NIV)The Israelites had arranged with the ambush that they should send up a great cloud of smoke from the city,
• English Standard Version (ESV)Now the appointed signal between the men of Israel and the men in the main ambush was that when they made a great cloud of smoke rise up out of the city
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now the appointed signal between the men of Israel and the men in ambush was that they would make a great cloud of smoke rise up from the city,

Context of Judges 20:38

36Then the Benjamites realized they had been defeated. Now the men of Israel had retreated before Benjamin because they were relying on the ambush they had set against Gibeah. 37The men in ambush rushed suddenly against Gibeah; they advanced and put the whole city to the sword. The men of Israel had arranged a signal with the men in ambush: When they sent up a great cloud of smoke from the city, 39the men of Israel would turn in the battle. When the Benjamites had begun to strike them down, killing about thirty men of Israel, they said, “They are defeated before us as in the first battle.” 40But when the column of smoke began to go up from the city, the Benjamites looked behind them and saw the whole city going up in smoke.

Judges 20:38 word by word

וְהַמּוֹעֵ֗ד הָיָ֛ה לְאִ֥ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל עִם־הָאֹרֵ֑ב הֶ֕רֶב לְהַעֲלוֹתָ֛ם מַשְׂאַ֥ת הֶעָשָׁ֖ן מִן־הָעִֽיר׃Read the interlinear

• The menאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• had arrangedהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
• a signalמוֹעֵדmô‛êd mô‛êd mô‛âdâh · meeting: signal appointedH4150
• withעִם‛im · withH5973
• the men in ambushאָרַב'ârab · to ambushH693
• When they sent upעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
• a greatרָבָהrâbâh · to multiplyH7235
• cloudמַשְׂאֵתmaώ'êth · tributeH4864
• of smokeעָשָׁן‛âshân · smokeH6227
• fromמִן־min minnîy minnêy · fromH4480
• the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892

Commentaries on Judges 20:38

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 38Now there was an appointed sign - From this verse to the end of the chapter we have the details of the same operations which are mentioned, in a general way, in the preceding part of the chapter.Read the comment
• 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 20:38

• Ambush
• Armies
• Strategy

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Liers-in-Wait
• Congregation
• Fetch
• Gibeah
• Glean
• Trust
• Wickedness
• Wolf
• Archery

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